Comparison of NE Hillclimb Races

This page provides information on hillclimb races. Only mountains that have been raced in the last few years are included here, and only from the six New England states and northeastern New York. This makes it easier for those contemplating a race to compare the relative difficulty with other races. These climbs were previously split between several graphs divided by geographical region. The hillclimb races are still few enough in number to effectively show on a single chart. Also, some of these hillclimb events are not pure hillclimbs, in that there may be rolling or flat sections leading to the climb. The actual race profiles are depicted here, where only the climb portion may be depicted elsewhere on northeastcycling.com. A 10% reference grade line is included in the graph as a cue in establishing relative steepness. Not many climbs exceed an average grade of 10%, but most will have sections approaching or exceeding this. The table below gives stats on the climbs. I’ve done my best to accurately show male and female records by manually going through all of previous year’s results I’m aware of. If I missed somebody, please let me know via the contact link above. I am also looking for record info on Greylock and High Point. Links for additional info are provided with each climb description, but these frequently change. Most perusers of the web know by now if a link does not work, try the root domain next, and if that fails, go to Google. Also, online registration for most of these climbs is offered at Bikereg once the season gets under way.

2008 Northeast Hillclimb Schedule

Northeast Hillclimb Race Stats

Northeast Race Hillclimb Details

Each of the hillclimb races profiled above are presented in much more detail below. A detailed profile with color coded gradient is given. Photos and 3d imagery are provided on a few of the climbs also. Each climb is presented with the same gradient scale so climbs can easily be compared. Dark blue is less than 1% grade (including downhill), and dark red is 24% grade on each profile. Green, which is scale center, is 12% grade. A climb that has mostly blue color is probably less than 8% average grade. A climb with lots of greens and yellows likely averages around 12% grade. Climbs with oranges or a bit of red have exceeding steep sections, such as the last bit on Mt Washington. Note that for each color-coded section of climb, that color represents the average grade for that section. Within the section, there may be less steep or steeper parts. An effort was made to pick meaningful points in which to break up climbs. This was a subjective process, and other eyes may see the climbs differently.

The gradients should not be scrutinized too closely. DeLorme Topo 6.0 software was used to create most of the profiles. This software is known to be very inaccurate where roads traverse steep grades. Newer plots were created with Topo 7.0, and some improvements have been noticed. Large errors were manually corrected. Many small errors are still present in the profiles. These errors typically manifest themselves as small down hills where none exist, or a blip that looks really steep when in reality the grade remains constant in that section. If you find your GPS or HRM based altimeter gives slightly different shape to the profile, your measurement is probably correct. The profiles presented here should be plenty accurate for comparing racing climbs.

Following individual color profiles of select climbs, a Google Earth rendition of the route is given. Vertical exageration was set to 1.5 for all plots to keep them uniform for comparison purposes. Distance scale factors vary, however. Exageration can be set as high as 3x, but this looks completely unrealistic.

Mount Washington, NH

Mt. Washington is the biggest climb in the NE, and often dubbed the toughest hillclimb in North America or even the world. I would not challenge the notion it’s the toughest road climb in North America, and foul weather most of the time plays a big factor in this. It is the grand-daddy of hillclimbs in the northeastern part of the country, and careers have been launched with wins on this mountain. In 1997, Tyler Hamilton broke a 17 year old record, and then in 1999, broke his own record again. A new kid on the block came along in 2002, Tom Danielson, and took another minute off Tyler’s fastest time. See this autoroad link for a history of records on Mt Washington. The mostly paved auto road rises 4727 feet in 7.6 miles, nearly a 12% average grade. There is a 22% grade section at the top! This climb is truly monotonically rising, no flat or downhill sections to catch your breath on the way up. There is a lengthy section of well groomed gravel that has not been a problem for my 23mm tires at all, but can get soft in rain. Only once a year (maybe twice if practice ride is offered) are bikes allowed on the private auto road for the Mt Washington Bicycle Hillclimb. Riders must take auto transportation down. Weather at top can be downright nasty, even mid-summer. One year when I did the climb in August it was in the 60’s at the base, but 39 and extremely windy at the top, and it snowed that night! There have been times when the race was cancelled. Mt Washington is also home to the worse weather on Earth. No lie. The highest non-tornadic wind speed ever recorded on Earth was at the summit of Mt Washington at 231mph. Hurricane force winds are present 100 days a year on average. This in part makes Mt Washington one of the toughest bicycle climbs in the world. For more info on the hillclimb, see the hillclimb.

Due to great demand for this bicycle hillclimb, another annual race has been added to the calendar since 2006. This race is called Newton’s Revenge, and it takes place in July. It too has its own practice ride in June. The race format is the same, starting early with awards feast afterwards. Registration opens for this race only after the August race fills. For more info on the July race, see Newton's.

The Mount Washington Auto Road is depicted on actual satellite imagery. The tree line is plainly visible, roughly along the traverse known as “5 mile grade.” View is looking in the southwesterly direction. (click for larger image)

The first page of the Mount Washington Autoroad Bicycle Hillclimb guide book. I believe the average grade is overstated. Click for bigger image.

Mt Washington Top Notch start, with Tyler Hamilton and Ned Overend present, race August 2005. Photo by Philbrick.

Mt Washington summit an hour later and 4700ft higher than photo to left, race August 2005. Note spectators in heavy winter clothing!

Mt Washington summit when it's nice, practice ride July 2003

Whiteface Mountain, NY

Whiteface Mountain is located just outside of Lake Placid. This climb is the next closest thing to Mt. Washington. About the same distance, a little less vertical, so not quite as steep. Just means you go faster, not easier. View from the top is spectacular. Start the climb from the town of Wilmington at Routes 86 and 431. Climbing starts off with about 8-9% grade for first three miles. It flattens some around the toll booth area, then resumes at 10% average grade for the next three miles before tapering off again. Best part of this climb is the descent. Road surface is fairly good, long straight sections with few sweeping turns. There are a few frost heaves to watch out for though. After the 2002 hillclimb race, official pacers supposedly controlled rate of descent. I never saw them and I cruised 46 to 48 miles per hour in many places. Others were going much faster. On the portion below the tollhouse, I hit 54 mph, a personal record! By far, Whiteface is the best descent I review here. I’m told bikes are not allowed on the toll road during operating hours, until around 5pm daily in the summer. Once the road has been cleared of cars and the toll people go home, bikes are allowed to ride the road. See Whiteface for more info.

Like Mt Washington, Whiteface Mtn now features two hillclimb race events per season. The second race occurs in the fall and is called the Whiteface Foliage Hillclimb. For more info on this event, see Foliage.

Whiteface climb looking south.

Road up Whiteface Mtn, June 2002

Whiteface finish area, June 2004

Mount Equinox, VT

Climbs Skyline Drive to the summit of Equinox Mountain. Bikes have not been allowed on this private auto road for many years. The Gear Up for Lyme race in 2004 was the first chance for hillclimbers to test their mettle on this beast. It is claimed to have a short section of 28% grade, but after racing this mountain, my hunch is I didn’t encounter anything steeper than 15 or 16%. The view from the summit is spectacular. Mt Equinox is steep and one of the highest peaks around, so great views can be viewed to the west from the summit, and in other directions from the spine leading to the summit. The road is very smoothly paved, tollbooth to summit. Unfortunately, like Mt Washington, cyclists are not allowed to ride their bikes back down. See GearUpForLyme for more info.

Approaching finish line on Equinox, race August 2005

Hole through clouds from ridgeline near summit of Equinox, August 2004

Crank the Kanc, NH

The “Crank the Kanc” time-trial is one of the lesser known hillclimbs. It is not a pure hillclimb, however. This course starts out near Conway, NH and follows the Kancamagus Highway (Rt 112) to the top of Kancamagus Pass. The course climbs very gradually the first 10 miles before nearly leveling off for another 5 miles. Then the last 4 miles of the 21 mile course are fairly steep, averaging 7% grade with short steeper sections. There are a couple of spectacular vista points along the way. Be sure to enjoy them on the way back down. I have never done this timed event, but I have ridden the Kancamagus Highway on many occasions. The “Kanc,” as it is often called locally, is the backbone to many great cycling rides in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As of the end of the 2006 cycling season, reconstruction of the Kanc is still progressing. Much of the Kanc west of the pass has been resurfaced and is now fantastic to bomb down. Lower portions east of the pass are being worked currently. In another year or two, I suspect then entire 33 mile Kanc will have been resurfaced with small shoulder in many places, making it a much safer and more enjoyable ride. For more information on Crank the Kanc, visit Crank the Kanc.

Mount Ascutney, VT

Due to the increasing popularity of the Mt Washington hillclimb and park management noting a dramatic increase in riders training at Mt. Ascutney, the park decided to hold their own race in 2000. It was my first hillclimb race. 90 riders competed in the inaugural event, and nearly 200 have competed the last couple of years. As you can see from the comparison graph at the top of the page, the first 1.5 miles of Ascutney gain significantly more vertical than any other climb. There reportedly are short but sustained 19% grade sections. I find Ascutney a more grueling climb than Washington. It’s only half the vertical so you push harder in the race knowing the pain will be over in 30 minutes. Ascutney has some very tight switchbacks and a few frost heaves, so care must be taken on the descent. Since much of the surface has been recently repaved in 2005, the descent is much more enjoyable. It’s still a good idea to reduce tire pressure an stop for rim cooling however. Many riders have blown tires off their wheels descending this mountain. You can ride Ascutney anytime for a small use fee. I have taken my mountain bike up Ascutney on a couple of occasions. There is some brutally rugged off-road riding around the summit of the mountain, which rises a couple hundred additional feet above the parking lot at the top. This is the best mountain in New England to test your Mt. Washington race gearing on. Ascutney is also a popular hang-glider launch mountain. For more info, go to VT Parks and look for link to Ascutney events.

No other climb presented here gains over 1000 feet in the first 1.5 miles, or in any 1.5 miles section, like Ascutney does. A very good warm up is required before racing this mountain. There may be a couple brief sections around switchbacks between 1.5 and 2.6 miles to let up just a tad, but the only significant break is around the 3.2-3.5 mile area. There is actually a brief downhill here. This poses a big problem to many riders though. It is too easy to back off, maybe even coast briefly in this section. Don’t do it! What happens is the final pitch gets exceedingly steep. You think there’s only a few tenths of a mile to go, but how hard could it be? But when you back off and recover, even if for a moment, it is very easy to go deeply anaerobic when the pitch turns steep again. Because this is near the end of the climb, you quickly hit deflection big time. This is the term often given to the condition when lactic acid rapidly builds, then the athlete must back way down to recover. It’s like hitting a barrier and deflecting off of it. This results in a net loss in time. It is better to maintain at least moderate power through the easy section, then resume steady hard pace on remaining steep section. You avoid going too anaerobic this way, which should net you a better finishing time.

Okemo Mtn (Race for Grace), VT

This is a new, planned event for 2008. Information presented here is preliminary and may change.

Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, VT is another popular climb among cyclists. The paved summit road winds through the ski area en route to the summit. It is a state road, but not a park, so no entance fee is required for those interested in training here. The Race for Grace will be different from most other hillclimb events in that the race does not start at the base of the climb. It will start in Jackson Gore village and follow flat or slightly downhill Rt 103 for nearly two miles before picking up the steep summit road. This means racers will need all the gears on their bike, as most will be traveling over 20mph to reach the base of the climb. The climb will throw some really steep punches, but nothing like the first 2 miles of Ascutney. Okemo offers occasional breathers. The finish line will be just shy of the end of pavement. There is minimal parking area at the summit, so most riders will be expected to ride their bikes back down. The pavement is decent for climbing, but great care must be taken on the descent. Like any New England road, old man winter eventually has its way with asphalt. There is no view from the finish area. The road does not reach the highest point. This requires approximately 0.25mi hike on jeep road, and view from top of chairlifts is nice, and view from fire tower is spectacular. Might be good to send a pair of sneakers up if you want to walk over to it while waiting for the last racer to finish. There are a couple of other nice vistas just down from the finsh. Take time to enjoy them on the descent. This info will be updated as more details become available.

Burke Mountain, VT

Burke Mountain debuted in the hillclimb racing scene in September, 2007. I have ridden up Burke several times, usually on a mountain bike when I hit the Kingdom Trails. This climb is tough, I suspect many find it more difficult than Mt Ascutney. The average grade is slightly less, but there are sustained sections that are much steeper than any comparable sustained section on Mt Ascutney. For this reason, it is hard to find a rhythm on this climb. Except at the start area, it is all up too. Around the 2 mile mark, there is a section that approaches 20% grade for at least a few tenths of a mile. I find it difficult to keep front wheel on the ground. This grade is comparable only to the east side of Lincoln Gap in the Green Mountains. The race starts at he ski lodge base area, although in 2007, the mass start race was neutral until after rounding the corner onto Mountain Rd. The profile below starts at the base lodge of the ski area. There is slight drop approaching Mountain Road. Once the fork to the Toll Road is taken, the grade immediately kicks up to 14% and stays there until the 20% grade section. The rest of the climb hovers in the 12-15% range. Ski runs are crossed several times on the way up, offering fantastic views and giving you a psychological boost in showing how dramatically you have gained vertical despite crawling at just a few miles per hour. At the summit, a two minute hike from parking area, there is a fire tower that can be climbed for a 360 degree panoramic view. On a clear day, you can see mountains in several states. One of the best things about this climb is the road condition. It has been recently repaved, so surface is buttery smooth. However, great care must be taken on the descent. Due to extreme steepness and frequent sharp switchbacks, heavy continuous breaking is required. Even my MTB disk brakes faded on me one time coming down. This has never happened before riding off-road. Most riders would do well to reduce tire pressure about about 10-15% before beginning the descent and stop half way down to let rims cool. Hillclimb races have had a pretty safe track record over the last 8 years I’ve been into it. Let’s keep it that way. For more info, see Burke.

View from Burke summit

Bolton TT, VT

The Bolton TT is put on each year by the Green Mountain Bicycling Club, usually mid-week in mid-summer. I’ve not done the TT, but I have ridden the course. The TT begins over two miles from Bolton Valley Access Road on Rt 2 and is actually slightly downhill. The climb ends at the base of the ski area, not the mountain summit. The first 2.5 miles of the access road are undulating with some short 10-12% grade sections and one slight downhill. Then you hit the double switchback and it stays very steep for the remainder of the climb. The descent is one of the best out there. Only one or two bumps near the top, then 50+ mph the rest of the way down. Be sure to watch your speed (and on-coming cars) through the double switchback however! See GMBC for more info.

Appalachian Gap TT (Allen Clark Memorial Hillclimb), VT (location)

The “App Gap TT” begins at the Rt 17/Rt 100 junction in Waitsfield. The TT route follows Rt 17 to the summit of App Gap. It climbs gradually at first, becoming increasingly steep. The last 2km averages over 10% grade, while the last 500 meters approaching the summit averages 13%. This side of Appalachian Gap is also used as the prologue course in the Green Mountain Stage Race (GMSR). I have done the mass start GMSR race before, but never the Allen Clark TT. The view from the summit to the west into New York is fabulous. The paved surface is generally in pretty good shape, but riders descending after the race must take extreme care. There are a couple sets of switchbacks that are much sharper than you think. You cannot take these at 50mph, or even 40mph. Riders have been seriously hurt going into or over the guardrail around these turns. For more info, see Allen Clark.

Mount Greylock, MA

Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Mt. Greylock offers a very respectable climb with spectacular views. The TT course begins just off Rt 8 in N. Adams on Furnace St, then hangs a quick left onto Reservoir Rd, which is perhaps the steepest part of the whole climb and you haven’t even left town yet. You can park right there at Heritage State Park. It starts out with several sustained, very steep sections, then moderates as you approach the summit. One significant downhill early in the climb will get your speed up to about 40mph, so you’ll need all your gears. The flatter portions at top will also let stronger riders cruise around 20mph. Lower portions of the paved road are in very poor shape, open, loose potholes, huge frost heaves, deep cracks, etc. Great care must be taken descending through this section. I have never climbed from the south side, but I have gone down that way. Surface is pretty nasty in places there too. The Spoke bicycle shop has organized the TT for many years, mostly as a local word-of-mouth type of event timed with stop watches. In 2004, registration was available online as a licensed USCF TT event. You can contact The Spoke for more info.

June 19, 2007. The Mt Greylock road, both north and south sides, will be closed 2007 and 2008 for reconstruction. This likely means there will be no TT events or organized century rides on Greylock for these two years. The road will be closed to all public use until reconstruction is complete, perhaps until June of 2009. The good news is the pot holes, cracks, loose pavement, and giant frost heaves will all be gone when this work is complete. Mt Greylock will then be one of the premiere mountains to bike up and down in all of New England. See Mass DCR for more information.

Mt Greylock summit road, about 0.3mi from top, June 2002"

High Point Hill Climb TT, NJ (location)

This time-trail format hillclimb has been running for 20 years now. Haven’t tried this event yet, and it’s on my to-do list. Researching past history on the High Point Hill Climb did not produce course record times nor a race website. The plot below is based on 2007 registration information from bikereg.com. More info will be added when I get a chance to try it or if a Northeastcycling.com visitor cares to submit a review.

Wachusett Mountain, MA

Wachusett Mountain is the one of the easier hillclimb races reviewed here. There are some sustained steep sections, but flat or even downhill sections allow recovery. This climb, taking the time-trial route, begins below the ski area base lodge on Mountain Road. This first mile is the hardest part, averaging around 8-9% grade. Then hang a right into the state park summit road which wraps around to the top via the one-way auto road. A brief downhill just past 2 miles up will get your speed up around 40mph, so you’ll need that big ring. Update Aug-2006: the downhill with sharp left turn at bottom is now barreled off, and the shortcut is taken. This may take up to 0.5 miles out of original TT course. The last little bit to the parking lot up top is quite steep actually, probably >12%. On clear days you can see Boston from the summit. The Wachusett time-trail series runs once a month on Wednesday evenings, for three or four months. However, due to road reconstruction and time availability of race organizers, the TT hasn’t been run since 2003. I’m hoping this TT series will resume soon.

Bash Bish Hill TT, MA (location)

This time-trial format USCF sanctioned event is run by the Housatonic Wheel Club. The series runs the first Tuesday of each month May through August, first rider going off at 6pm. Haven’t done this one yet, but it looks to be in a scenic, remote area of the Berkshire Mountains. The first half of the route gets the climbing out of the way, then the last few miles roll along. Bash Bish is pretty much the reverse of the Agamenticus TT in southern Maine, which climbs right at the end. If the Housatonic Hill Club continues to organize this series, I hope to swing out to try it in 2008. See 2007 race flyer for more info.

Agamenticus TT, ME

The Mt Agamenticus (Mt. Agi) is a mixed-bag TT with lots of character. Starts just outside of S. Berwick town center near the intersection of Agamenticus and Willow roads. The first few miles of the course are fairly flat, where Agamenticus Rd is taken to Emery’s Bridge Rd. However, once you turn right on Belle Marsh Rd, climbing begins, but not steeply. A left is taken on Mountain Rd, which climbs a little further before a brief descent occurs. Beware, the descent starts paved and good speed is built up, but before you reach the bottom, the road turns to gravel. The gravel can be loose washboard bumps with large stones, and it is not straight. One time when I came down this, the washboard nearly rhythmically bounced me right off the road at 30+ mph. Then the steep climbing begins, still on dirt. Depending on time of year, recent rain or lack thereof, and maintenance, you may have to hunt for a good line to not lose traction with skinny 23mm tires. About 200ft of the 500+ foot steep climb is gained on gravel. Upon reaching pavement, a left is taken on Mt Agamenticus Rd to the summit. Some portions of this hit 14% grade. There are a few steep, sharp switchbacks too. This is a great TT to test all around skills. There’s no one clear advantage, say as in a purely flat TT or pure hillclimb. Those with off-road experience will definitely feel more at easy on the potentially loose as marbles gravel. See Boston Scientific for more info.