Bocchetta di Pedenolo

Overview

Bocchetta di Pedenolo is an hors catégorie (HC) climb, the hardest rating a road ascent can carry. It runs for 21.7 km at an average gradient of 7.1%, lifting you from a start elevation of 955 m to a summit at 2495 m. That works out to a net elevation gain of 1540 m, with 1528 m of total ascent recorded along the way — the two figures sitting close together, which tells you this is a relentlessly upward road rather than a rolling one broken by descents.

At more than twenty kilometres of near-continuous climbing, Pedenolo is a climb of endurance first and explosiveness second. The 7.1% average is stiff enough to keep you honest for the better part of an hour or more, and the 21.45% max gradient guarantees at least one moment where honest effort alone will not be enough.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline numbers describe the shape well. With a 7.1% average stretched across 21.7 km, most of the road hovers in the demanding-but-steady band that defines a long HC effort. The gap between the 21.45% max and the 7.1% mean is the story here: somewhere on this climb the road pitches up to nearly three times the average, and ramps like that are where climbs are won or lost.

Because total ascent (1528 m) is only 12 m short of the net gain (1540 m), you can trust that the elevation you earn, you keep. There is almost no free descent to recover on — every metre gained near the start is a metre you hold all the way to 2495 m.

Pacing Notes

Treat Pedenolo as a threshold effort you must ration over the full 21.7 km. Riding just below your FTP on the steady 7.1% sections leaves headroom for the 21.45% ramp, where your power will spike whether you want it to or not. Blow past threshold early and the final third — still climbing hard above 2000 m — will punish you.

If you are unsure of your ceiling, size the climb against real numbers using the FTP estimator. Knowing your sustainable wattage turns a 1540 m gain from a guess into a plan: pick a target you can hold to the summit, and let the steep pitch cost you seconds rather than your whole ride.

Gearing

Gear for survival, not for show. On a climb averaging 7.1% for 21.7 km and spiking to 21.45%, you want a wide-range cassette so cadence stays civil after an hour of climbing. A 34×32 is the sensible floor for strong riders, giving you a rescue gear for the steepest ramps. Most riders will be happier with a 34×34, which drops the effort further on that 21.45% section and protects your legs across the full 1540 m of gain. If your bike accepts it, err toward the easier ratio — you will never regret spinning up the steep bits.

Summary

Bocchetta di Pedenolo is a genuine HC objective: long, steep, and unforgiving from 955 m all the way to 2495 m. Pace it below threshold, gear it generously, and respect the 21.45% ramp, and this 21.7 km climb becomes a ride to be proud of rather than one merely survived.

Length: 21.7 km
Average gradient: 7.1%
Max gradient: 21.45%
Start: 955 m
Summit: 2495 m
Net gain: 1540 m
Total ascent: 1528 m
Category: HC