155 miles with 13,900 feet of elevation gain*
Locate ride on interactive map.
[Interactive Course | enlarge]
[Route Profile]
Climb to Kaiser - Counties Visited:
Fresno County
Climb to Kaiser - Cities/Towns Visited:
Clovis, Tollhouse, Shaver Lake, Big Creek, Lakeshore, Auberry, and Prather
Climb to Kaiser - Climbs:
Mile 15 (cat. 3), 27 (cat. 4), 35 (cat. 1), 53 (cat. 4), 58 (cat. 2), 70 (cat. 2), 85 (cat. 4), 93 (cat. 4), and 103 (cat. 4)
Climb to Kaiser - Stops:
Mile 24 (Wildcat Summit), 36 (Tollhouse), 43, 49 (Shaver Lake), 61 (Big Creek), 69 (Lakeshore), 79 (Kaiser Pass), 107 (Shaver Lake), 117, and 138
Climb to Kaiser - Description:
The Climb to Kaiser is a beautiful ride that starts and ends in Clovis (near Fresno), the «Gateway to the Sierras» - the same location as the Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century. Shorter routes, such as a century and metric century, are offered as well. The event is held since 1976.
The ride has an absolute elevation gain of over 8,000 feet, starting under 1,000 and reaching over 9,000 feet. This is more than any top bike climb in the United States, except for the three volcanoes in Hawaii.
Kaiser Pass, the highest point of the ride, is reached via six different climbs, and there are three small climbs on the way back. At the very top are graves of three Alaskan husky sled dogs from the 1920s, named Whiskey, Babe, and Trim.
After leaving Clovis, the route leads east and then north-east, eventually entering Sierra National Forest. It follows Watts Valley over Wildcat Grade, and then Burrough Valley over Burrough Grade. The next two climbs (really one long climb), Tollhouse Grade and Pine Ridge Grade, lead up to Shaver Lake. After a short ascent and a technical descent, Big Creek Grade leads up to Huntington Lake.
The last major climb winds up Kaiser Pass, where the route turns around and leads south-west. Two short climbs on Highway 168 lead up to Tamarack Ridge, where a long descent of about 35 miles begins. It is only interrupted by a short ascent at Shaver Lake. Eventually the route leaves Highway 168 and continues on Auberry Road all the way back to the outskirts of Clovis.
Climb to Kaiser - Pictures:
[Shaver Lake]
[Big Creek Climb]
[Huntington Lake]
[Kaiser Pass Climb]
[Kaiser Pass]
[Descent from Kaiser]
Climb to Kaiser - Personal Notes:
I missed the mass start because my alarm was one hour late (it was still on standard time and not on daylight saving time). This means I had no paceline for the flat first 15 miles, and I had to make sure to meet the cut-off times.
The ride has some very hard climbs, including Big Creek Grade, which gains 2,000 feet of elevation in less than 4 miles. The average grade of this climb is 10 percent, the worst half-mile grade is 15 percent, and the steepest grade is 20 percent.
Climb to Kaiser - Current Weather:
See also Top Bike Climbs in California.