Brunnipass cycling climb profile
Brunnipass is a long Swiss category 1 climb where the difficulty comes less from savage gradients and more from the amount of time you spend climbing. At 25.9 km, with 1,346 m of net elevation gain from 695 m to 2,041 m, it asks for patience. The average gradient of 5.2% makes it look manageable on paper, but that number should not be read as easy. Over this distance, even a moderate gradient becomes a pacing problem if you ride the lower slopes too aggressively.
How the gradient rides
The headline is consistency rather than brutality. A 5.2% average across nearly 26 km suggests a climb that rewards rhythm, seated power, and careful energy management. The maximum gradient of 9.79% is steep enough to force a change in cadence and torque, but not so steep that the climb becomes defined by repeated wall-like ramps.
That matters tactically. On a climb with this profile, the key risk is not one single section blowing you apart. It is the slow accumulation of effort. If you ride the early kilometers as if the average gradient tells the whole story, the steepest pitches near 10% will feel much harder than they should. The better approach is to treat the climb as an endurance effort first, then respond to the steeper sections without turning them into anaerobic surges.
Pacing strategy
The opening priority should be restraint. Settle into a sustainable tempo below threshold, especially if you are riding by power. For most riders, Brunnipass is long enough that repeated efforts above /glossary/ftp will come back late in the climb. If you do not know your current threshold, use a conservative estimate from /tools/ftp-estimator rather than pacing by optimism.
A sensible pacing model is simple:
- Start controlled, even if the gradient feels comfortable
- Keep cadence smooth through the 5% range rather than pushing a big gear
- On pitches approaching the maximum gradient, shift early and limit torque spikes
- Save any harder effort for the final part of the climb, not the first half
Gearing notes
Because the maximum gradient reaches 9.79%, you want enough low gearing to stay seated and keep pressure even when the road steepens. A compact or sub-compact setup with a generous climbing cassette is the safe choice for most amateur riders. The goal is not just to survive the steepest ramps, but to keep your cadence from collapsing after already climbing for well over 20 km.
Brunnipass is best ridden like a long mountain pass, not a punchy climb. The numbers point to a sustained aerobic test with enough steepness to punish poor pacing. Respect the length, gear for the steepest sections, and the climb becomes a measured endurance effort rather than a late-race damage-control exercise.