Buechenegg Pass

Overview

Buechenegg Pass is a Category 3 climb in Switzerland (CH) covering 11.2 km. It starts at 402 m and tops out at a summit elevation of 802 m, for a net elevation gain of 400 m. On paper that is a modest profile, and the 3.57% average gradient reinforces the impression of a steady, unthreatening drag.

The paper figures understate it. While the net elevation gain is 400 m, the total ascent is 597 m — an extra 197 m of climbing that never shows up in a start-to-summit height difference. That gap is undulation: sections that descend and force you to re-climb what you just lost. Every metre of that 197 m is paid for twice, so the effort demanded is meaningfully harder than the net gain suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.57% average is a blend, not a description. Because the route sheds and regains height, the average is dragged down by descents and flats, which means the climbing pitches must be steeper than 3.57% to compensate. The headline figure is the maximum gradient of 17.3% — a wall that has nothing to do with the gentle average.

• Flatter and recovery sections, including short descents, that pull the average down.
• Repeated short climbs stacked back-to-back rather than one continuous grade.
• A steepest ramp reaching 17.3%, far above anything the average prepares you for.

Pacing Notes

On an evenly graded climb, even-effort and even-speed converge. Buechenegg Pass is not that climb. Chasing even speed here means burying yourself on the 17.3% ramp and the repeated short climbs, then coasting the descents — a spiky effort that torches your legs. Pace to even effort instead: hold a steady, sustainable power output through the steep pitches, accept that your speed will swing with the terrain, and use the descents and flats as genuine recovery rather than places to attack. If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you decide what wattage to hold on the ramps.

Gearing

Gearing is governed by the steepest gradient, not the average — and 17.3% dictates a low bottom gear. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 will get most riders over the ramp; a 34×34 gives more margin on tired legs or a loaded bike. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette actually fits your derailleur cage and that the low gear shifts cleanly under load. Discovering you are over-geared on a 17.3% pitch is a very expensive lesson.

Summary

• Length: 11.2 km
• Average gradient: 3.57%
• Maximum gradient: 17.3%
• Net elevation gain: 400 m
• Total ascent: 597 m
• Category: 3

Treat Buechenegg Pass as harder than its Category 3 label and gentle average imply. The 197 m of re-climbing between net gain and total ascent, plus a 17.3% maximum, reward even-effort pacing and a low bottom gear.