The ten climbs you have to ride before you die

If money and time were no barrier, which climbs would you book a ticket to ride? Which would top your must-ride list?

Here are 10 crazy ascents from around the world that, when those lottery numbers come in, you need to be heading for. You’ll see no ratings attached to these climbs, and that’s because they are all 10/10 – they are the elite, the very top of the pile. Yes, some are tougher than others, but to create a pecking order would be disrespectful to the immense challenge each one presents.

Simon Warren, author of 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, has scoured the world for unforgettable ascents

Deep in the lush green vegetation of the Colombian mountains lies the second-longest (although the Colombians claim it’s the longest) continuously paved climb in the world, the Alto de Letras. Starting in the tropical climate of Mariquita and finishing 3,677m higher in the alpine climate of the Andes, you will need to have packed for all conditions on this giant ascent. Crossing the entire Cordillera Central of the Andes and passing Nevado del Ruiz, the second-highest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere, the road links a string of villages on its way up and is punctuated by numerous small descents. It’s a favourite location for local pros to ride at high altitude in the off-season, so don’t be surprised if you are in stellar company as you head above the clouds.

England’s own Mont Ventoux, Great Dun Fell has no peers as the country’s greatest climb. Approaching from any direction, you see the radar station’s ‘golf ball’ glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge – this is your target. Starting from the village of Knock, the climb is tough right away and just keeps getting tougher. Your journey across this increasingly hostile scenery is punctuated by gates and cattle grids, then after a lull in the severity of the climbing, it gets much worse. Approaching 20%, you crawl up the narrow, snow-pole-lined road which is so well surfaced it resembles a two-metre-wide grey carpet. At the point where the tall valley walls disappear, you reach a plateau on top of the Pennines to tick off the final metres to the summit of this truly extraordinary road.

On paper, this is the second-hardest climb in the world. At 14km, it is relatively short but its continuously steep gradients are off-the-charts. Its overall average gradient of 12.6% is bonkers and eight of those kilometres are set above 16%. It gets worse. There is a whole 1,500m section of 20% with maximum slopes of 24%, so no matter how strong you are, you’re going to need some very small gears. This oasis of suffering deep in Saudi Arabia’s Asir Mountains isn’t currently the most popular summer holiday location, believe it or not, and to date only two people – yes, two – have logged a ride on it on Strava. The scenery, the isolation and the sheer beauty of this road means more people are sure to give it a go, though – will you?

For a cyclist, the mighty Passo dello Stelvio is one of the wonders of the world. The second-highest paved pass in the Alps, which boasts snow year-round, is packed with 48 – yes, 48 – hairpin bends. Leaving Prato allo Stelvio, the first four kilometres climb gradually and it’s seven kilometres before you hit the fabulous hairpins. With 17km covered, it’s time to leave the forest and enter the greatest amphitheatre in all cycling. Rising from the deep valley, surrounded by jagged peaks, you creep your way up the precipitous mountainside, your surroundings getting exponentially grander with every pedal stroke. With your breath taken and your mind blown, you arrive at the summit spellbound at the sight of what you have just climbed.

Standing 515m above the next highest road in Europe, the Pico Veleta is quite frankly out of this world. There are many ways to begin the ascent, but they all eventually arrive in Alto Hoya de la Mora, where at 2,500m the air is already thin. From here, you begin the extraordinary adventure to the summit. Traversing the desolate landscape, you climb through endless switchbacks in the rarefied atmosphere, and as you do, the road begins to falter. Before long, cracks start to appear in the once-smooth tarmac; these cracks turn to holes, then patches of broken surface, then with a couple of kilometres to go, it turns to horrendous gravel. How far you persevere may depend on your equipment, but no matter where you stop, as you do, you look out over the curvature of the Earth and you’ll shake your head in disbelief.

Deep in the quiet southern Alps lies a majestic climb of epic proportions. In 23km it rises up to 2,802m to a place where only the toughest of plants survive, high enough to touch the sky. On leaving Jausiers, the early slopes are a comfortable 6-7% but the second half of the ascent is a much tougher prospect, set on 8-9% slopes. The higher you climb, the wilder things become. The grandeur of your surroundings increases exponentially as you twist your way through the boulder-strewn landscape. It is coarse, unspoiled, prehistoric. Higher and higher you climb to reach the Col de Bonette at 2,715m, but that’s not the top. In front of you lies the Cime de la Bonette, the hostile, cruel finale, a wickedly steep loop purposely constructed to claim the title of highest road in France.

Hidden away in the eastern reaches of the Dolomites lies the Monte Zoncolan, a legendary climb of the Giro d’Italia. Starting in Ovaro, it rises into the first testing slopes up to Liariis, then allow you a brief rest before the torture begins. As the road ramps up into the woods, kiss your saddle goodbye and get ready to hurt. For the next six and a half kilometres, the slope never drops below 10% and sits closer to 15%. On and on you toil, even steeper round the corners as you pass the posters of famous riders that line the road. Within two kilometres of the top, the gradient at last backs off as you pass through three tunnels before starting the finale. These last four bends are the final nail in the coffin, the end to a savage road that rightly lays claim to be one of the toughest in pro cycling.

This is it, the big one, the longest cycling climb in the world and home to one of the toughest cycling events, the annual Taiwan KOM challenge. Rising from sea level to 3,275m, the ‘race’ is 105km-long and pretty much follows Taiwan’s number-eight highway from base to summit. One of the most scenic roads on the island, it is packed with hairpins and stunning scenery, including the Taroko Gorge and the Hehuan Mountain Range, not to mention some savage 27% gradients. An engineering marvel from start to finish, the road has an immaculate surface and averages only 3.6%, so for the most part the climbing is thankfully steady. It’s the distance, however, not to mention the tropical heat combined with the altitude, that will get you if you attempt this crazy climb – so be ready for a long day on two wheels.

If you’re heading to the Canary Islands, forget Mount Teide, as that’s a mere blip compared to this beast. If you want altitude, if you really want an out-of-this-world island experience, then you need to ride the Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. Leaving Santa Cruz de la Palma, you climb up through the lush forest then, once above the clouds, enter a world beyond imagination. Crossing the harsh volcanic landscape, this colossal road gains almost 2,500m in altitude to weave betweenthe myriad astronomical observatories that look as if they have been plucked from a Bond movie. The final four kilometres between these huge galactic listening devices is one of the most spectacular places you can ever ride a bike and delivers you to the car park at the top of the world.

Ethiopia is home to, among other wonders, the highest paved road on the whole continent of Africa. Mount Tulu Dimtu, ‘The Red Mountain’, which rises to an eye-watering altitude of 4,377m, by far the highest climb in this list. The summit sits in the Bale Mountains National park, 450 miles from the capital Addis Ababa, and although very rough, the road has a mostly sealed surface up to the 4,000m point on the High Sanette Plateau. From here, the final four kilometres of the ascent to the telecommunication facility on top of this extinct volcano is a dirt road, so an off-road bike or modifications are advisable.

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Alto de Letras, Colombia

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