Hors catégorie (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization".
The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass.
The average HC climb in the Tour de France from 2012 to 2016 is 16.1 kilometers long and has a grade of 7.4%.
Instead of adding a fifth category, the Tour organisation decided to add a hors catégorie.
The following climbs used in the Tour de France have been ranked "Hors catégorie" at least once.