Saudi Arabia Parmah Pass
Parmah Pass Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

52.5
PDI
10.8 mi
DISTANCE
5,888 ft
GAINED
10.4 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
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INTRO

This 10.8 mile bike climb is located in Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia. The average gradient is 10.4% and there is a total elevation gain of 5,888 ft, finishing at 7,689 ft.

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CLIMB SUMMARY

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - panoramic view looking down at road carved into rocky mountainside below

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia

Ride 10.8 miles gaining 5,900’ at 10.5% average grade.

Summary by PJAMM’s John Johnson.

Parmah Pass is your typical run of the mill Asir Mountain climb - scenic, epic, steep, and ranked at the top of the world cycling climbing charts at #17.

START

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage shows views from the climb start, desert landscape, two-lane roadway, donkeys on roadway, two PJAMM Cyclists stand with their bikes

STEEP

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - PJAMM Cyclist rides along hairpin curve in roadway

As with all of the top Asir Mountain climbs (12 in the world top 100), there are some extremely steep segments on this climb: a quarter-mile at 20%, half-mile at 18%, and a full mile at 15.5% average grade.

HAIRPINS

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage highlights the hairpins along this ride, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

There are roughly 50 hairpins on this climb - this is just a great serpentine road with a lot of pitch to it. I mean, really?  They put in 50 hairpins and the average grade is still in double figures??  😓

EPIC

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage shows views of the roadway from above, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

I know I’m beating the same drum over and over on these climbs, but this is an epic road bike climb.  It is ungodly challenging, scenic, through rugged terrain and completely unknown, unridden and undocumented (until now) in the cycling world.  There were no Strava segments for these climbs (until I added them after each of my climbs) and there is no literature online or off about cycling in this magnificent mountains.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage, views of two PJAMM Cyclists riding along the hairpin turns and steep grades of Parmah Pass, Asir Mountains, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner, views along the climb, PJAMM Cyclist tackles sharp hairpin turns, bike parked in front of yellow road sign reading, "Caution Falling Rocks Area," Garmin device reads 21%

It is not easy riding these steep segments and even harder to use one hand while photographing your Garmin . . . 😊

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner, views along the climb, PJAMM Cyclist tackles sharp hairpin turns, Garmin device reads 22%

22% was the highest I saw on my Garmin during the Parmah climb - and, believe me, my head was looking down (wheel, road, Garmin, whatever . . . ) during this climb.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage shows views along the climb, car stopped in roadway to talk to PJAMM Cyclist John Johnson while he was cycling this climb

The primary livestock in the Asir Mountains are goats - we saw no sheep and only one herd of cows, but many herds of goats. The bottom middle photo is one of my several interviews I was asked to give during my 11 climbs (in 11 days).  Motorists were amazed by and encouraging of someone cycling up these walls.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage, PJAMM CYclists riding on two-lane roadway surrounded by high rock walls, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

Left photo - here I demonstrate my standard climbing position in the Asir Mountains.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage shows views down the mountain toward starting location, high desert landscape, town can be seen in the distance, low scrub plants and white rocks

Looking back along our climb we have unobstructed views far down the mountain towards our starting location.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage, PJAMM Cyclist John Johnson stands next to vendor selling water, bike parked along guardrail looking down mountain, goats on side of road, large rock formations, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

COOL ROCK CANYON

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collage shows PJAMM Cyclists riding through rock canyon at mile 4.3

At mile 4.3 we enter a short and fun narrow segment bordered by rock walls.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - rock canyon photo collage

BABOONS

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - photo collages shows PJAMM Cyclists cycling past group of baboons, baboons sit high atop large rock on mountainside overlooking roadway

Baboons are native to the Sarawat region of southwestern Arabia.  

The Asir Mountains are part of the Sarawat Mountains, and we can attest there are a lot of baboons in these mountains.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - baboons on roadside rocks

MOSQUE

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - small white mosque next to roadside

We encountered many mosques along our climbs in the Asir Mountains.  Mosques are distinguishable by their towers, often with speakers at the top used for call to prayer five times per day beginning around 5 a.m. depending on the time of year, and ending around 6 p.m.

FINISH

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - two PJAMM Cyclists stand with bikes under bridge structure crossing roadway at climb's finish

Matt left (ARAMCO, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia); John right.

Cycling Parmah Pass, Saudi Arabia - bikes parked in parking lot at climb's finish, surrounded by many baboons

Plenty of company at the parking lot next to the finish.