Cloete's Pass

Cloete's Pass cycling climb profile

Cloete's Pass is a compact but legitimate climbing effort: 2.8 km at an average gradient of 7.31%, starting at 118 m and topping out at 326 m. The climb is listed as category 3, which fits the profile well. It is not long enough to become a pure endurance grind, but it is steep enough that poor pacing shows quickly.

The key detail is the relationship between the average and maximum gradient. With a maximum of 9.65%, the climb does not appear to be defined by extreme walls. Instead, the numbers point toward sustained pressure, where the road sits close enough to the average that there is limited opportunity to recover once the effort is underway.

How the gradient unfolds

From the base at 118 m, Cloete's Pass climbs steadily toward a summit elevation of 326 m. The profile data lists 208 m of net elevation gain, with total ascent recorded at 188 m, so the main riding takeaway is simple: this is a point-to-point uphill effort with very little room to hide.

At 7.31% average, the opening should be treated with restraint. A short climb can trick riders into attacking the first few minutes, but on a gradient like this, that early surge tends to force a correction before the top. The maximum of 9.65% is not dramatically above the average, which means the steeper sections are likely to feel like an extension of the climb's normal rhythm rather than isolated ramps. That makes pacing more important than punch.

Pacing and gearing notes

Ride Cloete's Pass as a controlled threshold-style effort, not as a sprint from the base. If using power, aim for a level you can sustain cleanly for the full 2.8 km, then allow the effort to rise only near the top if you still have control. For riders pacing by feel, the correct sensation is hard but settled: breathing loaded, legs under constant torque, but no early fight for survival.

Gearing should be chosen for the near-10% maximum gradient, not just the 7.31% average. If your easiest gear only feels comfortable on moderate slopes, this climb will expose that quickly. A lower climbing gear lets you stay seated, preserve cadence, and avoid the costly surges that come from grinding through the steepest pitches.

The practical mistake is treating the short length as permission to overgear. Cloete's Pass rewards the opposite approach: settle into the gradient early, keep the effort smooth through the middle, and only press once the summit is clearly within reach. On a climb this short and steady, the rider who loses the least speed usually rides faster than the rider who starts the hardest.

For more on managing efforts like this, see /glossary/ftp and /glossary/gradient.