Collado de Pietramula

Overview

Collado de Pietramula is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest category on the scale, and it earns that label the honest way: through sheer, sustained length. Over 22.1 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of 743 m to a summit at 2157 m. That is a net elevation gain of 1414 m, achieved at an average gradient of 6.41%. There is no single wall here that defines the effort — instead there is the accumulation, the way a moderate-looking percentage becomes a genuinely severe challenge once you have to hold it for well over an hour. This is a climb of patience, rhythm, and self-control far more than one of explosive power.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a total ascent of 1388 m against a net gain of 1414 m, almost every metre of this climb goes upward — there is very little false flat or descending recovery built into its 22.1 km. That matters for how it feels. A 6.41% average across such distance means long, unbroken stretches where the gradient simply sits on you, rarely easing enough to spin freely and rarely spiking hard enough to force you out of the saddle. The shape rewards riders who can settle into a steady effort early and resist the temptation to chase the summit before the halfway mark. Treat the first two-thirds as territory to be managed, not attacked, and the final kilometres toward 2157 m become something you can ride through rather than merely survive.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. Your target should be an effort you can hold for the full 22.1 km without cracking, which means anchoring it to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the opening minutes. Most riders overcook the early slopes because a 6.41% ramp feels deceptively comfortable while legs are fresh. Resist that. If you are unsure of your sustainable power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then hold a percentage of that figure you know you can defend for over an hour of continuous climbing. The high summit at 2157 m adds a further tax as the air thins, so leave yourself a margin — the last stretch is where a conservative first half pays back.

Gearing

Gear for the duration, not the average. A 6.41% mean gradient across 1414 m of net elevation gain will grind down any setup that is a little too tall. For most amateurs, a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline: 34×32 gives you a low, spinnable gear for the sustained middle section, while 34×34 is the safer choice if you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra weight, or expect to be tired late on. Given the 22.1 km length and the altitude near the top, err toward the easier option — 34×34 — since carrying a gear in reserve costs nothing and spares your knees over a climb this relentless.

Summary

Collado de Pietramula is a pure test of endurance climbing: long, steady, and unforgiving, topping out high at 2157 m. Pace it off your FTP, gear low, and respect the distance.

Length: 22.1 km
Average gradient: 6.41%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 743 m
Summit: 2157 m
Net gain: 1414 m
Total ascent: 1388 m
Category: HC