It is a lovely climb, gradual and well engineered, but time has taken its toll. It's very rocky, lots of loose stones from both the supporting walls and coming down off the mountain make it really hard to climb. It needs power to roll the bike over the rough round, it’s tough on rider and bike. You'll come across some sections of river bed stones in the early phases, where the piste is completely destroyed by water action, and as you get higher some hike-a-bike, where bridges have washed away or the road has collapsed over time. Higher in the climb there are spectacular views of the road from all sides as it is cut into the hillside, allowing the photographer to get some amazing shots of riders ahead rounding exposed corners with vast sandstone backdrops.