Pass digls Orgels

Overview

Pass digls Orgels is a category HC climb in Switzerland, rising over 18.4 km from a start elevation of 852 m to a summit at 2,216 m. The net elevation gain is 1,364 m, which places it firmly among the hardest sustained efforts you can ride: HC exists precisely for climbs that outgrow the numbered categories. On paper it averages 7.42%, a figure steep enough to demand respect over that distance.

That average, though, undersells the day. The total ascent across the profile is 2,254 m, well above the 1,364 m of net gain. The difference — 890 m — is climbing you do twice, gained and then given back through descents and dips before you reach the top. In practice this means the road is not a single steady grade but a stepped, undulating route, and your legs will register the full 2,254 m even though the map shows only 1,364 m of net height.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.42% average is a blend, not a constant. With 890 m of descent folded into the route, the climbing sections must be markedly steeper than 7.42% to compensate for the flat and downhill stretches that pull the mean down. Expect the gradient to swing hard around that average rather than settle on it.

• Recovery sections where the road flattens or tips downward, letting you spin and reset
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, each clawing back elevation lost on the descents
• A steepest ramp well into double digits, far above the 7.42% average, where the real damage is done

Read the road ahead, not the average on your computer.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a constant speed forces you to surge on every ramp and coast on every descent, spiking your output and draining you early. Instead, hold a steady sustainable power output: ease slightly on the steep pitches and press on the flatter recovery sections to keep your effort level, not your speed, constant.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go. Set a target you can hold for the full 18.4 km, and treat the descents as active recovery rather than time to make up.

Gearing

Gear for the steepest ramps, not the average. On a sustained HC climb with double-digit pitches, a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline — think 34×32 or 34×34 to keep a cadence you can actually turn when the road kicks up. Grinding a big gear over 1,364 m of net gain is how you blow up. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and chainset are fitted and that your rear derailleur can handle the largest sprocket.

Summary

• Length: 18.4 km
• Average gradient: 7.42%
• Net elevation gain: 1,364 m
• Total ascent: 2,254 m
• Category: HC

Pass digls Orgels rewards riders who pace by effort and gear conservatively. Respect the 890 m of hidden extra climbing, hold your power steady, and let the descents do the recovering.