Dan Connelly describes it well:
This is really, really, hard on standard road gears. The listed stats show a steep average grade of 8.9%, but there is a considerable flat section at the top, so it is actually much worse than this. A low gear of 39/28 or lower really helps here. On Orbit Dr is an alternate route which bypasses a section of Bohlman. To capture the full effect of this climb, On Orbit should be taken, as it includes significant sections at near 20%.
From the top of Bohlman, if you survive, there is a 0.9-mile dirt road to the right (bear right on the dirt) to the top of Montevena Road, which can be descended to Highway 17. A short trip to the right along Hwy 17 brings one to Black Road, which can be climbed to Skyline Road. After B-O-B, the 10% grades of Black Road are cake.
Overall (averaging my first 20 hills), the gradiometer grade averages 0.63 (% grade) higher than the altimeter grade, with a standard deviation of 4.5 (% grade per road). This error may be due to:
Dist Grade Alti. Location ---- ----- ------ -------- 0.00 1% 640 start - 6th street 0.04 4% 650 0.07 1% 650 sister of Notre Dame 0.09 8% 660 0.11 5% 660 0.14 4% 670 0.17 4% 670 Hidden Valley Lane 0.20 6% 680 0.22 9% 690 0.24 5% 700 0.26 10% 710 0.28 13% 720 0.30 14% 730 Norton Road 0.32 11% 740 sign: slow, one lane road ahead 0.34 12% 750 0.36 11% 760 0.38 10% 770 0.40 11% 780 0.42 13% 800 left turn 0.44 16% 810 0.46 12% 830 0.48 13% 850 0.51 14% 860 sign: no parking any time 0.53 13% 880 signpost: (sign missing) 0.55 12% 890 0.58 13% 910 0.59 12% 920 0.61 13% 930 0.62 12% 940 right turn 0.64 13% 950 15210 Bohlman 0.66 12% 960 0.68 10% 970 0.70 13% 980 0.72 13% 990 0.74 20% 1010 right turn -- 16% on the outside -- 15270 Bohlman 0.75 11% 1020 0.77 10% 1030 0.79 12% 1040 0.80 11% 1040 0.82 11% 1050 0.83 12% 1060 0.84 18% 1060 right turn -- 16% on the outside -- 15280 Bohlman 0.85 11% 1070 0.87 11% 1080 0.89 14% 1090 0.91 13% 1100 0.92 11% 1110 0.94 12% 1120 Kitridge Road 0.95 18% 1130 right turn -- 10% on the outside 0.96 12% 1140 0.97 12% 1150 0.99 11% 1160 1535 Bohlman 1.00 12% 1160 left turn -- 20% on the inside 1.02 11% 1170 1.04 12% 1180 1.08 9% 1200 1.10 13% 1210 1.12 10% 1220 1.15 10% 1240 1.17 13% 1260 1.19 11% 1270 1.22 11% 1280 1.24 11% 1290 Belnap Way 1.26 17% 1300 straight 1.27 17% 1310 straight 1.28 16% 1320 1.29 8% 1330 right turn 1.30 7% 1340 1.33 8% 1350 1.36 8% 1360 1.38 11% 1370 Archibald Road 1.40 16% 1380 left turn (23% inside) 1.42 14% 1400 1.43 16% 1410 1.45 19% 1430 1.46 18% 1440 15515 Bohlman 1.47 24% 1450 right turn - 18% on the outside 1.48 20% 1460 1.49 15% 1470 1.51 12% 1480 1.52 14% 1490 1.53 15% 1500 1.54 18% 1500 1.55 16% 1510 1.56 0% 1520 left turn -- 15525 Bohlman 1.57 4% 1520 1.61 4% 1530 1.64 8% 1540 1.65 16% 1550 1.66 16% 1560 1.67 14% 1570 1.70 13% 1590 1.73 15% 1610 sign: ICY 1.75 16% 1630 1.76 12% 1640 ---- On Orbit ---- 1.78 7% 1650 1.79 18% 1660 1.81 16% 1670 1.83 15% 1680 15520 On Orbit 1.84 12% 1680 right turn 1.85 14% 1690 1.87 16% 1700 1.89 16% 1720 1.93 18% 1760 15501 On Orbit 1.94 11% 1770 1.95 14% 1780 1.97 15% 1800 1.99 16% 1810 2.01 9% 1830 2.04 7% 1840 2.05 3% 1840 2.07 2% 1840 2.09 8% 1850 2.11 9% 1850 15550 On Orbit 2.12 21% 1860 right turn 2.13 16% 1860 2.15 14% 1880 2.19 14% 1910 2.21 18% 1920 right turn 2.23 19% 1940 2.24 22% 1960 2.25 19% 1970 15555 On Orbit 2.26 18% 1990 2.28 18% 2010 2.30 19% 2020 2.31 18% 2040 2.33 18% 2060 2.36 17% 2080 2.38 15% 2100 2.40 13% 2110 2.41 7% 2110 15605 On Orbit 2.42 0% 2110 Apollo Hts. Ct. 2.45 -11% 2100 2.48 -12% 2080 2.51 -3% 2070 2.54 -2% 2070 2.57 -11% 2060 2.59 -16% 2040 2.60 0% 2040 ---- Bohlman again ---- 2.61 14% 2040 2.64 14% 2070 2.66 13% 2090 2.69 12% 2110 2.71 9% 2120 2.75 6% 2140 2.78 8% 2150 2.80 12% 2160 2.83 13% 2180 2.86 15% 2200 2.88 11% 2200 2.89 0% 2200 2.93 -1% 2200 3.00 2% 2210 3.07 -3% 2220 3.16 0% 2200 16200 Bohlman 3.18 7% 2210 3.19 16% 2210 3.20 16% 2220 3.22 13% 2230 right turn 3.24 8% 2250 3.29 8% 2270 3.34 8% 2290 3.37 14% 2310 3.40 9% 2330 3.42 13% 2350 3.44 13% 2360 3.46 9% 2370 3.49 8% 2380 3.51 12% 2400 3.54 11% 2420 3.56 11% 2430 3.57 14% 2440 3.59 12% 2450 16641 Bohlman 3.63 8% 2470 3.65 10% 2480 Bay Springs Road 3.67 5% 2490 3.70 1% 2500 16654 Bohlman 3.72 6% 2500 3.75 4% 2510 3.76 0% 2510 3.79 -6% 2500 3.83 -6% 2480 3.84 0% 2480 3.90 0% 2480 sharp right turn 3.91 16% 2490 16830 Bohlman 3.93 13% 2500 3.96 12% 2520 3.99 6% 2540 4.02 7% 2560 4.06 9% 2570 16960 Bohlman 4.09 7% 2580 4.11 0% 2590 4.14 -9% 2580 4.16 0% 2570 4.17 10% 2580 4.19 8% 2590 4.21 0% 2590 Mc Gill Road 4.23 -7% 2580 Gravel, rocks on road 4.26 -4% 2570 4.31 0% 2560 4.36 4% 2560 4.39 3% 2570 sign: END