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La montée raide commence dans trois minutes.

La montée raide commence dans trois minutes.
The steep climb starts in three minutes.
From Lesson 242:Time prepositions of duration (en, dans)·French

Questions & Answers about La montée raide commence dans trois minutes.

Why do we use dans here instead of en for "in"?
We use dans because it tells us when the action will begin (three minutes from now). If we used en, as in en trois minutes, it would mean the actual climb takes exactly three minutes to complete.
How is the noun montée related to the verb monter?
La montée (the climb or the ascent) is the noun form of the verb monter (to go up or to climb). Many feminine nouns in French are formed by taking the past participle of an -er verb and adding an extra -e, like la pensée (the thought) from penser (to think).
Why does the adjective raide come after montée?
Most French adjectives come after the noun they describe. The exceptions are short, common adjectives that fall into the BAGS categories (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size). Since raide (steep or stiff) describes a physical quality and doesn't fit into those categories, it follows the normal rule and goes after the noun.
Why is the present tense commence used if the action is in the future?
Just like in English ("The climb starts..."), you can use the present tense in French to talk about a scheduled or certain event in the near future. You could also use the near future tense (va commencer), but the present tense is very natural and common here.

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