Wetterlucke

Overview

Wetterlucke is a Category 3 climb in Austria, running 6.4 km from a valley floor at 278 m up to a summit of 537 m. The net elevation gain across that distance is 259 m, and the average gradient sits at a moderate 4.06%. On paper, those numbers describe a manageable, mid-length climb that most riders can tackle without a specialist's engine.

The paper version undersells the work, though. The total ascent recorded on the road is 328 m, which is 69 m more than the 259 m of net gain between base and summit. That gap comes from undulation: the road gives elevation back and then makes you re-earn it. Those extra 69 m are climbing you pay for but never keep, and they blunt any rhythm you try to build. Treat this as a rolling ascent, not a single steady drag.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.06% average is a blended figure, and it hides the real shape of the road. The undulation means the true climbing sections are steeper than the average implies, offset by flatter or descending stretches that pull the mean down. Reading the average alone will leave you under-geared and over-paced on the ramps.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or dips, dragging the average below the working gradient
• Repeated short climbs that punch back up after each descent, forcing you to re-accelerate
• A steepest ramp far above the average, the pitch that dictates your gearing and pacing decisions

Pacing Notes

On a rolling climb like this, chasing an even speed is a trap: you burn matches surging over each rise and coast the descents, arriving at the summit cooked. Aim instead for even effort. Anchor your pacing to a target sustainable power output and hold that number through the ramps, letting your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Push a touch above target only on the steepest pitches, then recover on the flatter and downhill sections rather than hammering them. If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first so your target is a real figure, not a guess.

Gearing

The steepest ramp, not the 4.06% average, governs your gearing. Gear for the pitch, not the mean. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — something like 34×32 or 34×34 — so you keep a spinnable cadence when the road kicks up and stay seated rather than grinding out of the saddle. Check your actual chainring and cassette before you roll out; discovering you are over-geared halfway up a ramp is a mistake you only make once.

Summary

• Length: 6.4 km
• Average gradient: 4.06%
• Maximum gradient: 20.1%
• Net elevation gain: 259 m
• Total ascent: 328 m
• Category: 3

Wetterlucke is a Category 3 climb that rewards riders who respect its undulation. Gear conservatively, pace to even effort, and let the 69 m of hidden ascent work for you rather than against you.