Mauna Kea

Imagine this: you’re riding up the Col d’Izoard in the Alps. From Guillestre in the south it’s a long slog of 31km; the average gradient is reasonable at around 4% but still you’re thankful when you arrive at the summit. Except when you get there you find yourself at the foot of Alpe d’Huez. Now you’ve got another 16km of climbing and the gradient has pitched up by quite a bit.

Just as the summit of the Alpe arrives, you’re transported to the base of the Col de la Croix de Fer and you have to face another 22km at 5%. And then it gets worse. After the