Gross Furgga

Overview

Gross Furgga is a Category HC climb in Switzerland, the top rung of the difficulty scale and reserved for the longest, steepest efforts. It runs 15.7 km from a start elevation of 548 m to a summit of 2242 m, for a net elevation gain of 1694 m. At 10.78% average across that distance, it sits well beyond what most riders treat as a hard climb, and the numbers demand respect from the first pedal stroke.

The net gain of 1694 m tells only part of the story. The total ascent is 2360 m, meaning the road actually climbs 666 m more than the point-to-point difference implies. That extra vertical comes from undulation: sections where the road drops or flattens before pitching up again. Every one of those dips has to be re-climbed, so the real work is closer to the total ascent than the net figure. Plan your effort around 2360 m, not 1694 m.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 10.78% average is punishing, but averages flatten out the extremes. On a climb with 666 m of undulation, the mean hides both easier passages and ramps far steeper than 10.78%. Expect the gradient to swing hard rather than hold steady.

• Flatter or descending recovery sections where the road gives back some elevation
• Repeated short climbs that force you to accelerate again after each dip
• The steepest ramps, well above the average, where you will be out of the saddle or grinding at your lowest gear

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb, even-speed pacing is a trap: holding a constant speed means spiking your power over every ramp and coasting the flatter bits, which burns matches you cannot get back over 15.7 km. Ride to even effort instead. Anchor your pace to your sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the gradient — slower on the steep ramps, faster on the recovery sections.

If you do not know that number, get it dialled with the FTP estimator before you commit to this one. With 2360 m of climbing, going out too hard in the first few kilometres is the fastest way to blow up before the summit.

Gearing

The average alone justifies easy gearing, and the steepest ramps make it non-negotiable. Run a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — so you always have a bailout gear when the road kicks up. A cadence you can hold on the ramps beats muscling a bigger gear and cooking your legs.

Check your setup before the ride. Confirm the cassette and chainrings you think are on the bike are actually there, and that the rear derailleur handles the largest sprocket cleanly. Discovering you are under-geared halfway up an HC climb is not a mistake you can fix on the road.

Summary

• Length: 15.7 km
• Average gradient: 10.78%
• Net elevation gain: 1694 m
• Total ascent: 2360 m
• Category: HC

Gross Furgga is a genuine HC test: long, steep, and undulating enough that the 2360 m of total ascent, not the 1694 m net figure, defines the day. Pace to effort, gear low, and respect the ramps.