Cycling Etzelpass North
Ride 5 kilometers gaining 516 meters at 10.3% average grade.
This is a tough climb with a particularly hard segment that averages 13.6% near the middle of the climb - but, the climb is steep throughout.
Climb summary from PJAMM friend and contributor Helmuth Dekkers.
This is not a long ascent from the north from Pfäffikon. Just 5km. But the average gradient is very close to 11%. So not long but still tough. The first 500m from Pfäffikon are to get warm at 5%. Then the gradient ramps up to take you out of town and over the A3 highway. You then get a nice view on the Zurich lake. After 2.5km there is a turn to the left that takes you through the woods and with high gradients, on average close to 13%, to the pass. At the pass there is the Saint Meinrad chappell (Mein rad in German means My bike. This cannot be a coincidence, can it?) which is on the pilgrims route to Santiago de Compostella in Portugal. There is also a Guesthouse at the pass where you can have a drink or something to eat.
The climb begins in Pfaffikon on the southeastern shore of Lake Zurich
We have views of Lake Zurich at the lower part of the climb.
From the pass you have a nice view on the southern slope. That southern side has much less difference of altitude gain 151m vs 535m and though the length is almost equal from Einsiedeln it's only the last kilometer which has a double digit gradient. Hence this side is less interesting I think.
Did we mention that this climb is STEEEEP??