Alpine climbing is the crucible of road cycling. It separates the riders who trained smart from those who just trained hard. This guide is the one I wish I'd had before my first big mountain attempt.
Before You Head to the Mountains: The 12-Week Foundation
Most beginner climbers make the same mistake: they jump straight into climbing-specific intervals without building the aerobic base that makes everything else work. Your foundation is Zone 2 — that conversational, "could keep this up all day" pace that trains your mitochondria to burn fat efficiently.
Spend the first 8 weeks of a 12-week plan riding 80% of your time in Zone 2. Yes, it feels frustratingly easy. Do it anyway. The adaptations happening are invisible but profound.
Climbing-Specific Workouts for Weeks 9–12
Once your base is solid, introduce these sessions. Each one targets a different aspect of climbing performance:
The Long Slow Climb
Find a 20–40min climb. Ride it at Zone 2 pace. Do this once a week. It trains your ability to maintain effort over time.
2× per week · 60–90 minTempo Repeats
4× 8-minute efforts at 90% of your FTP on a 6–8% gradient. 4 minutes recovery between each. This is where fitness is built.
1× per week · 75 minShort Hard Bursts
6× 3-minute all-out efforts followed by 3-minute recovery. These improve your ability to push through steep ramps and switchbacks.
1× per week · 50 minGearing: Don't Be a Hero
The biggest mechanical mistake beginners make is arriving at the mountains with too big a gear range. If you're not sure, go smaller. A compact chainset (50/34) paired with an 11-32 or even 11-34 cassette is not a sign of weakness — it's a sign of wisdom.
Rule of thumb: if you're spinning at 60–70 RPM near the top of a 2,000m climb, your cadence is fine. You want to finish with something left in the tank.
"Cycling up mountains isn't about conquering the mountain. It's about conquering yourself — your impatience, your ego, your impulse to go too hard too early." — Charly Gaul, 1958 Tour de France Mountain King
Nutrition: The Alpine Fueling Strategy
Altitude suppresses appetite. This is dangerous on a long climb because you'll run out of fuel before you realise you need it. The strategy is simple: eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty.
- T-3 hours: Substantial carbohydrate meal (rice, pasta, oats). 100–150g carbs.
- T-30 min: A banana or gel to top up glycogen.
- On the climb: 60–90g carbs per hour. One gel every 30 minutes if eating solid food is difficult.
- Hydration: 500–750ml per hour depending on temperature. Add electrolytes if sweating heavily.
- Summit: Eat immediately before the descent. Your body loses heat fast going downhill.
The Mental Game
Nobody talks about this enough. A 3-hour Alpine climb is as much a psychological challenge as a physical one. Here are the strategies that actually work:
Segment the climb. Never look at the full climb as one thing. Find the next hairpin, the next kilometre marker, the next tree. Ride to that, and only that.
Settle into suffering. Elite climbers don't feel less pain — they've made peace with it. Accept that the discomfort is temporary and meaningful.
Control your narrative. "I'm dying" and "I'm working hard" describe the same sensation. Choose the second story.
Your First Summit: What to Expect
The top of a major Alpine col is a place of staggering beauty and quiet satisfaction. The cold hits immediately — always pack a gilet or light jacket in your back pocket before the descent. Take ten minutes. Eat something. Look out over the valley below.
You earned this.
