INTRO
PLAN YOUR ROUTE

ROUTE MAP

Cycling Anarchist Pass - very scenic, but very busy highway.
Ride 17 kilometers gaining 816 meters at 4.8% average grade.
Steep for big rigs but not bikes . . .
Steepest ½ km is only 7%.
The 4.6 km start of Anarchists grade is cut into the hillside and can easily be seen looking east from Osoyoos, BC.
Osoyoos is in a fertile area of British Columbia and has many orchards, vineyards, wineries and fruit stands on Highway 3 from Osoyoos to Oliver 25 kilometers north.
The first of 2 viewpoints is at 7.1 km/4.4 miles and the second at 7.6 km / 4.7 miles. The views of Osoyoos Lake and the orchards and vineyards surrounding it from these vantage points are exceptional and you have gotten your money’s worth for this climb if you are making the trip primarily for the scenery.
Most of this climb is within miles of the Canada/United States border to the south. At viewpoint 1 (7.1 km/4.4 miles) we are only 1.12 km/.7 miles north of the U.S. border which you look towards but not discern from that point – Osoyoos Lake is actually roughly divided in half by the border.
If your objective is to complete one of Canada’s top climbs and you are not highway/traffic averse, continue on for the next 9.4 km/5.8 miles, 430m/1,305’ at 5% average grade to the top of the climb. Testament to the steep grade on parts of this climb are the 3 Runaway Truck Ramps along the route.
Not an unusual encounter on this climb.
Roadway surface and traffic: Roadway surface is excellent and there is a shoulder (and often a double lane passing lane on the ascent) which offer some respite to the highway traffic along this climb.
Note of caution: This climb is along a Highway 3 and has moderate traffic that can pass at high speed. The posted speed limit in places is 100 km (62 mph) and this is clearly a commercial route as there are many big rigs hauling trailers encountered along the way (see video and slide show). This climb has been done 562 times by Strava members as of July 4, 2016 when we climbed it, so it is not completely off limits to cyclists. We believe the best time to climb this grade would be very early on a weekend morning.