Hallthurm

Overview

Hallthurm is a category 4 climb in Germany that runs for 7.8 km. It starts at 461 m and tops out at 702 m, giving a net elevation gain of 241 m. On paper that is a modest ask: a short climb with a low overall grade that most trained riders will clear without drama.

The number that matters more than the net gain is the total ascent of 325 m. That is 84 m more climbing than the net figure suggests, and it comes from the profile dipping and rising along the way rather than pulling upward in one clean line. On an undulating climb like this, you pay for those hidden metres twice: once on the way up each riser and again in the rhythm you lose when the road tips back down. Plan for more work than the 241 m headline implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.1% average is the least useful number on this climb. It is the mathematical result of steep pitches being diluted by flat and descending sections, so almost no part of the road actually sits at 3.1%. The defining feature is a maximum gradient of 13.81% — a ramp roughly four and a half times steeper than the average, and the point where the climb is won or lost.

• Flatter and false-flat sections where you can recover and carry speed
• Short descents or dips that break the climbing rhythm and add to total ascent
• Repeated punchy risers rather than one sustained wall
• A single steepest ramp touching 13.81% that demands your lowest gear

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb, chasing an even speed is a trap: it forces you deep into the red on every riser and leaves you coasting on the flats. Pace by effort instead. Hold a steady sustainable power output through the steep sections and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain. Accept that you will slow on the 13.81% ramp — that is correct, not a failure.

If you do not know your numbers, run the FTP estimator first so you have a ceiling to pace against. Keep the risers just under threshold and use the flatter sections to spin the legs out, not to attack.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your setup, and 13.81% is steep enough to warrant a low gear. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 will let you spin the steepest ramp rather than grind it. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; sorting gearing in the driveway beats discovering you are over-geared on the 13.81% pitch.

Summary

• Length: 7.8 km
• Average gradient: 3.1%
• Maximum gradient: 13.81%
• Net elevation gain: 241 m
• Total ascent: 325 m
• Category: 4

Hallthurm reads as an easy category 4, but the 84 m gap between net gain and total ascent and a 13.81% ramp mean it rewards effort-based pacing and a low enough gear.