Schönfeldsattel

Overview

Schönfeldsattel is a Category 3 climb in Austria running 7.5 km from base to summit. It gains 383 m net over that distance, starting at 1,373 m and topping out at 1,756 m. On paper it is a mid-length alpine ascent with a moderate profile, the kind of climb you can ride hard without it fully emptying you.

The number that matters most here is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You climb 383 m net, but the total ascent is 670 m — meaning roughly 287 m of that vertical is climbed twice, given back on descents and recovered again. That undulation changes the character of the effort: you are not settling into one long steady drag, you are repeatedly accelerating out of dips and reloading your legs on short kickers. Expect the effort to feel choppier than the 5.11% average suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 5.11% average is a blend, not a description of any single section. With 287 m of extra ascent hidden inside the profile, the road clearly rises, falls, and rises again rather than climbing at a constant pitch. The steepest ramp bites at 21.47% — a wall that has nothing to do with the average and everything to do with your gearing.

• Flatter and downhill recovery sections where the net-vs-total gap comes from
• Repeated short climbs that reset your rhythm rather than one sustained grade
• A maximum ramp of 21.47% that demands your easiest gear

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a fixed speed forces surges on the steep pitches and coasting on the flats — a recipe for blowing up. Instead, hold a steady sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain: faster on the shallow sections, slower on the ramps, same watts throughout.

Push slightly above threshold only on the short steep kickers where they are unavoidable, then settle back. If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first so your target number is real, not a guess.

Gearing

The 21.47% maximum dictates your setup, not the gentle average. On a ramp that steep you want a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — so you can keep cadence up instead of grinding to a near-stall. Under-gearing here means standing and mashing on the worst pitch with your heart rate spiking. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; swapping a cassette is a five-minute job at home and impossible on the mountain.

Summary

• Length: 7.5 km
• Average gradient: 5.11%
• Maximum gradient: 21.47%
• Net elevation gain: 383 m
• Total ascent: 670 m
• Category: 3

Schönfeldsattel rewards riders who respect the profile over the average. Pace by effort, gear for the 21.47% wall, and let the undulation work for you rather than against you.