Otterepass

Overview

Otterepass is a long, patient climb. At 29.6 km it demands endurance more than explosive power, and its 4.71% average gradient reads as gentle on paper — until you remember you'll be holding that number for the better part of an hour and a half. Starting at 601 m and topping out at 1994 m, the road delivers 1393 m of net elevation gain, with a total ascent of 1413 m once the small dips and false flats are counted. Rated category 1, it sits just below hors catégorie in difficulty: not the hardest tier, but a serious, sustained effort by any measure.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number — 4.71% average — tells only half the story. That figure is diluted across nearly 30 km, which means the climb is not uniform. The gap between the 4.71% average and the 28.17% maximum is enormous, roughly 23.46 percentage points. Somewhere on this ascent, the road ramps to a wall-like 28.17%, a pitch steep enough to force even strong riders out of the saddle or into a crawl. Expect the profile to breathe: shallower stretches where you can settle into a rhythm, punctuated by sharp kicks that spike your heart rate. The 20 m difference between net gain (1393 m) and total ascent (1413 m) confirms the road isn't relentlessly upward — there are brief reprieves that let the terrain recover before the next rise.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline wins. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the temptation to chase the early kilometers. A sustainable target for a climb approaching 30 km is a fraction below threshold — you want gas left for that 28.17% wall, which will blow past your ceiling no matter how conservatively you ride. Meter your energy so the steep pitches become brief overdrafts, not full-blown blowups. If you don't know your threshold number, get a baseline first with the FTP estimator, then build your pacing plan around it. Over 1393 m of climbing, small pacing errors compound into big time losses near the top.

Gearing

Gear for the maximum, not the average. A 4.71% mean is manageable on almost anything, but the 28.17% spike rewrites the requirements entirely. A compact crankset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the steepest ramp, but if you're carrying fatigue from 1413 m of accumulated ascent, a 34×34 buys you crucial extra cadence and spares your knees. When a climb tops out near 28%, err toward the easier ratio — spinning a 34×34 beats grinding a 34×32 to a standstill.

Summary

Otterepass is a test of patience and pacing: nearly 30 km of steady gradient hiding one genuinely brutal pitch. Fuel well, gear low, and ride within yourself until the summit at 1994 m.

Length: 29.6 km
Average gradient: 4.71%
Max gradient: 28.17%
Start: 601 m
Summit: 1994 m
Net gain: 1393 m
Total ascent: 1413 m
Category: 1