Climb to Kaiser is one of California’s toughest gran fondos, covering 155 miles (249 km) with about 16,500 feet (5,030 m) of climbing. The route starts in Clovis before heading into the Sierra Nevada, climbing Tollhouse Road, Big Creek, and finally Kaiser Pass. Along the way, the course passes Millerton Lake, Pine Flat Lake, Huntington Lake, and Shaver Lake before returning to Clovis. The long distance, relentless climbing, and temperatures that can climb above 100° F make it a ride that demands good preparation and smart pacing from start to finish.

Going into Climb to Kaiser, my goal was to finish in under 11 hours. Based on my training and pacing plan, I thought it was a realistic target. I crossed the line in 10:56, just sneaking under that goal, and was happy with how the day came together. It wasn’t a perfect ride, but my preparation paid off, and I felt like I managed the course well from start to finish. In the rest of this post, I’ll walk through how I trained for Climb to Kaiser, how I planned the day, and how the ride unfolded from the start in Clovis all the way to the finish.

Preparation:

My preparation for Climb to Kaiser was built around long days in the saddle, big climbs, and getting used to riding at elevation. I’m lucky to live close to Crystal Lake, Mt. Baldy, and Glendora Mountain Road, so almost every weekend over the past few months I headed into the San Gabriel Mountains for a longer ride. Each week I built on the last with more climbing and more time on the bike. By the time the event rolled around, I felt confident that my fitness was where it needed to be.

My biggest training ride was the Lobster, one of Southern California’s toughest endurance routes. It covers about 100 miles with roughly 13,000 feet of climbing and includes Crystal Lake, GMR, Glendora Ridge Road, and the climb to the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts. It was the closest training ride I could find to Climb to Kaiser without actually riding Climb to Kaiser. It gave me a chance to test my pacing, nutrition, and hydration over a full day in the mountains while tackling long climbs with very little flat road in between. Even with that preparation, Climb to Kaiser would still add another 55 miles and more than 3,000 feet of climbing, so I knew it was going to be a different kind of challenge.

One thing I don’t think gets talked about enough is training your stomach. Fitness doesn’t matter much if you can’t keep eating and drinking for 11 hours. During training I practiced taking in about 120 grams of carbohydrates every hour so my body would be used to processing that much fuel on race day. I also made a point of drinking more fluids than I normally needed. I knew Climb to Kaiser would mean hours in the sun, high temperatures, and climbing above 9,000 feet, so I wanted my nutrition and hydration to be something I never had to think about during the ride.

Getting Started:

I drove up to Clovis on Friday afternoon and stayed at the Rodeo Lodge near the Clovis Rodeo grounds. It put me about a mile from the start, which made for an easy drive to the starting line before the 5:00 a.m. rollout. After checking into the hotel, I headed over to packet pickup, got everything squared away, and turned in early so I’d be as rested as possible for the long day ahead.

One nice feature of Climb to Kaiser is the drop bag. At packet pickup, every rider receives a brown paper bag that can be filled with whatever you’ll want later in the day. I packed extra nutrition, drink mix, and a few spare items that I thought I might need. The bags are taken to the Shaver Lake aid station, which you’ll reach around mile 50 on the climb to Kaiser Pass and again around mile 108 on the return trip. Having access to your own supplies halfway through the ride is a great option, especially if you have specific nutrition or equipment you don’t want to carry for the entire day.

Climb to Kaiser 2026:

The first 20 miles of Climb to Kaiser are mostly flat as the route leaves Clovis and heads toward the mountains. It’s a good chance to settle in, stay out of trouble, and avoid getting caught up in the excitement of the start. The first real test comes at Wildcat, where the road finally tilts upward and the climbing begins.

As soon as we hit Wildcat, the lead group put in a hard surge. It was tempting to go with them, but I looked down and saw I would have needed to hold around 350 watts to stay on. That would have completely blown up the pacing plan I had spent months preparing for. Instead, I let them go, settled into my own effort, and kept my power under 300 watts as the climb continued onto Tollhouse Road. It was hard watching the front group disappear, but I knew the day was too long to make decisions based on the first climb.

After finishing Tollhouse, my legs were still feeling good. Tollhouse is about 12 miles with around 4,000 feet of climbing, so it is a real test early in the day. I was happy with how I paced it and felt like I had kept the effort under control instead of burning matches too soon. I stopped at the Shaver Lake rest stop to load up on carbs, refill bottles, and get ready for the next hard section.

From there, the route heads toward Big Creek, which was the steepest climb of the day. Big Creek is only about 4 miles long, but it gains around 2,100 feet, so there is nowhere to hide. By that point it was starting to get hot, and the climb was exposed and unrelenting. I focused on keeping the effort steady, getting in fluids, and staying on top of my carbs even as the grade kept pushing up.

After Big Creek, the road levels out for a while as it follows Huntington Lake before the final climb to Kaiser Pass. The last climb gains about 2,200 feet over 7.5 miles and tops out at just over 9,100 feet. The air was noticeably thinner by that point, but my legs were still feeling surprisingly good. I give a lot of the credit to staying on top of my nutrition. Taking in 120 grams of carbs every hour kept the energy coming, and I never really hit the low point that so many long rides seem to have.

The one thing I hadn’t done well enough was drink plain water. I had been taking in plenty of carbs, but not enough extra water to keep up with the heat and altitude. When I reached the Kaiser Pass aid station, I spent a few extra minutes drinking water, refilling my bottles, and making sure I was in good shape before turning around for the long descent back toward Clovis. That extra time was well spent, and I felt much better for the rest of the ride.

By the time I reached Kaiser Pass, I had already climbed about 13,000 feet, but there was still one more climb waiting on the way back to Clovis. Tamarack isn’t a long, sustained climb like Tollhouse or Kaiser Pass. Instead, it rolls uphill in three distinct sections that make it hard to find a rhythm. After more than 100 miles and a full day of climbing, those short pitches felt much bigger than they looked on paper.

Once I finally got over Tamarack, the reward was one of the best descents of the day. It was a long, enjoyable downhill that gave my legs a chance to recover before the final miles back into Clovis. At that point, I knew the hardest part of the ride was behind me and it was just a matter of staying focused and bringing it home.

The final 50 miles seemed to fly by as I made my way back toward Clovis. After spending most of the day climbing, it felt good to finally let the bike run on the long descents. Even though the temperature climbed as we lost elevation, I didn’t really mind. At that point I knew I was on pace to hit my goal, and that was all I was thinking about.

I rolled back into Clovis in 10:56, finishing 21st overall in the 2026 Climb to Kaiser. Crossing the line under my 11-hour goal was incredibly satisfying. Months of training, careful pacing, and staying on top of my nutrition all came together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience at Climb to Kaiser.

This year’s Climb to Kaiser was a great learning experience. Even with all the preparation, there are things you can only learn by riding the course yourself. I’ll be back next year with another year of training, a better understanding of what to expect, and hopefully an even stronger ride.