- Ascent
- 1259 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 22.3 km
- max. gradient
- 13 %
- ø gradient
- 5.6 %
The Timmelsjoch from Sölden is an HC climb of 22.3 km with 1,259 m of elevation gain at an average of 5.6 %, peaking at 13 %. The road climbs the Ötztal via Zwieselstein and Hochgurgl to 2,474 m on the border with Italy and drops on the far side into the Passeier valley to Moos. Two short descents break up the climb, the last five kilometres are the steepest.
The Timmelsjoch leads out of the Ötztal to the border with Italy and is one of the highest points in our list. From Sölden it is 22.3 kilometres and 1,259 metres of climbing up to 2,474 metres. Along the way the road drops twice for a short while, and the steepest kilometres come right at the end. So the 5.6 % average only tells half the story.
The Timmelsjoch at a glance
The key figures from Sölden: category HC, 22.3 km, 1,259 m of climbing, 5.6 % on average and 13 % at its steepest. The road follows the Ötztal via Zwieselstein and then climbs via Hochgurgl to the pass at 2,474 m on the border with Italy. On the south side it drops into the Passeier valley to Moos. In our list the Timmelsjoch belongs to the Eastern Alps region.
The climb from Sölden
The first eleven kilometres are restless: short ramps at 7 to 9 % alternate with flat stretches, and around kilometre four the road even drops briefly. From kilometre twelve it becomes steadier and steeper, with kilometres 13 and 14 each around 9.5 %. After that the road flattens and drops a second time between kilometres 17 and 18. This descent costs altitude that you have to win back afterwards.
The last five kilometres to the pass are the hardest section of the whole climb. They average around 8 %, and after a first kilometre at around 4.5 % every kilometre is above 8 %. Up here, above 2,000 metres, that feels harder than the same gradient in the valley. Anyone who invested too much earlier feels it on these kilometres.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
At 2,474 m the Timmelsjoch has the 14th-highest finishing point in the list, and the sixth-highest among the 28 climbs of the Eastern Alps. For length it ranks 24th at 22.3 km, while its 5.6 % average puts it far back. The Ötztal Glacier Road also starts in Sölden and is its counterpart in almost every respect: 1,450 m of climbing over only 14 kilometres, 10.4 % on average and, at 2,830 m, the second-highest finishing point in the list. Ride both and you know the two extremes of the Ötztal.
Practical tips
The Timmelsjoch rewards restraint: the ramps in the lower part and the kilometres around 9.5 % in the middle section are tempting, but the real work comes in the last five kilometres. With a maximum of 13 % compact gearing makes sense. At 2,474 m it is clearly colder than in Sölden even in summer, and the two descents along the way cool you down further, so a windproof layer belongs in the jersey pocket for the climb itself. On the south side the road drops into the Passeier valley to Moos, the way back to Sölden is the same road.
