32.4
PDI
5.4 mi
DISTANCE
3,373 ft
GAINED
11.9 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Sylvain G, Lyon, France
INTRO
This 5.4-mile climb rises above Lungern in the canton of Obwalden, gaining 3,373 ft at an average gradient of 11.9% to finish at 5,660 ft on the open ridge below the Tufengrat. It's currently ranked #243 in the world in our database and sits at #8 on our list of Switzerland's ten steepest 2-kilometer climbs, with pitches running into the mid-teens throughout.
The road climbs out of Lungern past the Lungernsee and through forest before breaking into open alp pasture at Chuematt and Alp Breitenfeld, a working alp with a small 18th-century chapel built after a cattle plague swept through the herd. Past Breitenfeld the pavement continues a short way beyond the Barghuis Schonbuel mountain restaurant before narrowing to an unpaved alpine track for the final approach to the Tufengrat ridge, with the Bernese Alps and the Brienzersee opening up below.
This is a quiet alp-access road rather than a through route, so traffic is essentially nonexistent - the tradeoff is a remote climb with no services above Lungern and a rough, unpaved final stretch.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. This climb averages 11.9% over 5.4 miles, with the steepest pitches concentrated in the lower-to-middle third of the route. The steepest 100 yards comes in at 15.6%, and the steepest quarter mile averages 15.3% - both well above the overall average, so expect sustained double-digit ramps rather than a steady grade. The steepest continuous kilometer averages 14.7%, and even the steepest 5-mile stretch, which covers nearly the whole route, still averages 12.1%, underscoring how little relief this climb offers. Our FIETS difficulty score for this climb is 12.87.
Given the sustained double-digit gradient and the unpaved final stretch below the Tufengrat, gear low and plan on grinding rather than spinning for most of the ride.
Roadway: The lower half of this climb - from Lungern through Chuematt to Alp Breitenfeld - is a paved, single-lane alp road, described in local hiking and trail accounts through 2025 as being in good, rideable condition. The pavement continues a short way past the Barghuis Schonbuel mountain restaurant, then gives way to an unpaved farm track (grass and loose ground rather than gravel) for the final approach to the Tufengrat ridge - a road bike works for most of the climb, but expect to pick your way carefully over that last stretch.
Traffic: Minimal to nonexistent. This is a dead-end alp-access road with no through traffic - the only vehicles you're likely to see are farm traffic serving Alp Breitenfeld or hikers parked along the lower section.
Parking: There's no formal trailhead lot. Riders typically start from Lungern train station or along the lakeside road in the village and park informally on the street - the climb begins right from town.
A standard road bike works for most of this climb, but the sustained double-digit gradient calls for a compact or sub-compact crankset and a wide-range cassette - this isn't a climb to be under-geared on.
The final stretch past Barghuis Schonbuel narrows to an unpaved farm track, so riders on narrow slick tires should be ready to dismount and walk short sections if the surface feels sketchy; 28mm+ tires with some tread help. Pack layers regardless of season - the finish sits at 5,660 ft on an exposed, open ridge with little shelter from wind.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Lungern is easy to reach by train on the Zentralbahn line between Lucerne (about 40 minutes) and Interlaken, making this a good half-day objective without a car. The village sits right on the Lungernsee, a genuinely pretty lake worth a swim or a coffee stop before or after the ride.
There's no food or water above the village, so stock up in Lungern before you climb - Alp Breitenfeld's Barghuis Schonbuel restaurant is open only seasonally and shouldn't be relied on. Check current conditions at the top before you go with our Weather tool, since the exposed ridge finish can be windy and cold even when Lungern itself is warm.
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