Ōpōuri Saddle is a climb of 3.9 kilometers (hors catégorie). The climb finishes at 516 m above sea level. It is located in Rai valley, Marlborough, New Zealand / Aotearoa. The average gradient is 11.2% with a maximum of 21.6%. The climb has 438 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: With 3.9 km for 438 m of elevation gain and an average gradient of 11.2%, the Ōpōuri Saddle from Kaiuma is logically a HC climb. The real difficulty is the consistency: only the opening section from km 0.0 to km 0.5 (7%) and the final section from km 3.5 to km 3.9 (8%) give you any respite, while the rest of the climb sits between 9% and 13%. The hardest stretch is between km 2.5 and km 3.0, at 13%, right after a section at 11% from km 2.0 to km 2.5.
Tips for pacing yourself:
1. Don't go out too hard. The first 500 metres at 7% are deceptive: keep a smooth spin so you have some left in the tank before the long sections above 9%.
2. Prepare for the 13% ramp. Shift to an easier gear before you hit the km 2.5 to km 3.0 section, and stay seated to keep a steady cadence.
3. Empty the tank on the final section. The km 3.5 to km 3.9 stretch, at 8%, offers a bit of relief: use it to dig in and finish strong without going into the red.
Only two accounts, but they say what matters: the view is stunning. One rider finds it really beautiful, and the other keeps talking about spectacular scenery all the way up the climb.
The wind is the thing to watch. One rider advises caution, and even more so on stormy days. The accounts say nothing else about the weather or how steep the grade is.
There are lots of weka around, those local flightless birds that get very close to people. The same rider also mentions one restriction: only "SC" (self-contained) vehicles are allowed.
3.9 km • 438 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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