Kachu Pass

Kachu Pass cycling climb profile

Kachu Pass is an HC climb in GE, and the numbers justify that label without needing any embellishment. The climb runs for 17 km, starts at 1,203 m, and tops out at 2,439 m, with 1,236 m of net elevation gain. The average gradient is 7.26%, but the key detail is the maximum gradient of 19.57%.

That combination tells you how the climb should be treated. A 17 km climb at 7.26% is already a sustained aerobic effort. Add pitches that rise close to 20%, and the ride becomes less about holding one steady tempo from bottom to top and more about absorbing steep sections without letting them drag you into repeated over-threshold efforts.

How the gradient shapes the ride

The average gradient gives the baseline demand: this is a long, uphill load where you need a gear and effort you can hold for a meaningful duration. But the max gradient changes the tactical picture. A climb with a 7.26% average and a 19.57% maximum is not just a smooth tempo climb. Somewhere in the profile, the road gets steep enough that cadence, torque, and pacing discipline become the limiting factors.

The available data does not identify where the steepest pitch arrives, so the safest assumption is that you need to be ready for it at any point. That means the bottom of the climb should feel controlled, not heroic. If you are already riding near your ceiling early, the steepest ramps will force a big surge and leave you paying for it later.

The listed net elevation gain of 1,236 m and total ascent of 1,213 m put the climb in a simple practical category: it is defined by sustained climbing, not by recovery sections. Even if the road briefly eases, the overall job is continuous elevation gain from start to summit.

Pacing and gearing notes

For pacing, anchor the early effort below your limit rather than chasing the average gradient. Use the 7.26% average as the expected workload, but respect the 19.57% maximum as the reason to keep something in reserve. If you pace by power, this is the kind of climb where riding slightly under /glossary/ftp early can be smarter than trying to hold a target that leaves no room for the steepest ramps.

Gearing should be chosen for the maximum gradient, not the average. A setup that feels comfortable on a steady 7% slope may become too heavy when the road kicks up toward 19.57%. If cadence collapses on those ramps, the climb becomes muscular before it needs to, and that cost compounds over 17 km.

The cleanest approach is to ride the lower slopes with restraint, shift early when the gradient bites, and avoid turning the steep sections into all-out efforts. Kachu Pass rewards riders who keep the effort smooth enough to survive the distance, but flexible enough to handle the sharpest pitches without cracking.