Pigadia is a climb of 18.9 kilometers (hors catégorie). Pigadia tops out at 1,429 m above sea level. It is located in Αρκοχώρι, Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση Μακεδονίας - Θράκης, Ελλάς. The average gradient is 6.5% with a maximum of 17.4%. The climb has 1222 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This hors catégorie climb is genuinely hard because of its uneven profile. The average gradient of 6.5% over nearly 19 km is demanding, but the real crux is the string of sections above 9%, peaking at 12% between km 10 and 11. These hard stretches are broken up by short flat spots (km 1-2, 5-6, 11-12, 16-17), which disrupt your rhythm and call for disciplined effort management.
Tips for pacing yourself:
1. Managing the changes: Anticipate the gradient changes. Use the 2-3% sections to recover actively (spin easily in a small gear) before the steep ramps.
2. Controlling your effort: Don't blow up on the 12% section. Hold a steady power or heart rate, even if it means slowing down on the steepest pitches.
3. Choosing your strategy: The first half is overall the harder one. Start conservatively so you have something left for the 12% kilometre and the brutal sections that follow.
18.9 km • 1222 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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