Climbs and categories

[mjw_byrne]

Can anyone tell me what the definitions of "category 1", "category 2" and so on, and "hors categorie" are? Are the climbs subjectively rated by the UCI or some other body, or is there some kind of concrete definition based on altitude difference, gradient etc.? Cheers guys.

 

[rayner]

Don't hold me to this but i was told that years ago they catagorised them by seeing what gear a fiat (I think it was a fiat) could go up them in. Nowadays they just compare 'new' mountains with the old, already tested ones. eg cat 4 would able to be done in fourth cat 3 in third etc. Hors category was when the poor lil bugger didn't make it. Hope that helped and if I'm wrong could somebody please correct me.