Colle Pinter

Overview

Colle Pinter is one of Italy's genuine giants: 37 km of continuous ascent that carries you from a valley floor at 382 m all the way to a 2271 m summit. That is a net elevation gain of 1889 m in a single effort, and because the road rolls and dips along the way, the total ascent climbs higher still to 1962 m. The average gradient reads a deceptively civil 5.1%, but this is a hors catégorie (HC) climb for a reason — the hardest rating on the scale before you run out of categories. Length alone makes it brutal, and buried in those kilometres is a ramp that spikes to 22.98%.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do not be fooled by the 5.1% average. On a 37 km climb, an average that gentle means the difficulty is unevenly distributed: long stretches of shallow, tempo-friendly grade are paid for by pitches that rear up far steeper. The gap between the 5.1% mean and the 22.98% maximum is the whole story here — nearly 18 percentage points of spread. Expect passages where you settle into a rhythm and eat kilometres, punctuated by sharp walls that force you out of the saddle and demand a hard decision about how much to spend. The final approach to 2271 m adds thin-air fatigue on top of everything your legs have already absorbed over 1889 m of gaining.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a sustainable percentage of it across the shallow sections rather than chasing every ramp. If you do not know your number, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to 37 km. The steep walls that touch 22.98% will tempt you to surge — resist. Let your cadence drop and your power spike only briefly, then return to threshold-adjacent tempo once the grade eases. Banking energy across the easy 5.1% stretches is what leaves you something for the last push to the 2271 m summit, where 1889 m of accumulated gain will already be in your legs.

Gearing

Gear for the ramps, not the average. A 5.1% mean is easy on paper, but a 22.98% pitch near the end of a 37 km climb will punish anything too tall. On a compact 34-tooth chainring, a 34×32 is the sensible floor for strong climbers, giving you a near 1:1 ratio to grind the steep sections without wrecking your knees. If you value comfort — or you are riding to enjoy the summit rather than race it — go to a 34×34 for a true 1:1 that lets you spin the 22.98% walls at a survivable cadence. On a climb that gains 1889 m, easier gearing is rarely a mistake.

Summary

Colle Pinter is a distance-and-elevation monster: not the steepest average you will ride, but 37 km of sustained gaining to 2271 m makes it a deserved HC. Respect the 22.98% spikes, pace off your FTP, and gear low.

Length: 37 km
Average gradient: 5.1%
Max gradient: 22.98%
Start: 382 m
Summit: 2271 m
Net gain: 1889 m
Total ascent: 1962 m
Category: HC