Schnalser Schartl

Overview

Schnalser Schartl is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest rating on the scale, and its numbers explain why. Over 18.2 km the road lifts you from a valley floor at 917 m to a high summit at 2317 m, a net gain of 1400 m. The average gradient is a stern 7.71%, and it spikes as high as 12.98% along the way. Total measured ascent comes to 1361 m, close to the net figure — a sign that this is a climb that keeps pointing up rather than rolling. There is nowhere here to hide from the grade, and no false-flat reprieve to bail you out. It is long, high, and consistently steep, which is exactly the recipe for an HC label.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Schnalser Schartl is its consistency. With a 7.71% average sustained across the full 18.2 km, most of the climb sits within touching distance of that figure — this is not a ramp-and-flat climb where you recover on the flatter bits. The steepest pitches reach 12.98%, roughly five points above the average, so when the road tilts to its maximum you feel the swing sharply in your legs even though it never becomes a wall. Because total ascent (1361 m) sits just under the net gain (1400 m), you can trust the profile: almost every metre of forward progress is also a metre earned upward. Expect the grade to grind on relentlessly, with the harder ramps arriving as sharp reminders rather than shocks.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and this steady, discipline beats aggression. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something just below threshold, because 18.2 km at 7.71% will punish anyone who goes into the red early. A good target is a power that feels sustainable for the full duration — if you are unsure where that sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start. Meter the 12.98% ramps by letting cadence drop briefly rather than surging watts, then settle back to rhythm once the grade eases toward the 7.71% norm. With 1400 m of vertical to absorb, the rider who paces the first two-thirds conservatively will be the one still climbing strongly near the 2317 m summit.

Gearing

Gear for the grind. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline here. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained 7.71% sections, but given the 12.98% maximums and the sheer 18.2 km length, a 34×34 gives you the extra bailout ratio that keeps your cadence alive when your legs start to protest late on. If your setup allows it, err toward the easier 34×34 — spinning a low gear over 1400 m of climbing is far kinder than muscling a gear that is marginally too big.

Summary

Schnalser Schartl earns its HC status honestly: 18.2 km, an unbroken 7.71% average, and a summit at 2317 m. Pace it patiently, gear it low, and respect the length as much as the steepest ramps.

Length: 18.2 km
Average gradient: 7.71%
Max gradient: 12.98%
Start: 917 m
Summit: 2317 m
Net gain: 1400 m
Total ascent: 1361 m
Category: HC