Klausen Pass

Overview

Klausen Pass is a Category 1 climb in Switzerland (CH), covering 7.2 km of road. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 697 m, starting at 1,254 m and topping out at a summit of 1,951 m. With an average gradient of 9.62%, it is short but relentless — there is no long approach to settle into, so the difficulty arrives early and stays.

The total ascent, however, is 913 m — 216 m more than the net gain. That gap tells you the road undulates rather than climbing in a clean, monotonic line: you give back roughly 216 m of vertical to descents and false flats and have to reclaim it. Practically, that means more accelerations, more braking of momentum, and a higher energy cost than the 697 m net figure alone would suggest. Ride it expecting to work harder than a simple point-to-point elevation difference implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 9.62% is punishing on its own, but it flattens out the real story. The maximum gradient hits 22.89%, so the mean conceals both easier drags and savage ramps. Because the climb undulates, some of that average is "spent" recovering pitch you lost on descents, meaning the climbing sections are steeper than 9.62% in isolation.

• Short recovery or descending sections where the road gives back elevation — do not coast wastefully.
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back rather than one continuous wall.
• A steepest ramp reaching 22.89% that will spike your effort well beyond threshold.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing even speed is a trap: holding a constant km/h forces enormous power surges on the 22.89% ramps and lets you soft-pedal the descents. Aim instead for even effort. Anchor your climbing sections to a target near your sustainable power output, let speed rise on the gentler pitches, and accept that it will crawl on the steepest ramps rather than blowing up to defend a number on the display.

If you are unsure what that ceiling is, run the FTP estimator before you go. With 913 m of total ascent to absorb, riding slightly under threshold early leaves headroom for the repeated steep efforts later.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the 22.89% maximum, not the average. That pitch will overwhelm a standard road setup at low cadence. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — so you can keep your legs turning on the steepest ramp instead of grinding to a near-stall. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and derailleur capacity actually deliver that bottom gear, because there is no room to improvise once the road tilts up.

Summary

• Length: 7.2 km
• Average gradient: 9.62%
• Maximum gradient: 22.89%
• Net elevation gain: 697 m
• Total ascent: 913 m
• Category: 1

Klausen Pass is a compact Category 1 effort where the undulation — 216 m of ascent beyond the net gain — and the 22.89% max define the difficulty. Pace by effort, gear low, and respect the ramps.