Chatzenstrick Pass

Overview

Chatzenstrick Pass is a Category 2 climb in Switzerland, running 13.4 km from a valley start at 504 m to a summit at 1047 m. On paper it is a moderate ascent: 543 m of net elevation gain spread over more than thirteen kilometres, which yields the gentle-looking 4.05% average gradient. The category placement is fair, but it undersells how the climb actually rides.

The number to watch is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You climb 543 m in net terms, but the road makes you work through 832 m of total ascent, a difference of 289 m. That extra 289 m is undulation: descents and false flats that force you to re-climb ground you already gave back. It means the effort is punchier and less rhythmic than the average suggests, and your legs will register more vertical work than the summit elevation implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.05% average is a blend, not a description. Because roughly a third of your vertical work comes from re-climbing after descents, the ramps that do go up are steeper than the average, and the flatter sections are genuinely flat. Expect to shift often rather than settle into one gear.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or tips slightly downhill, letting you recover before the next effort.
• Repeated short climbs stacked through the middle, each one asking you to lift the power again.
• A steepest ramp well above the average pitch, where the road kicks up sharply and rewards a low gear over brute force.

Pacing Notes

On a smooth climb you can hold even speed. Here, with 289 m of hidden re-climbing, chasing even speed will spike your power on every ramp and leave you cooked before the summit. Pace to even effort instead: hold a steady sustainable power output on the climbs, and treat the flat and downhill sections as active recovery rather than places to attack. Let your speed fluctuate while your effort stays flat.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first, then set a target that you can defend through the repeated pitches without redlining on the steepest ramp.

Gearing

The steepest pitch governs your setup, and it is well above what the average implies. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the low end to spin the steep ramp seated rather than grinding out of the saddle. Check your chainring and cassette combination before you ride; discovering you are over-geared on the steepest section, with re-climbs still ahead, is a costly mistake.

Summary

• Length: 13.4 km
• Average gradient: 4.05%
• Net elevation gain: 543 m
• Total ascent: 832 m
• Category: 2

Chatzenstrick Pass looks like a steady tempo climb and rides like a series of efforts. Respect the 289 m of extra ascent, pace to effort, and gear for the steep ramp rather than the average, and it becomes a rewarding day out.