Albulapass from Punt

The average gradient does tell the story of this climb, as almost all the climbing is done in the first 6 km. This part is very hard and does not let you rest your legs. I also encountered some road work on this part, delivering 200 m of 9％-12％ on gravel. This did not help my legs.
The first part is through the meadow above Punt, which gives you a great view of the village and the Engadin Valley. You then climb through a bit of trees, and after around 4 km you reach the open landscape with views of the mountains surrounding the pass.
Halfway through the climb you reach the memorial for Gino Mäder, who tragically died after crashing on the descend towards La Punt in the 2023 Tour de Suisse. Let this be a reminder to be careful on the descend, as there are many tricky and blind corners, both in the direction towards La Punt and towards Bergün.

Deze begint vanuit het dorpje. Het zwaarste stuk zat voor mij in het begin waar de percentages tegen de 12％ aanliggen. Naar het einde toe krijg je meer adem. Ik heb deze dag ook de andere kant beklommen. Deze is moeilijker maar véél mooier qua uitzichten.

The start from La Punt is definitely the hardest part of the climb (especially if a train is crossing) and most of the climb is exposed to the sun so it can be tough on hot days (top bidons at the town fountain at the base of the climb - ice cold!). But it's easy to set into a rhythm and make it up this pass. Around 2/3 of the way up you'll pass the memorial to Gino Mäder who died after crashing on the descent to La Punt in the 2023 Tour du Suisse. Please be careful when descending this climb back to La Punt because there are decreasing radius turns after high speed straight/mostly straight sections on beautiful tarmac. The scenery here is stunning. The refuge at the pass has tasty espresso and baked goods on offer.