Haast Pass is a climb of 10.2 kilometers (hors catégorie). The climb finishes at 584 m above sea level. It is located in Mount Aspiring National Park, West Coast, New Zealand / Aotearoa. The average gradient is 5.9% with a maximum of 13.2%. The climb has 604 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: This HC climb opens with a tough first section from km 0 to 4, with an 11% ramp between km 1.0 and km 2.0 that hits your legs right from the start. The stretch from km 5.0 to 9.0 offers some relief, with a short descent followed by false flat, before the gradient kicks back up to 6% from km 9.0 to 10.0. At 10.2 km with an average gradient of 5.9%, this is a long, sustained effort, so managing your energy will make or break your ride.
Tips for the effort:
1. Control the start. Don't get carried away by the opening kilometers at 8%. Ease into it and tackle the 11% ramp from km 1.0 to 2.0 with something left in the tank.
2. Recover on the false flat. Use the descent and false flat from km 5.0 to 9.0 to recharge, spin an easy gear, and get some fluids in before the 6% section.
3. Pace the finale. From km 9.0 to 10.0 at 6%, then km 10.0 to 10.2 at 3%, spread your last efforts out and stay in the saddle to keep the power going all the way to the top.
Riders who have come over the Haast Pass first describe a landscape that keeps changing: snow-capped peaks, rainforest, tree ferns, rivers and braided gravel beds. Several mention cicadas in the trees. They say you need to ride easy and stop often.
The waterfalls are the big stops. Riders name Depot Creek, Roaring Billy, Thunder Creek and Fantail Falls, then the Blue Pools for a swim. From Haast, Depot Creek is about 20 minutes away, Roaring Billy 23, Thunder Creek 40 and Fantail Falls 45. Most of the walks only take a few minutes, except the trek to the Blue Pools, which is about 40 minutes of walking each way.
There are downsides too. The Blue Pools get very busy with tour buses and day trips out of Wanaka and Queenstown. The road is twisty and needs your full attention. Several reports mention rain, and one rider points out the road can be closed.
On the practical side, there are no shops or cafés between Haast and Makarora, so bring your own food and fill your bottles before you set off. A rest area with campsite, drinking water and toilets sits roughly halfway. One rider says there's a café close to Haast where you can grab breakfast.
10.2 km • 604 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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