Jaunpass

Overview

Jaunpass is a short climb with a long memory. Over just 5 km it averages a brutal 9.52%, lifting you from a start elevation of 1030 m to a summit at 1510 m — a net gain of 480 m in barely any horizontal distance. The category-1 label undersells it slightly; on gradient alone this reads like a wall you happen to ride up. There is no easing-in phase, no gentle valley approach to warm the legs. From the moment the road tilts, the average is the reality, and the reality is steep.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is that 9.52% average holding across the full 5 km. Because the climb is so uniformly severe, the ramps that spike toward the 15.23% maximum feel less like isolated features and more like the terrain reminding you it can always get worse. When a climb averages nearly one-in-ten for its entire length, the "flat" recovery sections are simply the pitches that dip back toward the mean — you never truly get to breathe. Expect the steepest slopes in the sections where the road gives back the least, and treat any stretch that eases below the average as a gift to be spent wisely, not banked.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this relentless, pacing is everything. The temptation is to chase the early ramps; the smarter play is to settle immediately into an effort you can hold for the whole 5 km. Your FTP is the reference point — but because the average gradient rarely relents, most riders will spend the climb slightly above the number they can hold on flatter terrain, buoyed by the lower speed and constant load. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start, then ride to a power ceiling rather than to feel. Feel lies on gradients like this; the 15.23% pitches will trick you into a surge you will pay for in the final kilometre.

Gearing

Do not be macho with your cassette here. With a 9.52% average and spikes to 15.23%, cadence collapses fast on standard ratios, and grinding a big gear at low rpm is the quickest route to a blown climb. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with at least a 32-tooth sprocket — a 34×32 — is the sensible minimum for strong climbers. Most riders will be far happier with a 34×34, which buys you the extra cadence to keep spinning through the steepest ramps rather than lurching over them. The goal is to protect your legs across the full 5 km, and easier gearing is what lets you hold a steady, repeatable stroke from bottom to top.

Summary

Jaunpass is a compact, uncompromising test: short enough to attack, steep enough to punish anyone who misjudges it. Ride it on the numbers, gear low, and respect the average.

Length: 5 km
Average gradient: 9.52%
Max gradient: 15.23%
Start: 1030 m
Summit: 1510 m
Net gain: 480 m
Total ascent: 460 m
Category: 1