Gardaneh-ye Bijan is a climb of 22.6 kilometers (hors catégorie). The climb finishes at 3,206 m above sea level. It is located in Dana, استان کهگیلویه و بویر احمد, ایران. The average gradient is 6.8% with a maximum of 17.9%. The climb has 1536 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: Gardaneh-ye Bijan from Amīrābād is a 22.6 km HC climb with 1536 m of elevation gain and an average gradient of 6.8%. The difficulty lies mostly in the length and the relentless nature of the effort, with some very steep sections, notably from km 13 to km 14 (11%) and from km 21 to km 22 (14%). Only the stretch from km 4 to km 7, which dips slightly, offers any real respite. The climb finishes with 1.6 km at 10% or more, so you need to have kept something in the tank.
Tips for managing the effort:
1. Pace your start. The first few kilometres at 5% and 7% tempt you to go hard, but there are still over 20 km of climbing ahead, so save some energy.
2. Make the most of the descent from km 4 to km 7. This slightly downhill section is perfect for drinking, eating and recovering while keeping your legs loose.
3. Prepare for the final push from km 21 to km 22. Run a gear light enough to keep a steady cadence at 14%, then manage the last 600 metres at 10% without blowing up.
The road runs between the two ranges of the Dena, the eastern Dena and the central Dena, and that's what sticks with anyone who climbs it. Riders describe an asphalt road reaching around 3200 metres, which would make it one of the highest paved roads in the country according to one of them. In the central Dena you'll find the Bizhan 1 and Bizhan 2 peaks.
Timing matters a lot. The road usually opens early in Khordad (late May), and one rider says you can see snow without having to walk to it. It stays open until mid-Mehr (October). One cyclist rates spring as the most beautiful season, while another reckons winter and autumn are the best times. But in winter the snow cuts the road off completely until the road crews clear it, and one report calls winter "unrideable and dangerous".
Those who've done it describe a landscape they find pristine, with small rivers running alongside the road and nomad camps (ʿashāyer) visible from the roadside. Further up there are big green zones, but the trees give little shade. On hot, sunny days the climb is a grind. The air is described as cold. One group pitched their first camp around 3200 metres to prepare for the ascent of the Karmo summit of the Dena.
There are some downsides too. One report flags the risk of unauthorised hunters entering the area to hunt wildlife, and local conservationists stay on alert. Snow and winter conditions are the main limiting factor. The rest of the posts are very brief, just a few words calling the place "beautiful" or "wild", with no more detail about the road itself.
22.6 km • 1536 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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