Rotsteinpass

Rotsteinpass cycling climb profile

Rotsteinpass is a long category 1 climb in CH, and the headline number can understate the ride. At 19.8km with a 5.1% average gradient, it looks controlled on paper. But the climb gains 1011m net from a 470m start elevation to a 1481m summit, with 1051m of total ascent and a maximum gradient of 17.77%. That combination tells you the real story: this is not just a steady aerobic drag. It is a climb where pacing mistakes can compound before the summit.

How the gradient rides

The average gradient of 5.1% suggests a climb that should be sustainable for a well-paced endurance rider, but the 17.77% maximum gradient changes the demands. A climb with this much total ascent over 19.8km asks for patience first, then torque management when the road bites.

The difference between 1011m of net elevation gain and 1051m of total ascent also matters. It implies the route is not a perfectly uniform ramp from bottom to top. There is enough extra climbing in the profile to suggest small variations, flatter moments, or brief losses that do not show up in the simple start-to-summit gain. That makes the average gradient less useful as a pacing target. The climb may feel manageable for long stretches, then suddenly demand much more than the average.

Practically, treat the lower part as the place to save matches, not prove form. On a climb this long, riding slightly too hard early has a delayed cost: heart rate drifts, cadence drops, and the steepest ramps become force efforts instead of controlled climbing.

Pacing and gearing notes

The key is to pace Rotsteinpass by sustainable output, not by the 5.1% average. If using power, stay below threshold early and leave room for the 17.77% sections. If riding by feel, the first half should feel almost restrained. You want to arrive late in the climb still able to accelerate the pedals, not just turn them over.

Gearing should be chosen for the maximum gradient, not the average. The 5.1% average might tempt a tighter setup, but the 17.77% ramp means you need a true bailout gear, especially if riding after fatigue, carrying kit, or pacing the climb as part of a bigger day. A gear that lets you keep cadence alive on the steepest pitch will be faster than grinding and spiking effort.

If you are setting an effort target, anchor it to your current /glossary/ftp rather than a guessed climbing pace. Rotsteinpass rewards riders who stay disciplined through the easier gradients and keep enough metabolic headroom for the steepest sections. The profile is long enough to expose over-pacing, and steep enough to punish under-gearing.