Kranner Schneid

Overview

Kranner Schneid is a hors catégorie climb, and it earns the label the hard way. Over 16.8 km the road averages 9.16%, dragging you from a 860 m start to a 2399 m summit. That is 1539 m of net elevation gain, packed into a single sustained effort with a total ascent of 1488 m once the minor undulations are counted. There is no gentle valley approach here to warm the legs — the average gradient alone tells you the climb bites from low down and rarely lets go. With a maximum pitch of 21.48%, it belongs firmly in the same bracket as the hardest cols in the sport.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 9.16% across 16.8 km is relentless by any measure, and the shape of Kranner Schneid is defined by how little relief it offers. The gap between the 9.16% average and the 21.48% maximum is roughly twelve points — meaning the steepest ramps spike to more than double the average grade. On a climb this long, those pitches are not brief novelties; they are walls that arrive when your legs are already deep into the effort. Between them, the road settles back toward the average rather than into anything you would call recovery. Expect the full 1488 m of ascent to feel like one continuous push rather than a series of stepped tiers.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on a climb like this is starting too hard. At 16.8 km and 9.16%, this is a sustained threshold effort, so anchor your pacing to your FTP and hold something in reserve for the 21.48% ramps. Aim to ride the average gradient at a controlled, repeatable power and treat the steep pitches as short over-efforts you absorb and recover from — not as places to accelerate. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then set a target that leaves headroom. Losing a few seconds early in a 1539 m ascent costs far less than blowing up with a third of the climb still above you.

Gearing

Gear for the walls, not the average. A 21.48% maximum on a 16.8 km climb demands a genuine climbing setup, so a compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get many strong riders up the sustained 9.16% sections, but on those steepest ramps — and 1488 m into the day — a 34×34 gives you the extra cadence to keep the pedals turning without grinding to a stall. If your bike accepts it, err toward the larger sprocket: spinning a low gear costs you nothing and protects your legs across the full 2399 m summit push.

Summary

Kranner Schneid is a true HC test — long, steep, and unforgiving from bottom to top. Respect the 9.16% average, prepare for the 21.48% spikes, and gear low enough to keep moving all the way to 2399 m.

Length: 16.8 km
Average gradient: 9.16%
Max gradient: 21.48%
Start: 860 m
Summit: 2399 m
Net gain: 1539 m
Total ascent: 1488 m
Category: HC