Since moving to Tassie I’ve been trying to tick off a bunch of local climbs, including the unofficial Hobart Top 10 as documented by Marc in his series of posts. Scraping in at number 10 on Marc’s list is the Domain Climb.

Length – 2.2 km
Average Gradient – 5%
Personal Best – 6:46

www.strava.com/segments/634467

Situated between Hobart town centre and the waterfront The Domain is only a baby climb, the shortest climb on Marc’s list. It probably makes it onto the list for two reasons; the first being it’s a quiet tree-lined road and secondly it’s close proximity to the city centre (a couple of minutes). This makes it a handy climb for those morning “hill rep” sessions or a lunch break ride.

As you swing off the main road from town and onto the start of the climb the road ramps up suddenly, but it’s only a short out of the saddle burst before the gradient settles into a steady 4-5 percent.  From here the road is usually quiet (the start is one-way) and traverses through forest and parkland adjacent to the Botanical Gardens, offering ample shade from the summer sun or winter winds. Of course, if the weather is a little wild you may find your journey interrupted by a fallen tree or two!

Passing the sports field the road flattens out – offering gentle respite or a chance to up the pace – before you hook a right onto the Queen’s Domain proper. Attack here as the road steepens again, making it the perfect spot to drop your mates! Or don’t. There’s no need to race this one as there is no cafe at the top.

Keep a steady pace for the final few bends into the car park at the top where it’s all over oh so quickly. Lap the car park, stop for an Instagram snap if you please and then sweep back down.

The views aren’t amazing, but it’s still a popular tourist spot so beware of dopey tourists in hire cars (using either side of the road) as you descend back down around the blind corners. Do a loop past the sports centre and around to the start again. From here you can turn left to crank out another rep or turn right towards the waterfront, cruising down into Salamanca Place for a locally roasted single origin double espresso with the rest of the posers… ;-) #TassieClimbs