Is this picture running uphill, basically flat, or downhill? (Read 1384 times)

Yes but the key is actually how far a distance is that grade over! If you had 70 degrees over 100 feet you would definitely be seriously risking your life. However, if you have 70 degrees over 10 feet then you are just as likely to fall off of it but you probably won’t die. The elevation profile I showed does hit somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 degrees. However, it only does it for a few feet(~10 to 20). Trust me I nearly did fall off that section when I tried to run it with the stroller. I ended up struggling to walk up it and I nearly couldn’t make it. That hill is stupid it actually looks like it is 90 degrees at one point on the map. I have never run that race again because of how steep that single hill is. Heck cars have trouble getting up it. It is really a site to see, especially when you turn the corner and realize they expect you to run up it. I have been on several of those steep hills in San Fran and this hill is every bit as steep and more for those few feet in the middle of it. Honestly, if there weren’t million dollar houses on this street I bet they would change the road.

JDF, you're killing me, here! If it were really 70 degrees, it would be impossible for you to climb it. Even the world's best rock climber could not climb a 70-degree smoothly paved slope. That actually brings up the question of how it could even be paved, since certainly no car and no paving equipment could come close to navigating such a slope. Note that the steepest streets in San Francisco are 17.5 degrees, a big difference from 70 degrees... The steepest street in the world (according to this site: http://deputy-dog.com/2007/09/18/the-steepest-streets-in-the-world/) is Canton Ave. in Pittsburgh, at a grade of 37%. That corresponds to an angle of 20.3 degrees. Hmm, re-reading your post above, I think I may have realized why you think it's 70 degrees. It looks that steep from the elevation profile, perhaps? But elevation profiles are not to scale. They drastically over-emphasize steepness. Otherwise, even big hills would look practically flat on an elevation profile. Look at your elevation profile again. Each grid on the x-axis represents a quarter mile (1320 feet), and each grid on the y-axis represents 25 feet. That means the elevation change is exaggerated by a factor of over 50 times! See what I mean? Sorry, but you pushed my pet peeve button again!

JDF, you're killing me, here! If it were really 70 degrees, it would be impossible for you to climb it. Even the world's best rock climber could not climb a 70-degree smoothly paved slope. That actually brings up the question of how it could even be paved, since certainly no car and no paving equipment could come close to navigating such a slope. Note that the steepest streets in San Francisco are 17.5 degrees, a big difference from 70 degrees...

No I know it is not 70 degrees. I definitely exaggerated that. However, I would bet that there is a short section on the inside of the curve that does exceed the steepest slope you quoted. I am sure that they have not measured every section of every road. That particular slope has a really steep section on the inside of the corner that is just stupid. Maybe I will run that race again(Without the kids) with my garmin this year. Realistically I would guess that it is in the upper 30 degree range. I free climbed the side of a dam when I was about 12. It wasn't vertical but it was crazy steep. How do they create that slope?

Upper 30-degree range, say 37 degrees? That would be a grade of 75%. The folks at GM brag that the Hummer H2 can scale a grade of 60%, which is 31 degrees. You're saying a Hummer could not navigate this street? (sorry, couldn't resist beating this dead horse! )

I saw a commercial a few days ago advertising a car on a steep slope(70 degrees I think). Maybe it was a hummer but it was steep. However, the car was not going up or down it. It was just parked on it. I would expect a Hummer to be able to scale more than 31 degrees. Are you saying that no cars can get up the other hills that are 31+ degrees? The key to this hill is that it is doing a sharp left turn as it ascends. The road seems to get wider when it hits the steepest section. That section is only for a short distance but it gets really steep right there. You can see it in the elevation profile. If you stay to the outside of the road the street is not that steep at that section. However, if you hug the inside corner then yes I am not sure a car could scale it. I remember thinking there is no way this road is safe for cars on the inside section. It is much steeper than my driveway and cars routinely go down that with their emergency brakes engaged. The road is a small road that is only used for people who live in that section of the neighborhood. I am sure those people know to use extreme caution when descending it. I have no doubt that if you applied your brakes in the rain on the inside section of that hill you would not stop on it. I was trying to cut the corners on the course so I was running on the inside. I got close to that section and I was quickly forced to a walking pace. As I hit the steepest part I was afraid that I wouldn’t even be able to walk so I immediately started going across the hill to the outside edge. I barely made it up that hill. However, I remember looking back to see how steep it was. I remember thinking “What the H$LL am I doing going up this thing with my son”. If I had known truly how steep it was I wouldn’t have done it. I have never run it since then just because I think that hill is too steep. What would really be crazy is if they ever ran the race in reverse. Going down that hill would be much more dangerous than going up it. Here is a map of just the hill. It only registers 110 feet of elevation gain in about .26 miles. That is about an 8% grade over the whole distance. However, there is a short section as Hillspring lane takes a sharp left which I know is much steeper than that. Maybe I will take my Garmin out there sometime and get an accurate reading on it. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1897225 I did a run in our local park(Umstead) that hit 16% on my Garmin. I know the Southern Village hill is much much steeper than any point of the Umstead run. I had a 4:55 first mile down the Umstead hill. I bet I could do a 2:50 mile pace going down the Southern village hill! http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5568313

I will concede. You are right it is not steeper than that street so it couldn't be over 17 degrees. However, the street view does not seem to do it justice. When you look down it it does not even look like an incline at all. Trust me I know there is a hill there. Oh well, it is definitely not as steep as I remembered it. I was wrong about that hill. However, I guess it just goes to show my original point that you can't judge a hill by sight alone. Is that street in San Fran really only 17 degrees? It looks like it is a whole lot steeper than that. Man I am really bad at judging inclines!

Hey, I'm sure that hill is still crazy steep! And huge props to you for racing it with the double stroller. That amazes me every time I see your results... By chance, I saw the commercial this morning on my way out the door. It was for the Mercedes M class, and it was a 70% slope (35 degrees). The car was going down the slope...not sure if they mean it can go UP as well! Anyway, here's the commercial on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prs2Fs8mlM&feature=related cheers!

Yea that is the commercial I saw. I thought they had said it was 70 degrees. I didn't listen very closely though. 70% is still very steep. Anyway, I have learned to never attempt to judge a grade by sight. Measuring is the only way! Oh yea I have a race tomorrow with both of the kids. The first two miles are downhill. The last mile is uphill. I am going to attempt something crazy on the first two miles. I won't say exactly what I am shooting for but I have had a 4:55(With the single stroller) and a 5:09(double stroller) first miles the last two weeks. I wonder if I can maintain that for two miles?