Col du Jorat

Overview

Col du Jorat is a Category 1 climb in Switzerland that runs 28.1 km from valley to summit. It starts at 405 m and tops out at 1518 m, for a net elevation gain of 1113 m. On paper the average gradient is a modest 3.97%, the kind of number that suggests a long, steady drag rather than a serious test.

That average is misleading. The climb records 2075 m of total ascent against only 1113 m of net gain, meaning roughly 962 m of climbing is offset by descents and dips along the way. In other words, you climb almost twice as much as the net figure implies, then give a large chunk of it back. Every metre lost to a descent has to be re-earned, so the true workload is far higher than the 3.97% suggests. Treat this as a rolling, repeated effort, not a single smooth gradient.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 3.97% average across 28.1 km hides a profile that is anything but uniform. With 2075 m of total ascent packed into a route that only nets 1113 m, the road clearly rises and falls repeatedly, and the steepest pitch reaches 29.93% — a wall that has nothing to do with the average.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or tips downhill, letting you spin and drink
• Repeated short climbs that stack up the total ascent well beyond the net gain
• A brutal steepest ramp near 29.93% that demands you are out of the saddle and in your lowest gear

Pacing Notes

Even-effort beats even-speed on a climb this undulating. Because the gradient swings from downhill recovery to near-30% walls, chasing a constant speed will blow you apart on the ramps and waste energy on the descents. Instead, hold a steady effort anchored to your sustainable power output: ease off on the flats and descents, and let the number climb only briefly on the steep pitches rather than trying to match your valley-floor speed.

If you do not know your threshold, run the FTP estimator before the ride so you can set realistic ceilings for the steep sections and avoid going into the red 5 km from the top.

Gearing

The 29.93% steepest ramp governs your gearing choice, full stop. A standard compact will leave you grinding or walking. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 as a minimum — so you have a bailout gear for the wall. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette actually engages the largest sprocket cleanly and that the rear derailleur has the capacity for it. Discovering you are under-geared at the base of a 29.93% pitch is not a fixable problem mid-climb.

Summary

• Length: 28.1 km
• Average gradient: 3.97%
• Maximum gradient: 29.93%
• Net elevation gain: 1113 m
• Total ascent: 2075 m
• Category: 1

Col du Jorat rewards riders who read the profile, not the average. Pace to effort, gear for the wall, and respect the 962 m of hidden climbing between the net gain and the total ascent.