Coll de Verdet

Overview

The Coll de Verdet is a genuine hors catégorie test, the kind of climb that rewrites your definition of "steep." Over just 9.2 km it drags you from 1207 m at the base up to a summit of 2257 m, a net gain of 1050 m. The headline figure is the average gradient: 11.46%. That is not a number you see attached to a long climb very often, and it holds across the entire ascent rather than being inflated by one savage kicker. This is HC territory — the hardest category there is, sitting above categories 1, 2, 3, and 4 — and it earns the label on gradient alone.

How the Gradient Unfolds

There is nowhere to hide on the Coll de Verdet. With an 11.46% average sustained over 9.2 km, even the "easier" pitches are steeper than the crux of many category 1 climbs. The defining feature is the maximum gradient of 31.38% — a wall roughly two and a half times the average that will force you out of the saddle whether you planned to stand or not. Because the total ascent of 1022 m sits just below the net gain of 1050 m, the profile is essentially all up: you climb almost the entire elevation difference without meaningful respite or descent. Expect the gradient to swing between merely hard and outright brutal, never releasing you back to flat.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this relentless, pacing is survival. The average of 11.46% means you cannot bank on recovery sections to claw back time, so hold a steady, sustainable effort from the base rather than attacking early. Anchor your intensity to your FTP: on gradients this steep most riders will spend long stretches above threshold simply to keep the pedals turning, so knowing your ceiling is essential. If you are unsure of yours, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit. When the 31.38% max arrives, shift early, drop your cadence, and grind — trying to hold power through that pitch will blow your legs for the remaining metres to 2257 m.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With a 11.46% average and a 31.38% maximum over 9.2 km, a compact chainring is the starting point, not the fallback. A 34×32 is the bare minimum most fit climbers should consider, and even then the steepest ramps will have you mashing at low cadence. For the majority of riders, a 34×34 is the smarter choice — that extra sprocket buys you the cadence headroom to keep the effort aerobic rather than anaerobic on the 31.38% wall. If your bike accepts an even larger cassette, the 1050 m of climbing packed into so little distance justifies it.

Summary

The Coll de Verdet is short in distance and enormous in difficulty: 9.2 km that gain 1050 m at an average of 11.46%, punctuated by a 31.38% maximum. From 1207 m to 2257 m it climbs almost without pause. Respect the gradient, gear low, pace by feel, and you will earn one of the hardest HC summits going.

Length: 9.2 km
Average gradient: 11.46%
Max gradient: 31.38%
Start: 1207 m
Summit: 2257 m
Net gain: 1050 m
Total ascent: 1022 m
Category: HC