Coll de la Fareille

Overview

Coll de la Fareille is the kind of climb that never lets you settle. Over just 4.6 km it drags you from a start elevation of 7 m up to a summit at 406 m, a net gain of 399 m packed into a stretch short enough to feel deceptively manageable on paper. The average gradient of 8.76% tells the real story: this is a sustained, steep effort with almost nowhere to hide. Its category 2 rating slots it below the hors catégorie and category 1 monsters, but the sharp average and a max pitch of 12.81% mean it punches well above its length. Expect a hard, honest climb where the difficulty comes from unrelenting steepness rather than sheer distance.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With 4.6 km of road and an average of 8.76%, there is very little respite built into this climb. The total ascent of 381 m sits close to the 399 m net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost continuously with minimal flat or downhill sections to break the rhythm. The gradient rarely eases below its punishing average, and the toughest ramp bites at 12.81% — a pitch steep enough to force you out of the saddle or into your lowest gear. Because the climb is so consistently steep, the challenge is less about surviving one wall and more about holding a hard effort from the 7 m base all the way to the 406 m summit without cracking.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is everything. The temptation is to attack the lower slopes, but with an 8.76% average sustained for the full 4.6 km, going too deep early will leave you in trouble long before the 406 m summit. Aim to ride just under your threshold — hold an effort you can sustain rather than one you have to fight. Anchoring your pace to your FTP is the most reliable approach: settle into a power you know you can hold for the roughly 20–35 minutes this climb demands, then leave a little in reserve for the 12.81% max ramp. If you are unsure of your number, run it through the FTP estimator before you plan your effort.

Gearing

At 8.76% average with a max of 12.81%, gearing is your best friend here. For most riders on a compact chainset, a 34×32 gives you enough range to spin the steady sections without grinding. But when the road tips toward its steepest pitches, a 34×34 offers a genuinely welcome bailout gear that lets you keep cadence up and torque down. If you know you struggle on sustained steep climbs, err toward the 34×34 — the extra sprocket costs you nothing on a climb where you will never spin out, and it can be the difference between riding smoothly and muscling over the top in the red.

Summary

Coll de la Fareille is short but ferocious: 4.6 km of near-constant climbing at 8.76%, topping out with a 12.81% sting. Respect the average, pace to your threshold, and gear low — do that and this category 2 climb rewards you with 399 m of hard-earned elevation and a summit worth every pedal stroke.

Length: 4.6 km
Average gradient: 8.76%
Max gradient: 12.81%
Start: 7 m
Summit: 406 m
Net gain: 399 m
Total ascent: 381 m
Category: 2