Coll de Pal

Overview

Coll de Pal is a genuine hors catégorie monster. Over 27.5 km it lifts you from a valley floor at 446 m all the way to a 2323 m summit — a net gain of 1877 m at an average gradient of 6.83%. The total ascent of 1892 m tells you the road never really relents; only 15 m of that climbing is clawed back by descents along the way. This is a long, sustained effort where the fatigue accumulates kilometre by kilometre, and where the average gradient badly understates the sting hidden in the steeper pitches, which spike to a brutal 34.79%.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number — 6.83% over 27.5 km — describes a climb that would already rank as hard on length alone. But the shape matters more than the average. With a 34.79% max gradient recorded against a 6.83% mean, the profile is uneven: long stretches of steady grind punctuated by ramps far steeper than anything you can hold at tempo. Because the total ascent (1892 m) sits just above the net gain (1877 m), there are only minor false flats or dips to break rhythm — you climb, then you climb some more. Expect the hardest ramps to arrive when your legs are already deep into the 1877 m of vertical, which is exactly what makes an HC climb feel HC.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something sustainable from the base at 446 m — going into the red early will cost you dearly over the final kilometres to 2323 m. A useful target is to sit just under threshold on the steady sections and accept that the 34.79% ramps will briefly push you well above it; let those spikes be short and recover on the shallower grades that follow. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start, then budget your effort across the full 27.5 km rather than the first few.

Gearing

Gear for survival, not pride. A 27.5 km climb averaging 6.83% with pitches to 34.79% will punish anyone who arrives under-geared. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline: a 34×32 is the minimum most riders will want, and on the steepest ramps you'll be grateful for the extra range of a 34×34. If your bike accepts it, the lower ratio lets you spin rather than grind through the near-wall gradients, protecting your legs for the sustained 1877 m of climbing still to come. Undergearing here doesn't just hurt — it forces you into torque efforts that drain you long before the summit.

Summary

Coll de Pal earns its HC billing on every metric: length, sustained gradient, and the sheer 1877 m you have to lift yourself through to reach 2323 m. Pace it with respect, gear it generously, and treat the 34.79% ramps as moments to survive rather than attack.

Length: 27.5 km
Average gradient: 6.83%
Max gradient: 34.79%
Start: 446 m
Summit: 2323 m
Net gain: 1877 m
Total ascent: 1892 m
Category: HC