Col d'Étache

Overview

Col d'Étache is a Category 1 climb that packs its difficulty into a compact, uncompromising 10.3 km. Over that distance the road rises 906 m from a start elevation of 1661 m to a summit of 2567 m, giving an average gradient of 8.81%. That average alone tells the story: this is not a climb with easy stretches to hide in. Starting already high at 1661 m, you tackle the full effort in thin mountain air, and the top at 2567 m puts you well into the zone where altitude quietly saps your power. For a climb just over 10 km long, an 8.81% mean is genuinely severe — this is a sustained, upper-body-of-the-difficulty-scale ascent that rewards discipline over bravado.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is consistency. An 8.81% average across 10.3 km means there is very little relief built into the profile. Where many Category 1 climbs offer a flatter shoulder or a false flat to recover, Étache asks for continuous output from the first pedal stroke to the last. The listed total ascent of 1435 m against a net gain of 906 m hints at some rolling or undulating character rather than a single clean ramp — meaning short pitches steeper than the 8.81% mean are balanced by the occasional brief easing. Treat every one of those easings as a gift and spin through it, because the gradient reasserts itself quickly. The climb finishes at its highest point, 2567 m, so the hardest kilometres arrive exactly where the air is thinnest and your legs are most fatigued.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on a climb like this is going out too hard. With a near-9% average sustained for over ten kilometres, your effort should sit at or just below threshold — a pace you could theoretically hold for the full duration. Anchor that effort to your FTP: riding the lower slopes above FTP will cost you dearly near the 2567 m summit, where altitude already trims your available power. If you do not know your current number, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator and set a wattage ceiling before you start. Aim to reach the halfway mark feeling like you have more in reserve than your ego wants — the top 906 m of gain has no mercy for an early over-effort.

Gearing

Bring climbing gears and do not be shy about it. For an 8.81% average over 10.3 km at altitude, most riders will want a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 is the practical minimum — it lets you keep a sustainable cadence on the sustained pitches. Riders who are less powerful, carrying luggage, or simply prioritising fresh legs at 2567 m should step up to a 34×34, which buys crucial extra rpm when the road bites hardest near the summit. On a climb this relentless, the smaller gear is not a weakness; it is the difference between spinning to the top and grinding to a standstill.

Summary

Col d'Étache is a short but savage Category 1 climb: 10.3 km of near-constant 8.81% gradient, finishing high and hard at 2567 m. Pace it to your threshold, gear generously, and respect the altitude.

Length: 10.3 km
Average gradient: 8.81%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 1661 m
Summit: 2567 m
Net gain: 906 m
Total ascent: 1435 m
Category: 1