All the cycling data and info you'll need to climb Cerro Gordo (East)

Cerro Gordo East

What is the surface like?

Bad. Even for Death Valley.

Like every climb in Death Valley, you’ll encounter a range of surfaces along the same road. We recommend coming prepared with the “beefiest” rig you can run… and a spare tire or two.

It seems like a lot of Death Valley climbs are horrendously bad at the bottom and then actually slowly get better and less rocky towards the top… opposite of your typical gravel road. The reason is because of flooding. The floods are so chaotic and powerful here that every time it rains, all of the roads, especially these back roads that aren’t maintained, are absolutely obliterated by everything that’s on top of the mountains. Knowing the short term history of the weather (at least a few months) and doing your research on park road conditions and closures is critical for riding here.

View the Images tab in our Profile Tool for more detailed information on the road surface.

Everyone knows the brutal Cerro Gordo gravel climb (US #7) up to the fabled ghost town, but few know that it’s actually a mountain pass rather than a dead-end.

There are only two ways to get here: either climb Cerro Gordo out of Owens Valley then descend the back side, or a long, gentle descent from Saline Valley and White Mountain Talc Road. This is an extremely remote climb - expect to not encounter a single soul the entire day. You need to either ride here for a very long time or drive in a high clearance vehicle on roads not suited for human consumption.

We drove to the start of the climb - over an hour drive off of Panamint Grade Road. Even our brom

The climb starts out with a left turn; the surface at the start is very rocky and loose.

Even for Death Valley, this surface is bad…

We’d give this road a surface rating of four or five - meaning this road is virtually impassible in a car unless it's a highly capable 4wd high clearance vehicle. It’s a road that is probably easier traversed on a bike than a car.

Starting the climb at almost 5000 feet already, you begin by passing lots of beautiful Joshua trees and looking up at the high mountains ahead of you.

There are some striking cliffs near the top of the climb.

The summit gives you a peek over into Owens Valley. Just beyond the pass is the famous ghost town. Here, you can check out the old buildings and random artifacts related to the old mining history. Guided tours are also available.

Very much like how described in the impossible route, this will probably include fair amounts of hike-a-bike. But this kind of ruggedness is what you’re here for!

Check out the full Impossible Route episode here, or in our photos and videos tab!