Colma Murelli

Overview

Colma Murelli is a category 1 climb that demands respect from the first pedal stroke. Over 12.7 km it gains 980 m of net elevation, lifting you from a valley floor at 209 m to a summit at 1189 m. The average gradient of 7.72% is the headline number, and it tells the truth: this is a sustained, relentless effort with almost nowhere to hide. With 977 m of total ascent packed into that distance, there are no long false-flats to recover on and no descents to break the rhythm. It sits one notch below hors catégorie, and on the road it feels every bit as serious as that classification suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Colma Murelli is its consistency. A 7.72% average sustained across 12.7 km means the climb rarely dips into easy territory — the slope keeps grinding, kilometre after kilometre. That said, the maximum gradient of 16.31% is more than double the average, so the road clearly pitches up sharply in places. Expect ramps that briefly bite into the mid-teens, forcing you out of your saddle or deep into your smallest gear, before settling back toward that punishing 7.72% baseline. Because the net gain (980 m) and total ascent (977 m) are nearly identical, there is virtually no downhill relief along the way. Every metre climbed is a metre kept. Plan for a climb that punishes surges and rewards a steady, disciplined engine.

Pacing Notes

The smartest way up Colma Murelli is to ride the average, not the spikes. At 7.72% for 12.7 km, this is a threshold effort where minutes matter more than any single ramp. Anchor your pace to your FTP and hold a sustainable percentage of it — going into the red early on a 16.31% pitch will cost you dearly across the remaining kilometres. If you don't have a reliable threshold number yet, run the FTP estimator before you tackle this one, because pacing a 980 m climb by feel alone is a recipe for blowing up. When the road steepens toward its maximum, absorb the ramp with cadence rather than raw power, then return to your target effort as the slope eases back toward the average.

Gearing

With a 7.72% average and pitches reaching 16.31%, gearing is not a place to be brave. For most riders a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will get you up the sustained sections comfortably, but on the steepest ramps you may wish for more. If your legs or the length of the day are in question, fit a 34×34 for extra insurance — that lowest gear keeps your cadence alive when the road hits its 16.31% maximum. Given the near-total lack of recovery over 12.7 km, err toward the easier setup; spinning a slightly-too-easy gear costs nothing, while grinding a too-hard one over 980 m of climbing will empty your legs long before the 1189 m summit.

Summary

Colma Murelli is a long, honest, unrelenting category 1 climb: 12.7 km at 7.72%, with sharp ramps and no respite. Pace it to your threshold, gear low, and let the numbers do the talking.

Length: 12.7 km
Average gradient: 7.72%
Max gradient: 16.31%
Start: 209 m
Summit: 1189 m
Net gain: 980 m
Total ascent: 977 m
Category: 1