The Ratenpass is a short, quick climb between the Ägerisee valley and the Biberbrugg side, topping out at 1,077 metres. It is not famous like the Gotthard or the Grimsel, and that suits the riders who use it, because the traffic is light and the road is built for fun rather than freight. From the lakeside at Unterägeri the road climbs through forest, then breaks out into open pasture with a broad view toward the Mythen and the Alps beyond. Cows graze right up to the verge, and in summer you can hear the bells from the road.
The word rhythm fits. There are no long straights, no abrupt hairpins, and the bends flow into one another in a way that rewards smooth steering. The surface is usually good, with occasional patches where frost has cracked the asphalt. On the Schwyz side the gradient steepens a little, and the corners tighten as the road drops toward Schindellegi and the lake of Zurich. Local riders use it for after-work blasts, and it tends to be busiest on warm weekday evenings, when you may share the climb with a few like-minded riders and a handful of cyclists.
The landscape is part of a larger story. The ridge lies in the cantonal borderland between Zug and Schwyz, with small farms, moors and woodland. Peat once cut from the bogs fed local stoves, and the traditional farmhouses with wide eaves tell you this is cheese and cattle country. The nearby moors are protected, and in spring the cotton grass and orchids bloom in the wet hollows. If you stop and listen, you can hear the quiet hum of a landscape that has changed little in a hundred years.
Fuel is available in Unterägeri, about six kilometres away, and in Schindellegi on the other side. A few farm restaurants and inns appear near the top, but opening hours depend on the season and the day.
Check the weather before you climb. Fog forms on the ridge, and a bright valley can hide a damp, misty summit. In winter the road can carry snow and ice on the shaded side, and it is usually cleared less promptly than the main roads. On a clear evening in early summer, though, it is one of the loveliest quick climbs in the area.