Sichle

Overview

Sichle is a long-haul Category 1 climb that trades brute steepness for sheer duration. Over 22 km the road lifts you from 562 m at the base to 1528 m at the summit, a net gain of 966 m. The total ascent registers slightly higher at 992 m, telling you the profile isn't a clean, monotonic ramp — there are brief levellings and dips that give back a little height before the road reclaims it. The average gradient sits at a deceptively gentle 4.38%, but the max touches 11.48%, so the climb hides real teeth inside an otherwise measured envelope. This is a rhythm climb: one you win with patience and pacing rather than a single explosive effort.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.38% average is a useful anchor, but it flattens out a lot of variation. With 966 m of net gain but 992 m of total ascent, roughly 26 m of that climbing is "extra" — height you earn, lose, and have to earn again across the 22 km. Expect the road to breathe: shallow stretches well under the average that let you recover, punctuated by ramps that steepen toward the 11.48% max. Those steep pitches are where the climb defines itself. On a gradient that averages 4.38%, a pitch nearly triple that feels brutal by contrast, so the challenge is resisting the urge to attack early and instead saving matches for the hardest kicks higher up.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, power discipline matters more than anything. Anchor your effort to your FTP: for a 22 km ascent, riding just below threshold keeps you sustainable, letting you surge over the 11.48% ramps without blowing apart. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go — pacing 966 m of climbing blind is how good days turn into survival marches. Treat the shallow sections as free recovery, not as places to push. Because the average is only 4.38%, it's tempting to ride too hard early; hold back, and you'll have the reserves left for the steeper final third.

Gearing

The 4.38% average won't scare your drivetrain, but the 11.48% pitches on tired legs will. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the right call. A 34×32 covers most of the 22 km comfortably and gives you a spinning gear for the sustained middle sections. For the steepest ramps near the max — and for anyone carrying fatigue after 966 m of climbing — a 34×34 buys valuable cadence insurance and keeps you from grinding. If your legs or terrain reward caution, err toward the 34×34; the extra range costs you nothing on the flatter stretches.

Summary

Sichle rewards steady riders. Its 4.38% average makes it approachable on paper, but 22 km of climbing, 966 m of net gain, and 11.48% spikes mean you'll want disciplined pacing and forgiving gears. Pace to your threshold, save something for the steep pitches, and let the long shallow stretches carry you toward 1528 m.

Length: 22 km
Average gradient: 4.38%
Max gradient: 11.48%
Start: 562 m
Summit: 1528 m
Net gain: 966 m
Total ascent: 992 m
Category: 1