Originally Posted by
Paul Barnard
I have never done an HC. I have done some Cat 1 climbs in Colorado, although none of those were in the top 10 most difficult in CO.
A climb's rating really does not indicate how hard the climb is. I have done many HC climbs, and many are just long 5% grinds. I have done Dawson Saddle, which is over 7000 ft of climbing on a single segment, but it is nothing compared to climbs like Las Flores mentioned above. It is "only" a Cat 2 climb, but it includes a 1.29 miles section of 12% AVERAGE.
https://www.strava.com/segments/8940969 You cannot stop to take pictures because it is hard to restart!