Chilchzimmersattel

Overview

Chilchzimmersattel is a Category 2 climb in Switzerland, running 9.5 km from a valley floor to a saddle. It starts at 417 m and tops out at 971 m, for a net elevation gain of 554 m. On paper that reads as a steady, moderate ascent — a long grind rather than a wall — but the profile has more texture than the headline numbers suggest.

The gap between the net elevation gain and the total ascent is where the real story sits. You gain 554 m of net height, but the total ascent is 873 m — meaning roughly 319 m of climbing gets undone by descents and dips along the way, then reclaimed. That undulation matters: you pay for every metre you give back and every metre you take again. The climb costs more energy than a smooth 554 m grade would, and the effort comes in bursts rather than one even push.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 5.82% average is an accounting figure, not a riding sensation. Because the route sheds and regains height, the flatter and downhill sections drag the average down while the working pitches sit well above it. Expect to spend chunks of the climb at gradients noticeably steeper than 5.82%, with a maximum ramp of 24.95% — a genuinely sharp pitch that demands you shift early and stay seated or punch over it deliberately.

Across the profile, plan for:

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or briefly descends — use them, don't hammer them
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, the source of that 319 m of extra ascent
• The steepest ramp at 24.95%, short but brutal, where gearing decides whether you spin or grind

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing an even speed is a trap — you'll overcook the steep ramps and coast the flats. Pace to effort instead. Anchor your climbing to your sustainable power output and let your speed fluctuate: hold steady watts on the 24.95% pitch even as your pace collapses, then keep pushing near-threshold on the flatter sections instead of soft-pedalling. If you don't know your number, run the FTP estimator first. The 319 m of reclaimed height punishes riders who spike hard over every rise, so cap your surges and bank the recovery dips.

Gearing

The 24.95% maximum gradient governs your setup, not the 5.82% average. That ramp is steep enough to stall a rider on standard road gearing. Run a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the bailout ratio to keep the pedals turning at low speed without wrenching your knees. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; there's no room to improvise on a 24.95% wall.

Summary

• Length: 9.5 km
• Average gradient: 5.82%
• Maximum gradient: 24.95%
• Net elevation gain: 554 m
• Total ascent: 873 m
• Category: 2

Chilchzimmersattel rewards riders who read the profile rather than the average. Pace to power, gear for the 24.95% ramp, and respect the 319 m of undulation baked into the 873 m total ascent — and this Category 2 climb rides exactly as hard as you let it.