Levels
Every climb on this site is rated against four rider levels — once for the way up and once for the way down. Find the level that sounds like you, and you'll know at a glance which climbs are within reach and which to build towards.
Getting Started
No experience up to a casual rider.You don't have a bike yet, or you just got one. This is the starting point: short, low-commitment climbs on quiet or car-free roads, the kind you can build confidence on.
Novice
Rides semi-regularly.You ride often enough to be comfortable on the bike. You can comfortably ride for more than an hour at around 20 km/h. You're ready for longer, gentler climbs and your first taste of sustained gradients.
Intermediate
Rides consistently with built fitness.You ride consistently and have real climbing fitness. You can comfortably ride for more than two hours at around 25 km/h on the flat, and hold at least 2.5 watts per kilogram. You've unlocked the first alpine passes, and this is where descending confidence starts to matter as much as the legs.
Advanced
Strong, experienced rider.Strong fitness, technique, and experience. You can comfortably ride for more than four hours and hold 3.5 watts per kilogram or more. The big, steep, and committing climbs, and the descents that demand real bike handling.
Ascent and descent are rated independently — a strong climber who's a nervous descender can pick a climb that matches both. That descent rating is what sets us apart, and it's there to give you the confidence to set out and explore.
We also judge steepness differently going up and coming down, because they're different challenges. On the way up, a short sharp ramp still has to be ground over, so we measure max gradient over a shorter distance. On the way down, a short steep patch is easy to coast over — what makes a descent demanding is a long stretch of steep road where you're braking the whole way, so we measure max gradient over a longer distance. This means the same road can show a higher max gradient as a climb than as a descent, because the measurement distance is different.