Pretalsattel

Overview

Pretalsattel is a Category 3 climb in Austria running 7.8 km from a valley floor at 750 m to a summit at 1094 m. On paper it is a modest ascent: 344 m of net elevation gain over nearly eight kilometres, giving an average gradient of 4.4%. That places it firmly in tempo territory rather than the punishing switchback climbs of the high Alps.

But the net figure understates the work. While you only gain 344 m in altitude from bottom to top, the total ascent is 778 m — more than double. That 434 m difference is climbing you do and then give back on descents and false flats along the way. Pretalsattel undulates. You are not paying for a single smooth ramp; you are paying repeatedly, and every metre you descend mid-climb is a metre you have to reclimb. Plan for an effort noticeably harder than the 4.4% average suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.4% average is an accounting artifact. Because roughly 434 m of the total ascent is offset by descending sections, the pitches you actually pedal up are steeper than the average implies. The road bunches its work into repeated short climbs separated by recovery, and it saves a genuine wall for one section where the gradient hits 20.61%.

• Flatter and descending recovery sections that drag the average down but interrupt your rhythm.
• Repeated short climbs stacked through the middle, each one resetting your effort.
• A single steepest ramp at 20.61% — brief, but severe enough to force you out of the saddle.

Pacing Notes

Forget even-speed pacing here; the undulation makes it impossible without spiking your effort on every rise. Aim instead for even effort. Hold a steady sustainable power output and let your speed fluctuate — fast on the descents and false flats, slow on the ramps. The temptation on an undulating climb is to hammer the rises to "keep the pace up," which torches your legs before the steepest pitch. Resist it. If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first and set a target you can hold for the full 7.8 km, then cap your surges over the short climbs.

Gearing

The 20.61% ramp governs your setup, not the gentle average. A standard road double will leave you grinding and swerving on that pitch. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the low gear to spin up the wall while staying seated and controlled. Check your drivetrain before you ride: confirm the cassette and chainrings you expect are actually installed, and that the chain reaches the largest sprocket cleanly.

Summary

• Length: 7.8 km
• Average gradient: 4.4%
• Maximum gradient: 20.61%
• Net elevation gain: 344 m
• Total ascent: 778 m
• Category: 3

Pretalsattel rewards discipline over aggression. The Category 3 label and 4.4% average read easy, but 778 m of total ascent and a 20.61% ramp mean the smart rider paces on effort, gears low, and treats the undulation with respect.