Bualli Pass

Overview

Bualli Pass is a category 2 climb that packs a genuine sting into a compact 6.2 km. From a start elevation of 377 m it rises to a summit of 757 m, a net elevation gain of 380 m. The average gradient of 6.15% sounds civil enough on paper, but a max gradient of 13.01% tells you the road does not hand out its height evenly. This is a climb long enough to build a rhythm on, yet steep enough that the wrong pace early will cost you dearly near the top.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do the arithmetic and the shape reveals itself. A net gain of 380 m over 6.2 km would sit right around that 6.15% average if the slope were uniform. It is not. With ramps touching 13.01% — more than double the average — the climb must balance those steep sections against gentler stretches where the road eases and lets you recover. Expect the gradient to pulse rather than hold steady: pitches that force you out of the saddle, followed by shallower ramps that reward a smooth cadence. The total ascent of 332 m across the profile confirms this is honest, mostly-upward climbing with little in the way of false descents to break your momentum.

Pacing Notes

The margin between the 6.15% average and the 13.01% max is where races are won and blown up. Anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to feel, because feel lies on a climb this punchy. If you do not know your number, run the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. On the steeper ramps, allow your power to drift above threshold in short bursts, then settle back under it on the shallower sections rather than chasing a flat wattage the whole way. Over 6.2 km, a rider who paces the lower slopes conservatively and saves matches for the 13.01% pitches will crest the 757 m summit far fresher than one who goes out hard from 377 m.

Gearing

Bualli Pass is a climb where a compact and a wide cassette pay for themselves. For most riders a 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline, giving you enough range to spin the 6.15% average without grinding. But given ramps hitting 13.01%, do not be shy about a 34×34 — that extra cog keeps your cadence alive when the road pitches up and protects your legs across the full 380 m of climbing. If you tend to muscle up steep sections, the 34×34 is the safer choice; if you have a strong seated grind, 34×32 will serve.

Summary

Bualli Pass rewards patience and honest gearing: 6.2 km of steady climbing at 6.15%, spiked with a 13.01% max, lifting you 380 m from valley to summit. Pace it to your FTP, gear it for the ramps, and it becomes one of the more satisfying category 2 efforts around.

Length: 6.2 km
Average gradient: 6.15%
Max gradient: 13.01%
Start: 377 m
Summit: 757 m
Net gain: 380 m
Total ascent: 332 m
Category: 2