Hauslabjoch

Overview

Hauslabjoch is a full-blown hors catégorie (HC) ascent, the hardest rating a climb can carry. Over 19.8 km it averages a punishing 11.39%, hauling you from a valley floor at 552 m up to a summit at 2811 m. That is a net elevation gain of 2259 m, with 2161 m of total ascent packed into the effort. There is nothing casual about a climb that holds double-digit gradients for the better part of twenty kilometres — this is a ride you plan for, not one you stumble into.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 11.39% average across 19.8 km tells most of the story on its own: this is relentless. There are no meaningful descents to reset your legs, since the net gain of 2259 m is almost identical to the total ascent of 2161 m. What flat there is barely registers.

The spikes are where the danger lives. With a maximum gradient of 28.78%, the steepest ramps are more than double the average — walls that demand you already have momentum and a gear in reserve before you hit them. Expect the climb to lull you into a rhythm on stretches near the 11.39% mean, then snap you out of it with pitches that force you out of the saddle. The gap between 11.39% and 28.78% is the number to respect: roughly 17 percentage points of variance you must absorb without blowing up.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and steep, discipline early is everything. Nineteen-plus kilometres at over 11% will expose any rider who starts too hot. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just below it for the sustained sections, saving a small reserve for the 28.78% ramps where power inevitably spikes.

If you don't know your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit. Because the summit sits at 2811 m, the thinning air late in the climb will quietly shave watts off whatever you planned at the bottom — build that fade into your pacing rather than fighting it.

Gearing

Gear for survival, not pride. An average of 11.39% sustained for 19.8 km, with pitches to 28.78%, is exactly the terrain that punishes a road-standard cassette. A compact 34-tooth front paired with a 32-tooth rear (34×32) is the sensible floor here, and even then the steepest ramps will have you grinding. If your frame and derailleur accept it, step up to 34×34 — that extra sprocket buys precious cadence on the walls and keeps your knees intact across a climb with 2161 m of ascent. When in doubt on an HC gradient, take the easier gear.

Summary

Hauslabjoch is a genuine HC test: long, steep, and unforgiving from bottom to top, with 2259 m of net vertical between 552 m and 2811 m. Come with low gears, a paced plan built around your threshold, and respect for the 28.78% pitches, and you'll have earned the summit.

Length: 19.8 km
Average gradient: 11.39%
Max gradient: 28.78%
Start: 552 m
Summit: 2811 m
Net gain: 2259 m
Total ascent: 2161 m
Category: HC