2025 Moab Fondo Fest

Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb

Mt Lemmon Hill Climb Weekend

May 02 - May 04 2025
Tucson AZ
Date Confirmed
Add to My Favourites
 
Distances: 3 days
Difficulty: Moderate terrain with rolling short steep hills or moderate, sustained climbs

Among the toughest 100 hill climbs in the USA, only three are in Arizona, and here in Tucson you live next door to one of them.

(According to John Summerson, "The Complete Guide to Climbing By Bike", Mt Lemmon is 33rd on the list of 100 toughest road bike climbs in the US, with a rating of either "hors category" or "category 1" on the scale used to rank the climbs in European stage racing.)

Yes, Mt Lemmon is right up there with the famous passes in the European tours: hardly anywhere else in the US can you climb so high for so many miles in succession. That's why, every winter, Tucson sees packs of riders in matching jerseys, many of them speaking languages other than English, booking up the mountain.

But because the road is so long, it's also very forgiving: the grade averages only 4.5% for 6600 feet of elevation gain over the 56-mile round trip, and the almost continuous 21-mile descent at the end is exciting without ever being terrifying.

If you haven't ridden the Lemmon in a while (or ever), GABA can help make it easy. You can minimize the weight in your pockets because we provide four SAG stops, about six miles apart, with fluids, munchies, and healthy carbs. In honor of the pie shop that once operated in Summerhaven near the summit, the uppermost SAG will serve a variety of pies. You can also opt to buy yourself lunch at the restaurants in Summerhaven or Ski Valley at the top. In case something goes wrong, GABA provides vehicular sweep support to help with mechanical problems or provide a lift.

If you're not interested in "easy", GABA can help with that, too. Round up a posse of your riding buddies, see how fast you can fly to the top, and enjoy a social stop to eat pie and swap lies before you charge back down.

Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb

 
Start Located At: McDonald District Park, 4100 North Harrison Road Tucson, AZ 85749
 
 
Add to My Rides
Alert Us
Email
Facebook
Instagram
Website
 
Facilities
Parking
 
Support for Participants
SAG Wagon
 
Nutrition
Feed / Aid Stations
 
bikegaba
Feb 01 2025 - EVENT: Owls Head Butte Metric Century
May 02 2025 - EVENT: Mt Lemmon Hill Climb Weekend
 
top10ushillclimb2018
Jul 08 2018 - NEWS: American Icons: The Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb
Jun 07 2025 - EVENT: Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race
 
hillclimb
Dec 01 2024 - NEWS: Gran Fondo Champion takes Mortirolo and Alpe d'Huez KOM's from Pro's
Sep 20 2024 - NEWS: Eckhouse and Skilsky fastest at Sold-Out Mount Baker Hill Climb
Jul 24 2024 - NEWS: The 2024 Mt. Baker Hill Climb is SOLD OUT
Mar 15 2023 - NEWS: Mount Baker: Cycle up the most Scenic Climb in the U.S. this Fall
Mar 22 2024 - NEWS: Enjoy all that the Northwest has to offer at the Tour de Whatcom
Sep 20 2023 - NEWS: Phil Gaimon breaks Mount Baker Hill Climb Record
Aug 23 2023 - NEWS: Phil Gaimon gunning for Mount Baker Hill Climb KOM
Oct 26 2022 - NEWS: Red Bull Bay Climb Celebrates Community and Cycling in San Francisco
Oct 15 2022 - NEWS: Red Bull Bay Climb Returns for Heart-Pounding Fifth Anniversary!
Sep 15 2022 - NEWS: Mt. Baker Hill Climb postponed due to Forest Fires
Mar 11 2022 - NEWS: The Killer Climb with a Closed Road: Mt. Baker Hill Climb is Back!
Aug 13 2022 - NEWS: Huge increase in the number of cyclists returning to the Mountains
Mar 21 2020 - NEWS: $5,000 prize for the QOM on iconic Old La Honda Californian climb
Sep 23 2019 - NEWS: Rain and Cold didn’t dampen Mount Baker Hillclimb Spirits
Aug 02 2019 - NEWS: Mt. Baker Hill Climb Registration Still Open with Special Discount Code
May 15 2014 - RESULTS: Wachusett Mountain Hillclimb
May 17 2025 - EVENT: Crank the Kanc
Jun 01 2025 - EVENT: Mt Fuji Hillclimb
Jun 07 2025 - EVENT: Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race
Sep 14 2025 - EVENT: Mt Baker Hill Climb
Oct 04 2025 - EVENT: Adamstown Dirty Dozen Hill Climb
 
top10ushillclimb2019
Jul 17 2019 - NEWS: Your Last Chance to Cycle to the Top of North America on July 27th!
Apr 21 2019 - NEWS: Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb: Are You Tough Enough?
May 17 2025 - EVENT: Crank the Kanc
Jun 07 2025 - EVENT: Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race
Sep 14 2025 - EVENT: Mt Baker Hill Climb
 
top10usmonsterclimbs
May 18 2025 - EVENT: Storming of Thunder Ridge
Jul 12 2025 - EVENT: Death Ride
Jul 12 2025 - EVENT: The Triple Bypass
Sep 14 2025 - EVENT: Mt Baker Hill Climb
 
bikegabaseries