Cougang la is a climb of 15.6 kilometers (hors catégorie). Cougang la tops out at 3,971 m above sea level. It is located in 吉隆县 སྐྱིད་གྲོང་རྫོང།, 西藏自治区 བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།, 中国. The average gradient is 9.4% with a maximum of 16.5%. The climb has 1465 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This beyond category (HC) climb is demanding because of its high average gradient (9.4%) and its substantial elevation gain (1465m). The difficulty is compounded by an uneven distribution, with several very steep sections (multiple stretches at 11-13%) concentrated between km 1-3 and km 6-12. The lower-gradient sections (KM 4-6 and 13-15) offer brief respite but are not enough to make it a steady climb.
Tips for managing your effort:
1. Pacing: Don't let the "relatively" manageable start fool you. Anticipate the 13% ramps (KM 1-2 and 8-9) and keep something in the tank. Use the easier sections (KM 4-6) to recover actively without breaking your rhythm.
2. Gearing: Fit a gear set suited to steep gradients (a cassette with a 28-32 tooth sprocket minimum). Alternate frequently between seated climbing and standing on the pedals on the steepest pitches to spare your legs.
3. Hydration and fuelling: The length of the climb (close to an hour for the fastest riders) demands careful management. Start drinking from the bottom and plan solid or carb-based fuelling before KM 6 so you tackle the middle section in the best possible shape.
15.6 km • 1465 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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