Colle della Barma

Overview

Colle della Barma is an HC climb — hors catégorie, the hardest rung on the scale that runs from HC down through 1, 2, 3 and 4. The numbers explain the rating instantly: 27.1 km of continuous climbing at an average gradient of 6.12%, lifting you from a start elevation of 240 m all the way to a 1899 m summit. That is 1659 m of net elevation gain in a single, uninterrupted effort. A climb this long is less a wall to be attacked and more a landscape to be survived; the difficulty comes not from any one ramp but from the sheer accumulation of vertical metres.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 6.12% on average, Barma sits in the range where the road never truly relents but rarely spikes into the red either. Over 27.1 km, that steady tilt is what does the damage. Note the difference between the two ascent figures: the net gain is 1659 m, but the total ascent is 1754 m. That 95 m gap tells you the profile is not a clean, monotonic drag — there are dips, false flats and short descents woven into the climb where the road briefly gives back elevation before clawing it back again. Expect long sustained sections punctuated by these rolling interruptions rather than one relentless straight-line grind.

Pacing Notes

On a climb of this length, pacing is everything. The single biggest mistake is riding the opening kilometres above your sustainable ceiling. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to spend most of the 27.1 km just below it, leaving headroom for the steeper pitches hidden inside that 6.12% average. With 1659 m to gain, even a small overpace early will compound into a much slower second half.

If you are not sure what number to build around, run the FTP estimator first, then set a power or heart-rate cap you can hold for well over an hour. Treat the false flats and short descents as recovery, not as places to sprint — soft-pedalling there banks energy for the summit push toward 1899 m.

Gearing

For an HC ascent this long, gear low and gear early. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. Most riders will want at least a 34×32 to keep cadence spinning on the sustained 6.12% sections without grinding. If you tend to fade over long durations, or you simply want insurance for the steeper pitches buried in the profile, step up to a 34×34 — that extra sprocket is cheap comfort across 27.1 km and 1659 m of climbing. Better to carry a gear you never use than to run out of them at 1899 m with legs already emptied.

Summary

Colle della Barma is a genuine HC test: long, steady and unforgiving through accumulation rather than gradient. Respect the distance, pace to your FTP, gear low, and the summit will come.

Length: 27.1 km
Average gradient: 6.12%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 240 m
Summit: 1899 m
Net gain: 1659 m
Total ascent: 1754 m
Category: HC