5x beautiful climbs outside Europe

Here is our list of 5 beautiful climbs within Europe. That is already difficult enough. Is that the best way to go? Stelvio, Lacets de Montvernier, Trasfagarasan Or maybe Ventoux? Beauty is a relative concept, because what is beautiful to one person (views, curves of the hair) is boring to another. Length is always an issue, steepness etc etc. Ask a Frenchman and it’s the Izoard or Alpe d’Huez, for a Spaniard it’s definitely Angliru of Lagos de Covadonga. For an Italian…well, it should be clear that this is not a given. Let us, as Europeans, take a moment to look at our imaginary borders. What are the most beautiful climbs outside Europe? We have selected five of them, in random order. Which one is your favorite?

1. Mount Hehuan – TAIWAN

This bombshell, known from the Taiwan KOM Challenge It really can’t be missing from this list. It’s high, steep, but above all, the route is beautiful to look at from a distance. It’s a climb that covers almost 100 kilometers in total. You encounter everything along the way. From snakes to holes in the road. It’s humid and sometimes almost mysterious. That’s what makes this climb so spectacular.

2. Mount Lemon – Arizona, USA

Not your typical climb. Not the longest or the hardest either. But this is truly a beauty, starting from one of Arizona’s major cities, Tuscon. It stretches 50 kilometers, with the percentage fluctuating somewhere between 4 and 6%, and only gets you out of your rhythm by a longer stretch of 8% on average and a short downhill stretch towards the end of the climb. But what beautiful views this provides! The advantage of Arizona is the dry heat, which makes cycling quite pleasant. In the summer, this is a definite no-go, because the temperature can rise sharply. But in the spring and autumn. Let’s go for it.

3rd International Paso de los Libertadores, Chile – Argentina

Where the world of road racing is mainly considered a religion in Europe, the gravel bike or trekking bike comes more into its own in the Latin American part of the world. The roads are often unpaved and you don't want to face any surprises. Adventure is fun, but not on a Specialized S-Works worth €10,000. Still, you can find plenty of beautiful climbs in South America. In the footsteps of Richard Carapaz or Egan Bernal, it is certainly a pleasure to be there. Jetse Bol probably has some tips too. But we're going for it anyway. Paso Internacional Los Libertadores. What a stunner that is. Switchbacks where you have to turn around. Just be careful of the traffic. It’s not for nothing that it’s often listed as one of the ‘dangerous roads of the world’.

4. Mauna Kea – Hawaii

According to many, Mauna Kea is the longest climb in the world. With just over 4 kilometers of elevation gain (4018 meters to be exact), this is truly something bizarre. If you add it all up and consider that this climb is 67 kilometers long, at an average of 5.9%, you can see that it wasn’t done in just an hour. Add to that a maximum climbing rate of 23.3% and you can calculate that the climb alone will take half a day. So bring plenty of food with you! Don’t go too early, because the highest percentage will keep this Hawaiian giant for the last few hours. Not to mention the wind, the changing landscapes and temperatures.

5. Mount Babadag – Turkey (Asian part)

A climb that is mainly popular with paragliders; it doesn’t look very promising if you have to cycle up it too. In Turkey they are still developing the cycling infrastructure, but the beautiful hills and mountains are just waiting to be explored. This climb, near Fethiye between Marmaris and Antalya, will stay with you for a long time. After all, who would ever think of putting some concrete blocks on a climb like this? The road winds up the mountain like a snake and don’t be mistaken, you’ll be riding up to the top in 14.4 kilometers in just over 1900 meters. The average gradient is 11%(!) Hello Mortirolo, but in Turkish. The view from the top… that is the reward you deserve after an hour of hard work. We say: go for it!