Waseberg - Hamburg

Yesterday afternoon, august 6th, hottest day of the year, with more than 30°C, coming back from Scandinavia, I rode the Waseberg by bike with tie and sleeve buttons. I had to swallow a moment but managed quite well on the smallest plateau. Superb and surprisingly luxuous surroundings both with the Elbe river and the nice villas against the hill. Worthwhile going there but classification 5 is too high in my opinion. There needs to be over 20% in the stretch to merit that classification.

My personal climb rating:

The Waseberg is the most difficult climb in the northern plains of Germany outside the mountain ranges because of its steepness of 15 % on 300 m. Another factor is the rough asphalt. Starting at the riverside of the Elbe (intersection with Falkensteiner Ufer) the road climbs smoothly through the forests but describes no problem until getting to the right curve and the real entrance of the Waseberg. Here you look up to the rough paved wall of 15 %. Now you change to the easiest gear and get out of the saddle until you reach the top of the Waseberg after 300 metres of steep exhausting climbing. During the Pro Tour Race Hamburg Cyclassics the professional cyclists go downwards on Am Eiland. But to have the full impression of the climb you must turn left into the Richard-Dehmel-Strasse. The real best climber scoring of Waseberg you get at the next intersection after another 100 metres of nearly 10 %. Now you have passed all the 800 metres of length and 71 metres of altitude diference of the famous Waseberg! If you want bigger challenges you need to travel more than two hours into the first mountain ranges of Germany. If you want to try a similar and very close climb try the Falkenstein-Kösterberg.

My personal climb rating: