Colláu de Petraficha

Overview

The Colláu de Petraficha is the kind of climb that rearranges your idea of what "steep" means. Over 11.6 km it averages 11.29% — a figure that would be a maximum gradient on many respectable climbs, sustained here for the whole ascent. You start at 421 m and finish at 1729 m, a net gain of 1308 m, with the road pitching as high as 23.41% along the way. Its HC (hors catégorie) rating is not marketing: it sits in the hardest bracket, above categories 1, 2, 3 and 4, and it earns that label with sheer, relentless steepness rather than length alone.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 11.29% average across 11.6 km tells you there is almost nowhere to hide. On most climbs the mean is dragged up by a few savage ramps and softened by flatter recovery; here the mean itself is savage, so the flatter sections are merely "hard" rather than genuinely restful. The 23.41% maximum is more than double the average, which means there are pitches that briefly cut your speed in half even when you are already grinding. Expect the gradient to swing wildly around its 11.29% centre — treat every corner as a place where the road may kick again. The net gain of 1308 m against a total ascent of 1224 m confirms it: this is a climb that mostly goes up and keeps going up.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on Petraficha is starting too hard. With 11.6 km at 11.29% ahead of you, your effort should be anchored to your sustainable power, not to how the first ramp feels. Ride the opening kilometres a shade under your FTP so you have headroom for the 23.41% spikes, which will spike your power well above threshold whether you like it or not. If you do not know your threshold number, estimate it first with the FTP estimator and use it to set a ceiling you refuse to cross early. On a climb this steep, going five percent too hard in the first third can cost you far more than five percent of your time in the final kilometres.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. For an 11.29% average punctuated by 23.41% ramps, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible floor. A 34×32 will get many strong riders up, but on the steepest pitches you will be turning a heavy gear at low cadence. If your legs or your longevity matter to you, fit a 34×34 or go wider still — the extra ratio buys you the cadence to protect your knees across 1308 m of climbing. Err toward easier: you cannot spin a gear you did not bring.

Summary

Petraficha is a pure test of sustained steepness — 11.6 km that never lets the gradient drop far below double digits, capped by a summit high enough to feel it in the air. Come with low gears, a disciplined pacing plan, and respect for the numbers.

Length: 11.6 km
Average gradient: 11.29%
Max gradient: 23.41%
Start: 421 m
Summit: 1729 m
Net gain: 1308 m
Total ascent: 1224 m
Category: HC