“Hardknott Pass” Details (Zwift Climb Portal)
Key Details
- Category: 3rd
- Length: 2.7 km (1.7 miles)
- Elevation Gain: 306 m (1,004‘)
- Average Gradient: 11.5%
- Country: United Kingdom
- Watopia Climb Segment
- Watopia Descent Segment
- France Climb Segment
- France Descent Segment
- 5 W/kg: 11 minutes
- 4 W/kg: 14 minutes
- 3 W/kg: 18 minutes
- 2 W/kg: 26 minutes
Strava Segments
Time Estimates
Nestled deep within the Lake District between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley, Hardknott Pass is regarded by many cyclists as one of the most challenging climbs in the UK.
It’s not the length that gets you, it’s the steepness: the climb boasts a maximum gradient of 33% with regular pitches over 20%!
The Romans originally constructed this pass in 110 AD as a connecting road between their coastal fort and inland garrisons. Revived at the end of the 19th century as a dirt coach road, the 1911 Cyclists’ Touring Club’s Guide to North-West England described the road as “difficult going west, cruel coming east.”
Zwift’s segment is coming east. Good luck!
Here’s the official Strava segment used for the IRL climb’s listing in 100 Climbs
I’m not sure I understand.
If this is Strava and real life Hardknot Pass:
https://www.strava.com/segments/637403?filter=overall
Then why isn’t it exactly the same on Zwift?
Because Zwift is f*ing it up quite frequently. Alot of portals are not the same as their real-world variants… Shame…
They just don’t care. Here is your proof. Pay your money and shut up.
Looks a lot easier on Watopia than IRL. Brute of a climb, most trainers wouldn’t be able to replicate a large portion of the climb.
It’s been fixed so it’s accurate as of today, Feb 1, when people can ride it. Enjoy! 🙂
Doesn’t show up on Strava Segments 🤷🏼
So, “Old Hardknott” was almost a kilometer longer.
I was confused about my results until I saw both climbs on Strava.
You’re work is appreciated. I’m not sure how things changed.
Another ride coming up then.
How many trainers can simulate 33% grade at, presumably, low cadence?
Hopefully my TACX Neo2T, I will give it a go and let you know!
I did this yesterday…nothing to enjoy:-( Well, except the ride down and 100KPH sticker.
When will this be available to ride?
Feb 1
Luckily, my trainer will only simulate up to a 16% gradient, so I won’t have to walk this one.
The beauty of Hardknott, dark memories of the Fred Whitton, the kink 2/3 up is allegedly the steepest bit of road in England, to quote Simon Warren, “if you can climb this, you can climb anything”. Been there, done that and got the T shirt.
Now it’s Bamford Clough in the Peak District… Just up the road from me. They paved it in 2023 and it’s just evil. You can only really try it when there’s no leaves and it’s dry because the slightest damp or leaf litter and you’ll spin and that’s game over.
Something is wrong. On Zwift, a 100% course gradient is displayed as an average of 12%. Today, I ran a French route, but the segment was not registered.
Zwift updated (fixed) this climb yesterday, so I made a new segment today that will match (https://www.strava.com/segments/38530825). You may need to delete and re-upload your FIT file to Strava to force it to match if it doesn’t pick it up.
GJ!
Just been up and down twice at 100%, Strava segments not credited up or down? Started as usual with Climb Portal, then u-turn after doing down and through banner for the second climb, any ideas?
Zwift updated (fixed) this climb yesterday, so I made a new segment today that will match (https://www.strava.com/segments/38530825). You may need to delete and re-upload your FIT file to Strava to force it to match if it doesn’t pick it up.
Thanks Eric all sorted, did the crop 1 second off the end and update activities trick, as I had lots to spare at the end having done a lap of France at the end.
If you try a time attack on the downhill segment of this mountain pass, you will be ruled out as cheating. Using the aero boost to go down at an average speed of 102 km/h in 90 seconds was deemed cheating.
How can you get an aero boost in a climb portal? I can only see feathers, 10 point bonuses, and 250 point bonuses.
can any trainers do 33% btw? I keep mine set at 100% difficulty and max I’ve ever seen in Zwift I think is like 25% . using Kickr V5
Well, this will be interesting…. I’ve ridden this on the Fred Whitton a few times so let’s see how those 30+% ramps feel like on Zwift
Tempted to try this on 100% trainer difficulty… then again, my knees might hate me, I have a 11-25 casette on my trainer.
I’m a bit confused: the description says
And the master list 3.6km 275m 7.7%
Whicht one is correct? Does the master list include the lead-in for this one? Because e.g. Col du Tourmalet is exactly the same in the description and the list.
Master list just hasn’t been refreshed with the new data (caching issue). This page is accurate.
I have been longing for ‘Fred’ climbs forever and this addition can only be a good thing for all of us who aspire to complete the Fred IRL without getting off. I do appreciate that yes, there are other climbs around the planet but if other climbs in the lakes were included, it would enable some of us mere mortals to have a go at a virtual FW and be prepared – at least in some part.
As long as the work has been done in making it as accurate as possible…
Thanks Zwift..
I don’t think the time in real life at 2 watts per kilo would be 28 minutes, I think you might find that at 2 watts per kilo you would be lying down in the road about 10 meters in.
Ha ha! Truth. No need to balance at low speeds in Zwift…
After making it up the real Hardknott in the dry last year I can state that as a 100kg chap, the skill was in track standing, with one leg le-presses in between.
And as far as 100km/h coming down it goes, I’m not sure Tom Pidcock could get even close! Great challenge though for Zwift, will have to go tick off the 125% version.
With so many climbs now in the zwift portal, do you think they should make more accessible at once?
Got the hidden 100kph achievement badge without hardly trying coming back down hardknott pass 😊💪
Can you create a club event with a climb portal?
Need more climb portals like this- insanely hard
Two things you can’t replicate on Zwift are the road surface, which is far from smooth, and second traffic – cars behind you trying to pass and others coming down. It is a narrow road, with passing places. Very hard. Enjoy! … then come and try the real thing.
Do you know why the 3wkg time estimate gives a VAM of 966m, compared to 1,000m for AdZ at 3wkg which is much less steep? I guess I could always do the climb to find out…
How long would this take for a slow / slow to average Cat D sort of rider?
Are we talking an hour? Two hours? 🤷♂️
TA!
Nah, much shorter. Time estimates are listed above at various watts per kilo.
The estimate for 2 W/kg is 28 minutes.
Perfect, thanks! Might take 3 scoops of pre-workout and give it a bash this week