Zlatar

Overview

Zlatar is a short, sharp Category 2 climb that packs a lot of vertical into very little distance. Over just 4 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of 838 m to a summit at 1167 m, a net gain of 329 m. The average gradient is a genuinely stiff 8.25%, and the steepest ramp bites at 12.7%. This is not a climb where you settle into a long, patient rhythm — it is compact enough to feel like a single sustained effort, but steep enough that the effort never lets up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is the mismatch between length and steepness. With 4 km carrying 329 m of net elevation, the road rarely dips below the 8.25% average, and the 12.7% maximum tells you there are pitches noticeably harder than the mean. In practice that means the climb rewards even pacing: because the ascent is so consistent, spikes toward that 12.7% wall are what will crack you rather than any single long grind. Expect the gradient to sit heavy under your wheels from early on, with the total ascent of 328 m almost identical to the net gain — a sign of a road that simply goes up, with virtually no false flats or recovery descents to break the rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, discipline early pays off. Ride the opening slopes just below your threshold and let the terrain, not your ego, dictate the surges. Your FTP is the number that matters most here: hold a touch under it on the sustained 8.25% sections and reserve headroom for the 12.7% pinch. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan an attack. Because the whole effort covers only 4 km, going too deep in the first kilometre leaves no distance to recover — pace it like a long interval, not a sprint.

Gearing

Steep and unrelenting means gearing matters more than it does on gentler climbs. For a sustained 8.25% average with ramps to 12.7%, most riders will want a compact chainset paired with a generous cassette. A 34×32 is the sensible baseline and will get strong climbers over the summit with cadence to spare. If you know you fade on gradients past 10%, or you are carrying fatigue into the climb, drop to a 34×34 — the extra range keeps your cadence up on that 12.7% wall and protects your knees across the full 329 m of gain. Given how little the climb relents, err toward the easier ratio.

Summary

Zlatar is a concentrated test: four kilometres of near-constant steepness, no hiding places, and a summit that arrives quickly but never cheaply. Pace the 8.25% average, respect the 12.7% pinch, gear low, and it rewards you with 329 m of honest climbing.

Length: 4 km
Average gradient: 8.25%
Max gradient: 12.7%
Start: 838 m
Summit: 1167 m
Net gain: 329 m
Total ascent: 328 m
Category: 2