Beklemeto Pass

Beklemeto Pass cycling climb profile

Beklemeto Pass is a long, controlled climbing effort rather than a steep, explosive test. The climb runs for 37.7 km, starts at 371 m, and tops out at 1525 m, gaining 1154 m net on the way to the summit. With an average gradient of 3.06 percent and a maximum gradient of 7.09 percent, the defining feature is not brutality. It is the length of time spent applying pressure to the pedals.

That makes this a climb where poor pacing can be punished quietly. The gradient number looks manageable, but 37.7 km is enough road for small early mistakes to accumulate. Riders who treat the lower slopes like a false flat risk spending too much time above sustainable power before the summit is anywhere close.

How the gradient unfolds

The headline average of 3.06 percent tells you this is generally moderate terrain, but the 1166 m total ascent against 1154 m net elevation gain suggests a profile that is overwhelmingly uphill rather than a climb broken by major descending sections. In practical terms, expect a long aerobic drag where rhythm matters more than repeated accelerations.

The maximum gradient of 7.09 percent is important because it frames the hardest moments. This is not a climb defined by double-digit ramps or emergency gear changes. The steepest sections are still steep enough to force a change in cadence and torque, especially after fatigue has built, but they should be manageable if you have not over-ridden the earlier kilometers.

Because the average is relatively low compared with the length, the climb likely rewards steady pressure through the shallower terrain. The temptation is to push harder when the road feels easy, but on a climb this long, those sections are better used to keep momentum without drifting far above target effort.

Pacing and gearing notes

Ride Beklemeto Pass as a sustained endurance climb with controlled surges, not as a sequence of attacks. For most riders, the right pacing anchor is an effort below threshold for the majority of the climb, with brief lifts only when the gradient moves toward the 7.09 percent maximum. If you know your /glossary/ftp, this is the kind of climb where discipline around power matters more than chasing speed.

Gearing should prioritise cadence preservation. The average gradient does not demand extreme climbing gears, but the length and the steeper pitches mean a compact or endurance-oriented setup is sensible. The goal is to avoid grinding when fatigue arrives late in the climb.

A practical approach:

• Start deliberately, even if the opening gradient feels comfortable.
• Keep effort smooth through the moderate sections rather than turning them into tempo surges.
• Save lower gears for the steeper ramps near the 7.09 percent maximum.
• Fuel and drink as if the climb is long from the first kilometer, because 37.7 km gives little margin for ignoring intake.

Beklemeto Pass is a category 2 climb because of the total demand, not because it overwhelms with gradient. Respect the duration, keep the effort even, and the climb becomes a measured test of aerobic control rather than a fight for survival.