Currently riding it while writing this….
First impressions is that it’s so bad…. Even with me loving climbing I don’t see anything attractive here in this current state 
Sorry Zwift, but do a proper job or don’t do it at all 
BooX
2 Likes
I’m not a climber so I’m probably not going to like doing these routes anyway.
But today I road the two shortest routes just to complete the challenge and here are my thoughts:
On iOS there didn’t seem to be any fine detail texture to the road. The slightly different colour to the road every 10 metres was nice but otherwise the road appeared to be a simple solid colour. Some sort of high detail pattern on the road texture could help with the impression of moving.
Downhill really didn’t look like you were going downhill. Maybe it was the lack of any other visual cues but going down a 5% gradient actually looked like I was going uphill.
It would have been nice to do some of the shorter climbs back to back but the way it is setup makes that difficult. You have to end the ride and then start a new ride and do another lead-in which felt very clunky. A common valley road in Watopia or France with 4 or more portals leading off it so you could ride up one, come down, ride the valley road and then ride through a different portal would be one way to string multiple climbs together without having to start a new ride.
Like I said, I’m not a climber so I don’t really see myself doing these again. I’m well aware that different people use Zwift for different reasons so you can’t please everybody all the time and it was unlikely I would like climbing route no matter what Zwift did. Maybe I’ll try some of the other shorter climbs this month but I’m unlikely to repeat these (especially Cote de Pike which is now my no.1 worse climb on Zwift deposing the radio tower climb)
5 Likes
Hi - I just did my first climb. I found the graphics really useful to see what gradients were coming up.
2 Likes
Actually, really enjoyed that. Not a climber by any stretch of the imagination, so giving it the slightly mad techno workout graphics really worked for me - and I really appreciated all the waypoint info. Am more likely do do these again as specific rides rather than more conventional in-game climbs I think. As already reported, only one climb available on ATV, and Sod’s Law it wasn’t the Cote de Trébiac 
1 Like
I have to say I enjoyed the 2 climbs I just tried. Completed the Climb Portal: First Ascent Challenge.
Minor glitches: accents have been left beind, e.g. Cote de Trebiac instead Côte de Trébiac.
Besides, rides are not saved with the name of the selected climb, they are all called Mont-Saint-Michel, which is irrelevant since the entry point does not matter at all.
I hope we get plenty more iconic climbs
3 Likes
just did the cote de pike as a test, first thing i noticed was no draft, is this intentional?
as mentioned earlier, with steering its possible to go right to the edge of the road and off the road
it serves it purpose the colour gradient changes were useful to see
I’d like to see the entire gradient profile of the climb somewhere on screen. The gradient graph on the top right is zoomed in.
I have upgraded to version 1.43 but I cannot enter the climb portal. I don’t see the option under “Just Ride” or in the routes. I can select the challenge, start the ride and see the portal, but I cannot enter the portal (no option to turn into road). I have uninstalled/installed everything but still cannot access the climb portal
1 Like
Well I love these!
The ability to have climbs to easily do reps on has been lacking from Zwift for ages. The colours are great for a training tool. My only gripe is all the flipping XP instead of nice helpful feathers.
Overall an excellent addition, just need to keep them all available all the time like they currently are.
6 Likes
Were you not about to access all the climbs? I’m on ATV and selected the first ascent challenge but no option to select different climbs.
2 Likes
Brilliant that zwift have made these optional so you don’t have to do them again if you don’t want to.
This doesn’t seem to be the case for me. I selected that tile and registered, but I don’t see a way to select a climb.
(AppleTV, Zwift 1.43)
Looks like there are others reporting the same problem.
1 Like
Another Love In for Climb Portal here.
Not a huge fan of climbing, but for me the graphics make it feel like I’m training rather then climbing.
Will the % complete be added to AdZ too ?
Like the climb portal idea, but not the graphics.
If cost / time is the issue, can we have a real life ride video sync’d with our speed instead please.
PaulC
3 Likes
Apple TV challenge card portal does not work
Email support
Didn’t get answered yet
Same issue on Apple TV
Emailed
Did not get concrete answer
Thanks.
Hopefully they’ll fix it.
1 Like
Really liked the portal. Only did the short climb as the others aren’t available yet on ATV. I love that after years of what seemed like lack of new features zwift are talking up on the development. Not sure what it would be like on a longer climb and if it could hold my attention like the Alpe does but I thought it was a great addition.
Won’t please everyone but I think they’ve done a great job here.
1 Like
I am grateful so many Zwifters are digging the climb portal, but it is not to my taste. I really enjoy the ‘Zwift realism’ of the other worlds, and these graphics are just off. Slightly disappointed, but I’m glad Zwift is still trying new features. A few observations and then a suggestion:
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After building incredibly immersive worlds recently–Makuri and Scotland–that are good for freeriding, workouts, and racing, this seems to work at cross purposes. Zwift’s stated aim was to replicate real-world climbs from the Tour, but these are the least ‘real-world’ routes of them all (and we’ve come to grips with riding through a volcano!). It just feels ‘beta’ and as though Zwift mailed it in to just get a feature out. I like to climb, but the portal is no competitor to the Alp or Ven-Top.
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I find the graphics do not provide perspective of your speed or relative position to other riders. The standard Zwift graphics provide you the feel of movement and relative positioning to others. The climb portal graphics make it seem like you’re stuck in the mud. It just feels…slow.
My hope is that the Zwift graphics team will gradually (quickly!) build out the climbs with realistic graphics. The graphics team did such a great job with Makuri and Scotand. It might even be great to make the new graphics an option alongside a ‘realistic’ rendering. I would love to ride a ‘realistic’ Tuormalet! Its best not to make the Col du Tourmalet angry!
3 Likes
Is it possible to do a race on a portal climb? 
2 Likes