Pauvres pass

Overview

Pauvres Pass is an HC (hors catégorie) climb in Switzerland, running 13.2 km from a start elevation of 429 m to a summit at 1,631 m. Its net elevation gain is 1,202 m, and at an average gradient of 9.08% it sits firmly among the hardest sustained ascents you can take on. There is no easing into a climb like this: the numbers demand respect from the first kilometre.

What the average does not tell you is that the road climbs more than the net figure suggests. Total ascent is 1,404 m against a net gain of 1,202 m — a 202 m difference. That gap means roughly 202 m of descending or false-flat is stitched into the profile, and every metre lost has to be regained. The climb is undulating rather than a single clean ramp, so the effort is punchier and less rhythmic than a 9.08% average implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 9.08% is brutal on its own, but averages smooth over the spikes. This profile carries pitches up to 22.26%, and those ramps are what break riders — not the mean. Expect the gradient to swing hard around the average as the road undulates through its 202 m of extra ascent.

• Short recovery or descending sections where the road gives back elevation before clawing it back
• Repeated short climbs stacked between those dips, each resetting your rhythm
• A steepest ramp reaching 22.26%, where cadence collapses and it becomes a grind for traction and torque

Pacing Notes

On an undulating HC climb, even-speed pacing is a trap: holding a fixed speed forces huge power spikes on the 22.26% ramps and wasted effort on the descents. Pace to even effort instead, letting speed rise and fall with the gradient while your power stays anchored near your sustainable power output. Ease slightly on the steepest pitches rather than blowing your budget to hold a number.

Know your ceiling before you start. Run the FTP estimator, then ride the flatter and descending sections a touch under threshold so you have room to absorb the ramps without going into the red.

Gearing

The 22.26% maximum gradient governs your setup — not the average. At that pitch you need a very low bottom gear to keep the pedals turning. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette: a 34×32 is a sensible floor, and 34×34 (or lower) buys real insurance on the steepest sections. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; discovering you are over-geared at 22% is a mistake you make only once.

Summary

• Length: 13.2 km
• Average gradient: 9.08%
• Maximum gradient: 22.26%
• Net elevation gain: 1,202 m
• Total ascent: 1,404 m
• Category: HC

Pauvres Pass is an HC climb that punishes poor pacing and poor gearing in equal measure. Come with a low bottom gear, an even-effort plan, and the discipline to hold back early — the 22.26% ramps will take everything you leave on the table.