Bocchetta di Nava

Overview

Bocchetta di Nava is a short climb only on paper. At 5 km long it looks approachable, but the average gradient of 13.35% rewrites that expectation entirely. This is an HC ascent — hors catégorie, the hardest rung on the classification ladder above categories 1 through 4 — and it earns the label through sheer, unrelenting steepness rather than length. You start at 198 m and finish at 861 m, a net elevation gain of 663 m packed into a distance most riders could otherwise cover in fifteen easy minutes. Here, those minutes stretch and burn.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number is that 13.35% average, a figure that would be a wall-like ramp on most climbs but is sustained here across the entire 5 km. There is nowhere to hide. With a maximum gradient of 25.51%, the climb roughly doubles its already savage average at its cruelest pitches — gradients that force you out of the saddle whether your legs are ready or not. The total ascent of 641 m sits just below the 663 m net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost monotonically: very little false-flat, no meaningful descent to recover on, just a continuous upward drag. Expect the steepest sections to arrive as sudden kicks, each one a spike well above the 13.35% baseline.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is survival. The relentless pitch means your power will spike far above threshold on the ramps toward 25.51%, so the goal is to keep your average effort anchored near — or just under — your FTP so those spikes don't bankrupt you. Over 5 km the climb is short enough to ride slightly above a long-effort tempo, but the gradient will punish anyone who goes into the red early. If you don't know your sustainable number, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit, then hold that ceiling through the worst of the 663 m of climbing. Ride the steep bits smoothly; recover, however briefly, wherever the road eases below its 13.35% average.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. With a 13.35% average and pitches to 25.51%, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible floor. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up, but on the steepest ramps you'll be grinding at low cadence with no margin left. If your legs or bike allow it, go further: a 34×34 gives you the extra room to spin rather than heave through the 25.51% sections and protects your knees across the full 663 m of gain. When in doubt on an HC wall like this, choose the easier gear.

Summary

Bocchetta di Nava is a compact HC monster: 5 km that feel far longer, defined by a 13.35% average and ramps to 25.51%. Respect the gradient, gear low, and pace to your ceiling.

Length: 5 km
Average gradient: 13.35%
Max gradient: 25.51%
Start: 198 m
Summit: 861 m
Net gain: 663 m
Total ascent: 641 m
Category: HC