Tong La is a climb of 98.8 kilometers (hors catégorie). Tong La tops out at 5,121 m above sea level. It is located in n/a, 西藏自治区 བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།, 中国. The average gradient is 13.0% with a maximum of 23.6%. The climb has 12883 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This climb is extremely demanding because of its massive total elevation gain (12,883 m) over a very long distance (98.8 km). The average gradient of 13% is already steep, but the profile is especially hard, with many sections above 20%, and even 30% at KM 16, broken up by technical descents. These sudden changes of gradient put a heavy strain on the heart and the legs.
Pacing advice:
1. Pacing: Settle into a steady rhythm and keep your effort at or just below your aerobic threshold. Resist the urge to go over the top in the steep ramps (e.g. KM 13-14, 16, 22), or you'll blow up early.
2. Use the descents: Use the downhill sections (e.g. KM 8-11, 15, 20) to recover actively by spinning lightly, rather than riding the brakes the whole way, so your legs stay fresh.
3. Fueling strategy: The length of this climb demands a disciplined approach to hydration and nutrition. Plan regular feed stops from the very start to keep your energy stores topped up.
98.8 km • 12883 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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