Strelapass

Overview

Strelapass is a Category 1 climb in Switzerland, running 9.7 km from a start elevation of 1500 m to a summit at 2351 m. The net elevation gain across that distance is 851 m, which sets an average gradient just shy of 9%. This is a serious, sustained mountain effort: nearly ten kilometres of continuous upward work with a high-altitude finish above 2300 m.

The number that matters most here is the gap between net gain and total ascent. While you rise 851 m from bottom to top, the climb makes you ascend 1053 m in total. That 202 m difference is climbing you do and then give back on descending or flat sections before climbing again. In practice it means the road undulates: you cannot bank on a smooth, monotone gradient, and the extra vertical adds to the overall load on your legs beyond what the net figure suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.79% average is already steep, but averages flatten out the reality. With 202 m of undulation folded in, the true climbing ramps are steeper than the mean implies, and they are separated by softer sections that pull the average down. The steepest recorded pitch hits 24.53% — a wall that demands you save something in reserve.

• Flatter or recovery sections where the road eases and even dips slightly, letting the gradient average settle
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, which explains the 202 m of extra ascent
• A steepest ramp at 24.53% that will spike your effort well above threshold if you hit it fatigued

Pacing Notes

Because Strelapass undulates, even-speed pacing is a trap — holding a constant km/h forces enormous power surges on the steep ramps. Pace by effort instead. Anchor your ride to your sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain, spinning easier on the recovery sections rather than chasing a number.

If you do not know your ceiling, use the FTP estimator before you go. On a climb with a 24.53% ramp, going a few percent under threshold on the sustained sections leaves the headroom you need to clear the steepest pitches without cracking.

Gearing

Gearing on Strelapass is governed by that steepest ramp, not the average. A 24.53% pitch late in a 9.7 km climb is not something to muscle over on a standard setup. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a genuine bailout for the walls while keeping cadence manageable on the sustained grade.

Check your setup before the ride, not at the trailhead. Confirm the cassette and rear derailleur capacity actually deliver your lowest gear, because there is no forgiving section to hide a bad choice.

Summary

• Length: 9.7 km
• Average gradient: 8.79%
• Maximum gradient: 24.53%
• Net elevation gain: 851 m
• Total ascent: 1053 m
• Category: 1

Strelapass rewards riders who respect the undulation. Pace by effort, gear for the steepest ramp, and treat the 202 m of hidden re-climbing as real work — because it is.