Dalsnibba

Overview

Dalsnibba is the kind of climb that hurts precisely because it is short. Over just 3.3 km it averages 7.54%, dragging you from a start elevation of 408 m up to a 655 m summit. That is 247 m of net elevation gain packed into a stretch you could ride, on paper, in under half an hour — but the gradient never really gives you an excuse to relax. With a maximum pitch of 9.48%, it earns its category 3 rating: not the brutal length of an hors catégorie giant, but steep enough, and sustained enough, that pacing mistakes are punished quickly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. An average of 7.54% across 3.3 km, against a maximum of only 9.48%, tells you the road rarely spikes and rarely eases — the difference between the average and the steepest ramp is under two percentage points. There is nowhere to soft-pedal and recover, and equally nowhere that suddenly rears into a wall you cannot see over.

Note too that the total ascent of 241 m sits just below the net gain of 247 m. That six-metre gap means there is effectively no descending or false-flat relief on the way up — every metre you climb, you keep. It is a clean, one-directional grind from bottom to top.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb is so uniform, effort management is straightforward but unforgiving: pick a wattage you can hold for the full 3.3 km and hold it. There is no long summit ramp to save yourself for, so most riders can pace this close to threshold rather than nursing a reserve.

Anchor that target to your FTP. On a climb averaging 7.54% with a max of 9.48%, riding a hair under FTP keeps you out of the red on the steepest section while still finishing quickly. If you do not have a recent number, run the FTP estimator first, then subtract a small buffer for the pitches nearer 9.48% where cadence tends to sag.

Gearing

For a sustained 7.54% average that touches 9.48%, comfortable gearing beats heroics. A compact chainring with a 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline for most riders here — it lets you spin the middle of the climb without grinding. If you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra weight, or simply want to protect your legs on the steepest ramp, step up to 34×34. The extra teeth cost you nothing on a climb with no flat recovery to spin out, and they buy you a smoother rhythm across the whole 3.3 km.

Summary

Dalsnibba is a compact, honest climb: short at 3.3 km, steep at 7.54% average, and remarkably even in pitch. With 247 m of gain to a 655 m summit and no relief along the way, it rewards steady pacing and forgiving gears over aggression.

Length: 3.3 km
Average gradient: 7.54%
Max gradient: 9.48%
Start: 408 m
Summit: 655 m
Net gain: 247 m
Total ascent: 241 m
Category: 3