Alto del Credo

Overview

Alto del Credo is a Category 1 climb that asks a real question of your legs. Over 13.6 km it averages 6.6%, lifting you from a start elevation of 934 m to a summit at 1829 m. That is 895 m of net elevation gain, with 868 m of total ascent recorded along the way — a hint that the road climbs almost relentlessly, giving back very little in the way of false flats or descents. On the category scale, where HC (hors catégorie) is the hardest and 4 the gentlest, a Category 1 rating places Credo firmly among the serious efforts: long enough to matter, steep enough to punish a poor pace.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is 6.6%, but averages hide the story. With a maximum gradient of 13.73%, Credo carries ramps more than twice as steep as its mean. The small gap between net gain (895 m) and total ascent (868 m) tells you the climb is honest — it rarely dips, so the grade you feel is the grade you keep. Expect the sensation of a steady wall rather than a rolling road: sections near the 6.6% average will feel like relative recovery once you have tasted the double-digit pitches. Because those steep spikes reach 13.73%, they are where races are won and where under-geared riders come undone. Read the road ahead and treat every ramp toward 13% as a moment to sit, spin, and protect your rhythm rather than force it.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this length, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to ride the 13.6 km at a controlled, sustainable percentage of it — starting conservatively so the 895 m of climbing does not empty you before the summit at 1829 m. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then plan your power band around the average 6.6% and hold something in reserve for the 13.73% ramps. The steep pitches will spike your effort no matter how smooth you are; the trick is letting them cost a little and settling straight back to target rather than chasing lost seconds. Ride the average, survive the maximum.

Gearing

Given the 6.6% average and pitches to 13.73%, gear for the steep parts, not the mean. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible default. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up Credo, but on the 13.73% ramps it can leave you grinding a cadence that quietly drains your legs across 13.6 km. If you have any doubt about your climbing legs — or you want to spin rather than muscle through 895 m of gain — fit a 34×34. That extra sprocket buys you a lower, more sustainable cadence exactly where the road bites hardest, and on a Category 1 climb of this length, protecting cadence protects the whole ride.

Summary

Alto del Credo is a long, honest Category 1 climb: 13.6 km at 6.6%, climbing 895 m from base to summit with ramps that sting at 13.73%. Pace it to your threshold, gear low enough to spin the steep stuff, and let the average — not the maximum — dictate your day.

Length: 13.6 km
Average gradient: 6.6%
Max gradient: 13.73%
Start: 934 m
Summit: 1829 m
Net gain: 895 m
Total ascent: 868 m
Category: 1