Pas de Lona

Pas de Lona cycling climb profile

Pas de Lona is an HC climb in Switzerland, and the numbers explain why it sits in that category. At 26.6 km with an average gradient of 8.59%, it is not just a long alpine effort - it is a sustained climbing test where small pacing errors compound for a long time. The climb starts at 498 m and reaches 2781 m, with a listed net elevation gain of 2283 m, so the rider is dealing with both a major vertical load and a summit that arrives high enough to make the final section feel more expensive than the same gradient lower down.

How the gradient shapes the ride

The key figure is the relationship between the average gradient and the maximum gradient. An 8.59% average over 26.6 km already implies very little free speed. Add a maximum gradient of 24.36%, and the climb becomes much harder to pace than the average alone suggests. The steepest pitches are not the whole climb, but they matter because they force torque, disrupt rhythm, and can push a rider above sustainable power if the gearing is not low enough.

That is the central tactical problem of Pas de Lona. The climb is long enough that it should be ridden as a controlled endurance effort, but steep enough in places that it will repeatedly tempt or force surges. If those surges come too early, the final altitude gain becomes a slow repayment of that debt.

Pacing notes

The safest approach is to treat the opening as a restraint exercise. On a climb this long and this steep on average, riding at or near /glossary/ftp too early is a mistake unless the goal is a maximal effort with full commitment. The better target is a power and cadence that feel almost conservative at the bottom, because the climb has enough length and vertical gain to expose any overreach.

When the gradient kicks up toward the maximum, the goal should be damage control rather than speed. Keep pressure on the pedals, but avoid turning every steep ramp into a seated strength test or an out-of-saddle acceleration. The rider who loses a little speed on the hardest pitches while keeping effort under control will usually arrive at the upper slopes with more usable power.

Gearing notes

Pas de Lona demands proper climbing gearing. The average gradient of 8.59% means a standard road setup that feels fine on shorter climbs can become limiting here, and the 24.36% maximum gradient makes low gearing more than a comfort choice. It is a pacing tool.

Choose a smallest gear that lets cadence stay manageable on very steep ramps without having to grind at maximal torque. If the gear is too large, the climb stops being aerobic pacing and becomes repeated low-cadence strength work. On a 26.6 km HC climb, that is usually the wrong trade.