Mount Bigelow (South Rim, Santa Catalinas)

The intermediate option on the Santa Catalina Mountains and the training climb preferred by pro teams wanting something shorter than the full Mount Lemmon summit but substantially more demanding than Gates Pass. The Catalina Highway to the Mount Bigelow junction and radio tower area at 2,437m covers 24.5km from the base with 1,490m of climbing at 6.1% average. The character of the lower two-thirds is identical to the full Mount Lemmon climb — desert to oak-pine transition, consistent 5-6% gradient — but the final 4km beyond the main highway to the Bigelow communication towers are on a rougher service road that requires 25mm+ tyres. The turnaround at the tower complex delivers views superior to any point on the main Catalina Highway below the summit: the Tucson basin to the south and the southern Arizona desert extending 70 miles to the Mexican border. This is a 2.5-3 hour effort from the base that suits training camps seeking a long climbing workout without the commitment of the full summit.