Blattenpass

Overview

Blattenpass is a category 3 climb in Switzerland, running 7.4 km from the valley up to the pass. It gains 317 m of net elevation across that distance, starting at 281 m and topping out at a summit of 598 m. On paper it is a modest, mid-length effort — long enough to matter, short enough to attack.

The number that changes the story is the total ascent. You climb 337 m of vertical to net only 317 m, meaning roughly 20 m is given back and re-earned through descents and dips along the way. That undulation matters: every metre you drop is a metre you have to climb again, and each recovery break down interrupts your rhythm. Expect the climb to feel choppier than a single average gradient would suggest, and don't let the flat sections lull you before the terrain kicks back up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.31% average is deceptive. It blends genuine flat and downhill stretches with pitches that bite hard — the steepest ramp hits 15.76%, more than three times the average. Averages like this reward riders who read the road rather than the number.

• Flatter and false-flat sections where you can recover and shift into a bigger gear
• Short descents and dips that return the 20 m of "extra" ascent
• Repeated punchy climbs stacked between the recovery zones
• A single steepest ramp approaching 15.76% that demands your lowest gear

Pacing Notes

Because of the undulation, chasing an even speed will blow you up on the ramps and waste energy on the flats. Instead, pace to an even effort. Hold a steady, sustainable power output through the whole climb, letting your speed rise on the flat and downhill sections and fall on the steep pitches rather than forcing a constant km/h.

If you don't know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first, then aim to sit just under that threshold on the sustained sections and only briefly punch above it on the 15.76% ramp. On a rolling profile like this, protecting your matches for the steep bits is the whole game.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your setup. A 15.76% ramp is enough to stall a road-standard drivetrain if you're tired, so gear for the worst pitch, not the average. Fit a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear will let you spin the steep section instead of grinding it. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; there is no fixing a too-tall gear mid-climb.

Summary

• Length: 7.4 km
• Average gradient: 4.31%
• Maximum gradient: 15.76%
• Net elevation gain: 317 m
• Total ascent: 337 m
• Category: 3

Blattenpass is a short, rolling category 3 climb whose gentle average masks steep double-digit ramps and 20 m of repeated up-and-down. Pace to effort, gear for the steepest pitch, and it rewards you.