Eckersattel

Overview

Eckersattel is a Category 1 climb in Austria, running 13.7 km from a start elevation of 443 m to a summit of 1,410 m. The net elevation gain is 967 m at an average gradient of 7.05%, placing it firmly in the range of a serious mountain effort rather than a rolling hill. On paper, the average points to a steady, sustained ascent from valley floor to col.

The profile tells a different story. Total ascent measures 1,689 m against a net gain of only 967 m — a gap of 722 m. That difference is real climbing you do and then give back: the road rises, drops, and rises again across its length. For your legs and your power meter, the effort is closer to the 1,689 m figure than the net 967 m suggests. Expect to work harder than the average gradient implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.05% average is a blend, not a constant. With 722 m of hidden ascent baked into the undulation, long stretches sit below average — or descend — which means the sections that actually climb are steeper than 7.05% to compensate. You cannot cruise this at one gradient.

• Flatter and downhill recovery sections that let you spin and eat, but also erase altitude you have to reclaim
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, each one resetting your rhythm
• Ramps well above the average where the real work is concentrated

Pacing Notes

On a climb this lumpy, chasing an even speed is a trap: you will spike your power on every ramp and blow up. Pace to even effort instead. Hold your sustainable power output as your ceiling on the steep pitches, and accept that your speed will swing wildly between the ramps and the recovery sections. Let the flats and descents be genuine rest — soft-pedal them rather than pushing to "make time."

If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator before you go, then ride the steep sections just under that number. The undulation punishes riders who treat every rise as a sprint.

Gearing

Gear for the steep ramps, not the average. The pitches here sit well above 7%, so a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline — think 34×32 or 34×34 to keep your cadence up when the road kicks. With 1,689 m of total ascent, spinning a small gear costs far less over the full climb than grinding a big one. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; you do not want to discover you are over-geared halfway up.

Summary

• Length: 13.7 km
• Average gradient: 7.05%
• Net elevation gain: 967 m
• Total ascent: 1,689 m
• Category: 1

Eckersattel is a Category 1 effort defined by its undulation: 967 m of net gain but 1,689 m of real climbing across 13.7 km. Pace to effort, gear for the ramps, and respect the 722 m the profile hides.