Colle della Vaccera

Overview

The Colle della Vaccera is a genuine test of sustained climbing: 16 km of continuous ascent that carries you from 420 m at the base to 1460 m at the summit. That is 1040 m of net elevation gain, packaged at an average gradient of 6.48%. On paper the average reads as steady tempo, but the 13.8% maximum tells you the road does not stay polite the whole way up. With a category 1 rating, this is a serious climb — one rung below hors catégorie — and it demands respect from the first pedal stroke.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Averages hide the truth on a climb like this. A 6.48% mean spread across 16 km means that for every gentle stretch there is a compensating ramp, and the 13.8% pitch confirms the road bites hard somewhere along the way. Expect the classic long-climb rhythm: sections that let you breathe and settle into a cadence, punctuated by steeper walls that spike your effort and force a hard decision about whether to hold the wheel or ride your own tempo. The total ascent of 1028 m sits just shy of the 1040 m net figure, meaning the road climbs almost relentlessly upward with little in the way of false descents to recover on. What goes up here mostly stays up.

Pacing Notes

The single most common mistake on a 16 km climb is starting too hard. At 6.48% average, this is a threshold-adjacent effort for most riders, so anchor your pacing to your FTP rather than to how fresh you feel in the opening kilometres. Ride the shallower ramps a touch below threshold to bank matches for the 13.8% pitches, where power naturally surges. If you do not know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator before your attempt so you can set realistic target watts. On a climb this long, a disciplined even effort will beat a hero start every single time — the summit at 1460 m rewards patience, not bravado.

Gearing

With 1040 m of gain and gradients reaching 13.8%, gearing is not a place to be macho. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is the sensible starting point. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for a low bailout gear, and if you climb at a lower cadence, prefer punchy power, or simply want insurance for the steepest ramps, step up to a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive on the 13.8% sections and protects your legs across the full 16 km, so you arrive at the top with something left rather than grinding to a survival crawl. Wide-range 1x setups work well here too, provided the smallest gear matches a 34×34.

Summary

The Colle della Vaccera is a long, honest category 1 climb that trades brute steepness for relentless duration — 16 km, 1040 m of net gain, and a sting of 13.8% to keep you honest. Pace it off your threshold, gear it low, and let the numbers do the work.

Length: 16 km
Average gradient: 6.48%
Max gradient: 13.8%
Start: 420 m
Summit: 1460 m
Net gain: 1040 m
Total ascent: 1028 m
Category: 1