Gatterl

Overview

Gatterl is a Category 2 climb in Austria (AT), running 6.1 km from a start elevation of 1,091 m to a summit at 1,504 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 413 m at an average gradient of 6.76%. On paper that reads as a steady mid-tier climb, but the average is the least useful number on this page.

The tell is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You climb 413 m in net terms, but the road actually makes you ascend 552 m — a difference of 139 m. That extra height comes from descents and dips you have to reclaim along the way. Practically, this is not a single clean ramp: it is an undulating profile where you pay for lost elevation more than once, and your legs feel the total 552 m, not the tidy 413 m headline.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 6.76% average hides both the recovery and the punishment. With 139 m of reclaimed climbing folded in, the road repeatedly gives back gradient and then snatches it away, and the true peak of 19.38% sits well above anything the average suggests.

• Flatter and downhill recovery sections where you lose part of your hard-won elevation
• Repeated short climbs stacked back-to-back, each one re-earning what you just gave up
• A steepest ramp hitting 19.38% — nearly three times the average and the moment that defines your gearing

Pacing Notes

On a smooth climb, even-effort and even-speed pacing nearly converge. On Gatterl they do not. Chasing even speed here forces you to overcook the 19.38% pitches and the repeated re-climbs, then coast the descents — a spiky, wasteful pattern. Pace by even effort instead: hold a steady sustainable power output through the steep sections and let your speed fluctuate. Accept that you will crawl on the ramps and roll fast on the dips.

Because 139 m of the total ascent is undulation you cannot see coming, know your ceiling before you start. Use the FTP estimator to set a target you can defend across all 552 m of climbing, not just the first clean pitch.

Gearing

The 19.38% maximum gradient governs your setup — not the 6.76% average. On a pitch that steep, a standard chainset will leave you grinding a cadence low enough to hurt your knees or force a stall. Fit a compact (34-tooth inner) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 gives you a working escape gear; a 34×34 gives you margin if you are tired or loaded. Check your chainset and cassette combination before the ride, not at the base of the climb.

Summary

• Length: 6.1 km
• Average gradient: 6.76%
• Maximum gradient: 19.38%
• Net elevation gain: 413 m
• Total ascent: 552 m
• Category: 2

Gatterl is a Category 2 climb that punches above its average. Respect the 139 m of hidden undulation, pace by effort, gear low for the 19.38% ramp, and the 552 m of total climbing becomes a challenge you can ride within.