- Ascent
- 1157 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 26.3 km
- max. gradient
- 12 %
- ø gradient
- 4.4 %
The Sölkpass from Gröbming is an HC climb of 26.3 km with 1,157 m of elevation gain at an average of 4.4 %, peaking at 12 %. The road runs from the Enns valley through the Sölk valleys and over the Niedere Tauern to 1,790 m. After a long, almost flat middle section, the last four kilometres are the steepest.
The Sölkpass is a climb with two faces. From Gröbming in the Enns valley it is 26.3 kilometres and 1,157 metres of climbing up to 1,790 metres. The 4.4 % average is one of the lowest in the list, but it comes from a long flat middle section. The climbing sits at the start and above all right at the end.
The Sölkpass at a glance
The key figures from Gröbming: category HC, 26.3 km, 1,157 m of climbing, 4.4 % on average and 12 % at its steepest. The road runs from the Enns valley into the Sölk valleys and climbs over the Niedere Tauern to the pass at 1,790 m. On the south side it drops down to Schöder. In our list the Sölkpass belongs to the Eastern Alps region.
The climb from Gröbming
The first five kilometres climb moderately, with values between about 3 and just under 7 %. Then comes the most striking part of the profile: for around ten kilometres the gradient stays below 2.5 %, and some kilometres are almost level. This is more about speed on a flat road than about climbing. From about kilometre 16 it gets hillier again, with the gradient swinging between just under 3 and just under 8 %.
The last four kilometres are the actual climb, and none of them is below 8 %. After more than 20 kilometres of mostly moderate gradients, this finish hits hard. If you saved energy on the flat middle section, you benefit from it now. The climbing that the 4.4 % average hides comes all at once here.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
At 4.4 % the Sölkpass has one of the gentlest averages in the list: only six climbs are gentler, and only one in the Eastern Alps. Length is the opposite story, only 16 climbs are longer than its 26.3 km. With 1,157 m of climbing and a finishing height of 1,790 m it sits in the middle of the field. The Passo di Gavia is almost the same length at 26 km, but turns it into 1,401 m of climbing at 5.4 %.
Practical tips
On the Sölkpass the middle section should not be underestimated: ten flat kilometres ridden too fast also cost energy. For the steep last four kilometres a compact gearing with a large sprocket makes sense. At 1,790 m it is colder than in the Enns valley, so pack a jacket for the descent. Carry on over the pass and you reach Schöder on the south side.
