Hörndljoch

Overview

Hörndljoch is a long, honest mountain in the truest sense: 21.3 km of continuous climbing that lifts you from 863 m at the base to a summit of 2110 m. The headline average of 5.85% sounds civil, and for long stretches it is — but that figure hides a maximum pitch of 22.53%, a wall steep enough to change the character of the entire effort. This is a Category 1 climb, one rung below hors catégorie, and it earns the rating through sheer duration and net elevation gain rather than any single relentless ramp.

The vertical numbers tell two slightly different stories. The net elevation gain from base to summit is 1247 m, while the total ascent — the sum of every upward metre, ignoring the brief descents — is 1211 m. That the total ascent is actually a touch lower than the net figure tells you this is a clean, one-directional climb: you go up, and you keep going up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Treat the 5.85% average as a budget, not a promise. Across 21.3 km, a steady climb at that grade would already be a substantial hour or more of work, but the presence of a 22.53% maximum means the load is not evenly distributed. Somewhere on this ascent, the road roughly quadruples its average steepness. Those pitches are where races are decided and where an over-eager start gets punished.

Because the total ascent (1211 m) tracks so closely to the net gain (1247 m), you can expect very few genuine recovery descents. What softer sections exist are shallow-gradient reprieves rather than downhill rest — a chance to shake out the legs and drink, not to coast.

Pacing Notes

The single most useful discipline here is riding to a target rather than to feel. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold the sustainable stretches a step below threshold, banking the headroom you'll need when the gradient jumps toward 22.53%. On a 21.3 km climb, a 20-watt overspend in the first third compounds into a much larger deficit by 2110 m.

If you don't have a current threshold number, get one before you tackle this: the FTP estimator will give you a working figure to build your pacing around. Plan to spend the steep pitches slightly over threshold — they're unavoidable — and deliberately claw watts back on the flatter grades so your average power for the full 1247 m of gain stays realistic.

Gearing

Gear for the wall, not the average. The 5.85% mean is manageable on almost any setup, but the 22.53% maximum is what dictates your cassette. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline for fit riders who can turn a big gear under load. If you'd rather protect your knees over 21.3 km and spin the steepest ramps, size up to a 34×34. For most riders facing a Category 1 climb with pitches this severe, 34×34 is the safer, more forgiving choice — the extra range costs you nothing on the shallow sections and saves the climb on the steep ones.

Summary

Hörndljoch is a Category 1 test of endurance and gearing judgement: long, steady, and spiked with a brutal 22.53% pitch that rewards patience over ambition. Pace to your threshold, gear for the wall, and let the 1247 m of gain come to you.

Length — 21.3 km
Average gradient — 5.85%
Max gradient — 22.53%
Start — 863 m
Summit — 2110 m
Net gain — 1247 m
Total ascent — 1211 m
Category — 1