Wind River Pass

Overview

Wind River Pass is a Category 2 road climb in the United States, running 7.5 km from base to summit. It gains 407 m of net elevation over that distance, starting at 2381 m and topping out at 2788 m. At an average gradient of 5.41%, it sits firmly in the range where a rider settles into a rhythm rather than simply surviving pitch to pitch.

The number to watch is the gap between net elevation gain and total ascent. You climb 464 m in total but only net 407 m, meaning roughly 57 m of that vertical is spent regaining ground you gave back on descents and false flats. This is an undulating climb, not a steady ramp. That mismatch matters: the descents interrupt your rhythm, force repeated re-accelerations, and inflate the real cost of the effort beyond what the 5.41% average suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 5.41% average is a blend, not a constant. With a maximum gradient of 10.63%, the profile hides a pitch nearly twice as steep as the average, and the 57 m of undulation means flatter and downhill stretches drag the mean down elsewhere. Expect the climb to arrive in waves rather than one continuous wall.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or tips slightly downhill, pulling the average below 5.41%
• Repeated short climbs stacked between those dips, each demanding a fresh acceleration
• A steepest ramp reaching 10.63%, the single hardest sustained effort on the ascent

Pacing Notes

On a steady climb, even-effort and even-speed pacing nearly converge. Here they do not. The undulation rewards even effort: hold your sustainable power output through the dips and steep ramps alike, and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain. Chasing an even speed forces you to overcook the 10.63% pitch and coast the flats, wasting matches on both. Carry momentum into each short climb rather than braking your effort at the crest. Know your ceiling before you start by running the numbers through the FTP estimator.

Gearing

Gearing is dictated by the steepest gradient, not the average. At 10.63%, a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette keeps your cadence intact when the road bites. A 34×32 gives most riders enough range; a 34×34 adds a safety margin for the steep ramp near the top, where the thin air at nearly 2788 m makes every gear feel harder. Check your setup before the ride — confirm the cassette is what you think it is and that the rear derailleur handles the largest sprocket cleanly.

Summary

• Length: 7.5 km
• Average gradient: 5.41%
• Maximum gradient: 10.63%
• Net elevation gain: 407 m
• Total ascent: 464 m
• Category: 2

Wind River Pass is a Category 2 climb that reads harder than its average because of its undulation. Pace by effort, gear for the 10.63% ramp, and treat the extra 57 m of ascent as part of the work.