Here is our list of 5x beautiful climbs within Europe. That's tough enough. Is that the Stelvio, Lacets de Montvernier, Trasfagarasan or at least Ventoux? Beauty is a relative term, because what is stunning for one person (views, hairpin bends) is just boring for another. Length is always an issue, steepness etc etc. Ask a Frenchman and it's the Izoard or Alpe d'Huez, for a Spaniard surely Angliru or Lagos de Covadonga. For an Italian....enfin it may be clear, that is not a done deal. So as Europeans, let's look beyond our imaginary borders. What are brilliant climbs outside Europe? We have picked five, in no particular order. Which one is your favourite?
1. Mount Hehuan - TAIWAN
This stunner, known from the Taiwan KOM Challenge cannot really be missing from this list. It is high, it is steep but, above all, the route is beautiful to look at from a distance. It is a climb that covers a total of almost 100 kilometres. You will encounter all sorts of things along the way. From snakes to holes in the road. It is humid and sometimes almost mysterious. That is also what makes this climb so stunning.
2. Mount Lemon - Arizona, USA
Not your everyday climb. Neither the longest nor the toughest. But this is a real beauty, starting from one of Arizona's big cities, Tuscon. For 50 kilometres, the percentage fluctuates somewhere between 4 and 6% and you are only taken out of your rhythm by a longer stretch of 8% average and a bit of downhill towards the end of the climb. But what beautiful pictures this produces say. The advantage of Arizona is the dry heat, which makes cycling quite pleasant. In summer, this is an absolute no-go, as the temperature can soar. But in spring and autumn. Let's go for it.
3. Paso Internacional de los Libertadores, Chile - Argentina
Whereas the world of road cycling is considered a religion mainly in Europe, in the Latin American part the gravel bike or trekking bike comes in a bit more handy. The roads there are often unpaved and you'd rather not encounter any surprises. Adventure is fun, but not on a €10,000 Specialized S-Works. Still, you can find plenty of great climbs in South America too. Following in the footsteps of Richard Carapaz or Egan Bernal is sure to be enjoyable. Jetse Bol surely knows some tips too. But we still go for the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores. What a rammer that is then. Switchbacks you could say hello to. Have to watch out for traffic though. It is often listed among the 'dangerous roads of the world' for a reason.
4. Mauna Kea - Hawaii
According to many, Mauna Kea is the longest climb in the world. With just over 4 kilometres of elevation gain (4018 metres to be precise), this is truly a bizarre thing. If you do the math backwards and consider that this climb is 67 kilometres long, with an average of 5.9% then you know that this is not something that can be peaked in an hour. Throw in a maximum gradient of 23.3% and you can calculate that the climb alone will take half a day. So take enough with you to eat! Don't peak too early either, because the highest percentage saves this Hawaiian giant until last. Not to mention the wind, changing landscapes and temperature.
Mount Babadag - Turkey (Asian part)
A climb mostly loved by paragliders, that doesn't bode well if you also have to cycle up it. In Turkey, in terms of cycling, they are still developing, but beautiful hills and mountains are there for the taking. This climb, near Fethiye between Marmaris and Antalya, will be remembered for a long time. After all, who comes up with the idea of putting down some clinker/child cobbles on a climb like this? The road twists up the mountain like a snake and make no mistake, you drive to the top in 14.4 kilometres at over 1900 metres. The average gradient is then 11%(!) Hello Mortirolo, but Turkish style. The view at the top...that's the well-deserved reward after an hour plus of hard work. We say: do it!
