Kaindlscharte

Overview

Kaindlscharte is a hors catégorie climb that earns the label the hard way. Over 20.8 km the road lifts you from a valley floor at 501 m all the way to a summit at 2043 m — a net elevation gain of 1542 m, with 1510 m of total ascent packed into a single sustained effort. The average gradient of 7.43% only tells part of the story; a climb this long at that steepness sits firmly in the territory where pacing, not power, decides your day. There is no easing in and no bailout: from the moment the road tips up, you are committed to the full 20.8 km.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the 27.43% maximum. That is not a rolling gradient — it is a wall, more than three and a half times the 7.43% average, and it will spike your heart rate and force you out of any rhythm you have built. Around those extreme ramps sit long stretches that hover near or just above the average, which is what makes a 7.43% mean gradient so deceptive. With a net gain of 1542 m spread across 20.8 km, most of the climb pushes hard, and the presence of a 27.43% pitch means the easier sections must be genuinely gentle to balance the maths. Read the road ahead: bank effort on the shallower kilometres so you have something left when the gradient bites.

Pacing Notes

On a climb of this length, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a wattage you can sustain for the better part of an hour, because at 7.43% over 20.8 km you are looking at a long, continuous grind. If you don't have a reliable number, run the FTP estimator first — going in blind on an HC climb is how riders blow up before the halfway mark. Keep something in reserve for the 27.43% spike, where you may briefly go well over threshold whether you like it or not. The goal is a steady climb from 501 m to 2043 m without a single detonation.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible floor. A 34×32 will get many strong climbers up the sustained 7.43% sections, but the 27.43% pitch is where a 34×32 can leave you grinding at a cadence that trashes your legs. If you have any doubt about your climbing legs or your fitness on the day, fit a 34×34 — the extra range buys you spin over strain on the steepest ramp and protects your effort across the full 20.8 km. Easier gearing is never wasted on an HC climb.

Summary

Kaindlscharte is a long, uncompromising hors catégorie ascent: 20.8 km averaging 7.43%, with a brutal 27.43% maximum and 1542 m of net vertical gain to a high summit. Pace it to your FTP, gear low, and respect the distance.

Length: 20.8 km
Average gradient: 7.43%
Max gradient: 27.43%
Start: 501 m
Summit: 2043 m
Net gain: 1542 m
Total ascent: 1510 m
Category: HC