Passo de Nuca is a climb of 41.7 kilometers (hors catégorie). Passo de Nuca tops out at 2,601 m above sea level. It is located in n/a, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The average gradient is 6.8% with a maximum of 18.8%. The climb has 2822 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: At 41.7 km with an average gradient of a brutal 7%, this climb is seriously demanding. The real challenge is the uneven profile: several stretches above 10-15% (km 4-9, 25-29, 40-finish) are interspersed with flat sections and even descents (km 10-13, 18, 21-23), which kills any rhythm you try to build.
Pacing advice:
1. Pace the climb by sections: Know what's coming on the steep bits (like the km 4 ramp at 15%) so you don't blow up. Use the flat or downhill sections (km 16-18, 21-23) to recover actively without losing time.
2. Control your effort from the gun: The start is abrupt (8-11%). Resist the urge to go out too hard and save your legs for the long haul.
3. Save something for the finale: The last 2 km are very steep (13%, then 9%). Keep some energy in the tank for that final kick.
41.7 km • 2822 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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