Las Campanas Observatory is a climb of 111.2 kilometers (hors catégorie). Las Campanas Observatory tops out at 2,336 m above sea level. It is located in La Higuera, Región de Coquimbo, Chile. The average gradient is 2.6% with a maximum of 15.1%. The climb has 2935 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: At 111.2 km with 2935 m of climbing, La Higuera is an extremely long HC climb. Its 3% average gradient is misleading: the profile is very rolling for the first part (grades often under 3% over the first 70 km), followed by a much harder finale, with gradients between 7% and 9% from km 94 to km 106. The difficulty lies in the duration of the effort and the brutality of the last 15 km.
Effort management tips:
1. Pacing: Ride in low Z2 (below 75% of max HR) over the first two thirds to save your legs. The gradient ramps up sharply after km 90.
2. Plan for the finale: Keep a gear in reserve for the critical 7-9% section over 10+ km, which is the key to this climb.
3. Fueling: The length demands a strict nutrition plan. Drink and eat regularly from the start, because you'll very likely be out there for over 3h30.
111.2 km • 2935 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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