I'm sure you have questions! We have answers!

Hill Climb Racing is one of the oldest forms of motorsports competition.  The most famous in the USA is the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb which has been run for over 100 years. There are a number of other smaller hill climb events in North America, particularly in the Northeastern USA and Colorado. Unfortunately the paved events, including Pikes Peak, no longer allow motorcyles or quads so if you want to complete with something other than a car we're currently your only North American option! 

A Hill Climb is a timed competition where competitors start at the bottom of a road and race against the clock to a finishing line on a higher portion of the road. The competitor with the fastest time from the start to the finish line is the winner. Similar to Rally Racing each competitor is ideally able to make a clean run up the road without having to pass or get passed by other competitors so there should be no direct wheel to wheel racing. In our event competitors are released from the start line anywhere from 30 second to several minutes apart. 

In 2025 the Hill Climb will have precise electronic race timing backed up by manual timing. Your registered entry includes a free timing transponder for your helmet or vehicle.

Usually competitors are broken into several different classes based on vehicle type, motor size and other factors. You can see our rules by clicking the button below.

We all know that Motorsports are inherently dangerous. We strongly advise hill climb competitors to focus more on enjoying this event that "winning" at all costs. Pushing beyond 100% on a road can have severe consequences as many areas have little or no run off like you would find on most race tracks. Unexpected things can always happen so competitors should leave some reserve in order to safely react to situations. Think of this as enjoying your favorite local back road but with the added benefit of no traffic and no speeding ticket!  There is no prize money - just trophies - so finishing with a smile on your face is the biggest accomplishment. We trust competitors to use their best judgment to operate their vehicles in a safe manner appropriate to the road conditions. 

We advise you to make sure that your current medical insurance provider will cover your medical expenses overseas (in Mexico) or to purchase a separate overseas (or Mexican) medical insurance policy if your current insurer will not extend coverage. As required by law our event carries third party liability insurance which provides coverage if a competitor causes damages to another person or property during the race but this does not cover a competitor's own personal medical expenses or damages to a competition vehicle.

The event organizers take the following safety precautions to prevent accidents and assist if an accident occurs:

1) Careful Road Closure & Inspection - Highway Patrol is stationed at the start and finish of the closed section of road to stop vehicle traffic. Race staff is also positioned at possible road access points along the course (in this remote location it's just a few small dirt access roads to ranches) to stop any vehicles. A couple weeks before the event we clean the road and perform any necessary road repairs for maximum safety and enjoyment. A follow up road inspection and final cleaning is performed the day before competition.

2) Radio Communications are in place and event staff with radios are positioned at the start and finish lines as well as several other locations along the road. A sweep vehicle with radio communication is released 5 minutes prior to every practice, qualification and competition run as well as a radio equipped chase vehicle after the last competitor departs. 

3) Medical Support Staff are in place in the event an accident occurs. There are at least two ambulances - one stationed at the start and the second mid course. In addition we have a Trauma Certified Medical Doctor with medical equipment who drives up the mountain after the last competior departs. We recommend that competitors carry medical evacuation insurance if at all possible. 

4) A Recovery Vehicle is on site in the event your vehicle is damaged or runs off the road.

Currently the registration fees are $750 for Cars and $600 for Motorcycles/Quads/Sidecars. This entry includes free camping and use of facilites at the Meling Ranch host site. Hotel rooms, food, fuel, transportation etc are the competitors responsibility. Look at the fees for most any other hill climb event and this is a true bargain. Our goal is to make enjoying a hill climb competition as accessible as possible. Discounts and sponsorships to help with the entry fee are available to residents of Baja, CA "locals" - please contact us for details. If the entry fee is a huge barrier to your ability to participate please contact us regardless. 

Trophies are awarded for the top three finishers in every class with an additional trophy for the overall winner. There are no cash prizes but you will earn a discount on future entry fees if you finish on the podium. The best prize is safely enjoying the event and this is what we focus on.

The event takes place over two days. On the first day competitors will typically get two practice runs up the mountain in the morning followed by two qualifying runs. The qualifying runs will be used to determine the starting order for the two competition runs on the second day. Winners will be determined by their fastest time of the two competition runs. You don't have to participate in every run but you will need to complete at least one qualifying run and one competition run in order to be considered a valid trophy eligable competitor.  The course is 30km long (over 18 miles) and trust me you will be tired by the end of each run and ready to relax with food and drink at the host ranch by days end. 

For those who want even more time on the road "pre running" at legal speeds to learn the route on the day preceeding the event is supported. The road is not closed for "pre running" but traffic is always minimal in this remote location. You must not cross into oncoming traffic and you are required to operate your vehicle responsibly while pre running - any competitor who causes a complaint by locals, obeservatory staff or park staff will be subject to potential expulsion from the event with no refund. The support of those who use this road is essential to the event's survival - please be courteous.

To be honest getting your vehicle into Mexico from the USA is usually harder than getting it back into the USA upon your return.  If you have current original vehicle registration paperwork (from any state or country), a license plate and matching VIN# on your race vehicle you should not have any problems getting it into Mexico.  Yes, your registration must be a current. Yes, your registration must be an original looking paper document (not just a window or plate sticker). Yes, they will turn you around if you don't have this. At the last couple events Mexican customs had a new policy of requiring some competitors to remove their car from the trailer and drive it across separately. This didn't cause any problems but it was inconvenient. Mexicali and Tecate border crossings did not require this but the two main Tijuana crossings made cars cross separately from their tow vehicles. It's still unclear if this will continue to be an issue in 2025 so please be prepared to drive your car across separately if necessary. Motorcycles don't seem to need to be unloaded. You do not need a temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) for Baja California like you do in many other regions of Mexico. However, our understanding is that a car that does have a current temporary import permit (TIP) will not need to be unloaded from a trailer.   

If you do not have a current registration and license plate for your race vehicle you may want to engage a registration service in a state with lax registration laws that can provide you with a plate and registration for most any vehicle (Permanent Montana plates are always a good option!). For Montana Plates/Reg some have used https://www.mtcorporateservices.com/ with good results. Or you can also engage the services of a customs agent to get a non-titled race vehicle across but this is probably a more difficult option. If you have a motorcycle with no plate or registration people seem to typically have no problem riding it accross separately from the support vehicle. Last year one flashy racing bike did get stopped but was still let across - your results riding a non street legal bike into Mexico may vary. 

Also, please make sure you have a current registration for the tow vehicle and trailer and that all have license plates. Any gasoline containers must be empty when crossing into Mexico. New unmounted tires might be subject to import fees. Make sure you drive your support vehicle through the "Something to Declare" lane as Mexican Customs can sometimes give you a hard time for trying to use the "Nothing to Declare" lane if you have a loaded van or are towing a trailer. Keep to the far right at the border crossings to accomplish this. 

Mexican Vehicle Insurance is highly recommended for all support vehicles and the race vehicle. There are a number of online providers such as https://www.bajabound.com/

We also typically organize a group racer crossing into Mexico a day or two before the event to help you feel more comfortable and supported in your border crossing.

If you wish to ship your motorcycle or car ahead of time and fly to the event we can usually arrange to store your vehicle in a secure warehouse located in San Diego, CA until you arrive. Please contact us for details.

It seems that nobody ever has a problem with US Customs when returning to the USA. However, non registered race vehicles should be loaded when crossing into the USA and not ridden separately. 

The hill climb is held on the fully paved access road to the San Pedro Martir National Park and Observatory in Northern Baja California Mexico. Our event host is the scenic and historic Rancho Meling about 200 miles south of San Diego, California USA. The ranch was founded over a hundred years ago by Norwegian immigrants and their decendants continue to operate the property as a working ranch and hotel/resort. Hotel rooms, guest houses and camping spots are readily available. There is a nice swimming pool and the restaurant serves excellent food. Driving to the ranch is a straight forward journey from the San Diego border crossing. Simply go down the main coastal Highway 1 and about a couple hundred miles later you then turn inland onto the paved Observatory/Park Road and head into the mountains. The entrance to the ranch is about 50km up this paved road. The half mile access road to the ranch in unpaved but well graded and accessible to all vehicles. The actual race start line is at the KM 50 highway marker just a couple hundred meters past the ranch access road. The finish line is at the KM 80 highway marker just a few hundred meters before the national park entrance gate. You can find more information about Rancho Meling and reserve accomodations via their website: https://ranchomeling.staydirectly.com/

Click the button below for the google maps location of the event. NOTE: If Google Maps suggests taking the alternative route to the ranch cutting accross from Highway 3 to the north DO NOT travel this route. It is beyond rugged and impassable. Take only the paved road to the ranch from the west off of pacific coast Highway 1.

We realise that many people, particularly if not familiar with Baja California, may have concerns regarding safety. The event itself is held in a safe rural part of Mexico. Traveling to the event is all by major highway and avoids any dangerous areas. For those who wish there is typically a group crossing organized for a couple days before the start of the event. This year (2025) it will most likely be on Friday October 4th. This will allow you to cross the border with a group of other experienced competitors and travel to the event in a caravan. For more details on this please contact us.

Don't want to race but want to check out the event? That's fine! You can camp at the ranch or book a hotel room and enjoy the event. If you need to get out on the course to a good spot to specate or take photos you'll need to coordinate this with race officials to travel the road before and after race closures. 

Want to volunteer to help? Please contact us and we'd love to find a way to add you to the crew! We can usually feed and lodge volunteers for free.