“Climber’s Gambit” Route Details (Watopia)
Launched in Zwift’s August 2021 update, this route was created to host Zwift Academy Road 2021‘s “advanced” Baseline and Finish Line rides. It went from event-only to free ridable in Zwift’s December 2021 update.
Route Basics
Length: 27.7 km (17.2 miles)
Elevation: 670m (2,198′)
+0.2km (0.1 miles) lead-in
Map: Watopia
ZIMetrics
Rating: 21.4/100 🛈
Time Estimates 🛈
4 W/kg: 54 minutes
3 W/kg: 63 minutes
2 W/kg: 85 minutes
Start & Finish
Begins at Downtown Watopia start pen, ends atop the Epic KOM.
Format: Point-to-Point
Ride Achievement Badge: 600 XP
Run Achievement Badge: none
Strava Segments
Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
This route was designed to hit three different segments which test your sprint, VO2, and threshold power:
- Sprint: Watopia Sprint Reverse
- VO2: Titans Grove Reverse KOM
- Threshold: Epic KOM Reverse
This was the “advanced” route for Zwift Academy Baseline and Finish Line rides, designed with a longer threshold segment than the Legends and Lava route (which uses the Volcano KOM) so more experienced riders would have a longer segment to use for their efforts.
Beginning at the Downtown Watopia start pens, we head to The Esses and hit the Sprint Reverse just a couple of minutes out of the gate. This is a short sprint (around 10 seconds long) so it shouldn’t sap the legs much. Then we go through the Italian Villas and up the start of the Hilly KOM Reverse before cutting across and descending to Ocean Boulevard, where we turn left for an easy climb to Titans Grove. Then you’re in for a twisty, rollercoaster ride that takes you to the beginning of your next timed segment: the Titans Grove Reverse KOM!
Catch your breath as you descend down to the misty valley of the dinosaurs, then climb out of Titans Grove and take the Ocean Boulevard tube toward the Fishing Village. We’ll hang a left at the wind turbines and head across the docks to our final challenge: the Epic KOM Reverse.
Give this climb all you’ve got, and once you cross the banner at the top, the route is officially complete. But why not spin those legs out for a cooldown as you descend back to sea level? You’ve earned it.
Thanks for the write up Eric. Curious if you know where riders will be auto-directed after the completion of the route? Do riders descend and go back downtown to begin another lap?
We had someone continue riding it this morning. It just kept looping him on the Hilly KOM
Thanks Kevin. Did it loop them on the Reverse Epic KOM or Reverse Hilly KOM?
We did this route on a 2-hour group ride today. At the first T-junction that follows the descent from the Reverse Epic KOM (i.e. next to the Jarvis Tree), half were sent left, half right. It seemed to be at random. I was sent left, via the esses (I think), eventually doing repeating circuits of the Forward Hilly Loop. I didn’t quite grasp what those who went right did, as there were reports of further splits within the subgroups, but I got the impression that many were doing the Reverse Hilly Loop circuit, because we were passing each other on opposite sides of the road.
Perhaps not a route to use for group rides that will go beyond the 27.9km distance.
this isn’t an event only route right
It IS an event only route.
shoot, was pretty excited to do it and im in the c group for zwift academy so I’m going to do the other new route
You could always try and fit in an extra ride that week and do the Gambit route after the C route …assuming your legs don’t murder you for even thinking of it, LOL
ha! I think i am just going to do climbers gambit for the baseline and i’ll just get dropped, does not matter too much since drafting is disabled anyway
Looks like it’s no longer just an Event route, and there is a badge for it!
Dec 15 update.
No XP badge, just did this with JETT – ouchy? Legends of Lava looks like a good group ride
AFAIK, for event-only routes there are no badges and no double XP for completion.
What’s the best bike for this course, Aero, Mixed or Lightweight?
Ta.
Eric
As I just posted under Legends and lava, where does the segment begin please? Do you get it on Strava if you just select the route on Zwift without doing a u-turn?
Are there no XP for these 2 courses added this week? Climbers Gambit & Legends & Lava? And even though many of us did 1 of them for Zwift Academy Road, we still have to redo for completion?
The routes page here doesn’t show XP points for either of these yet, but I expect that XP will NOW be awarded for them. Based on the usual formula, I expect about 510 points for Climbers Gambit and 450 for Legends and Lava. I’m planning to ride Climbers tomorrow for the badge (and points, if awarded like I expect).
I received the badges and XP for both routes after riding them yesterday and today!
600XP for Gambit. Did it today.
If I do a 30 mile meetup on Climber’s Gambit what gets added after the tp of the climb? Any ideas?
It would be very useful to see the KMS on each route so you are able to identify at what mileage there are hills etc. along the route.
Stepping up the difficulty of the Route of the Week this week. Just did Muir and the Mountain yesterday, so not that excited to go up the Epic the opposite direction today. But will figure it out.