Pierre du Moëllé

Overview

Pierre du Moëllé is a Hors Catégorie (HC) climb in Switzerland, running 6.4km from a start elevation of 932m to a summit at 1651m. Over that distance it delivers 719m of net elevation gain at an average gradient of 11.15%. That average alone places it among the hardest sustained climbs a rider will face — an HC rating that is fully earned rather than inflated by a single ramp.

The number to watch is the gap between net elevation gain and total ascent. You gain 719m from bottom to top, but the road actually climbs 853m in total — 134m of that is climbing you do more than once, given back on short descents or false flats and then re-earned. On a climb this steep, undulation is not relief. Every metre surrendered on a dip has to be reclaimed at 11% or worse, so the effective workload is heavier than the net figure suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 11.15% average across 6.4km means there is very little genuine easy ground here, but the average still hides the extremes. Because the total ascent exceeds the net gain, the profile is not a smooth 11% ramp — it steps up, eases, and steps up again, with the steepest pitches biting well into the double digits.

• Expect short recovery-grade sections where the road flattens or dips briefly — do not spend these; use them to reset your breathing.
• Repeated short climbs stack up as you regain the 134m of undulation-related ascent.
• The steepest ramp reaches the low twenties in gradient, so plan for at least one pitch where your cadence collapses if you are in the wrong gear.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb, even-speed pacing is a trap: holding a constant speed forces surges on the steep pitches that blow your legs before the summit. Pace by effort instead. Anchor your climb to your sustainable power output and let your speed drift down on the ramps and up on the flatter sections while your effort stays steady.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first. Aim to sit just under threshold on the average grade so you have headroom to absorb the 22%-class ramp without going deep into the red.

Gearing

Gearing here is dictated by the steepest ramp, which touches 22.1%. That gradient rules out anything aggressive. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 at minimum, and 34×34 if you have it or weigh toward the heavier end. The goal is to keep a turnable cadence on the steepest pitch rather than grinding to a near-stall. Check your chainset and cassette combination, and confirm your rear derailleur can handle the largest sprocket, before you ride.

Summary

• Length: 6.4km
• Average gradient: 11.15%
• Maximum gradient: 22.1%
• Net elevation gain: 719m
• Total ascent: 853m
• Category: HC

Pierre du Moëllé is short but genuinely brutal: a sustained double-digit average, a 22% wall, and 134m of undulation on top of the net climb. Pace it by effort, gear it for the steepest ramp, and treat the flatter sections as recovery rather than opportunity.