Forcella Clautana

Overview

Forcella Clautana is one of those climbs that refuses to let you settle. Over 8.3 km it averages a brutal 11.56%, dragging you from a start elevation of 616 m up to a 1573 m summit. That is a net gain of 957 m, packed into a distance most riders could cover on flat ground in under twenty minutes. Here it is a sustained war of attrition. The hors catégorie (HC) rating is not marketing — an average above 11% over that length places it firmly among the hardest paved climbs you can point a road bike at.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number is the average: 11.56% is not a figure you get from a few steep pitches balanced by flat recovery. It is relentless. The gradient rarely dips into single digits, and when it climbs it climbs hard — the max hits 20.26%, more than double the average. That spread between average and maximum tells you the shape: long stretches sitting well into the teens, punctuated by ramps that force you out of any rhythm you thought you had found.

With a net gain of 957 m against a total ascent of 929 m, there is almost no false flat or descent to hide in. Nearly every metre you climb is a metre kept. Treat the whole 8.3 km as a single sustained effort rather than a series of discrete sections.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is everything — go out too hard on the lower ramps and the 20.26% pitches later will end you. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP rather than to speed, because speed here will feel demoralisingly slow no matter how strong you are. Aim to hold a steady, sustainable power and accept that the steepest ramps will spike you above it briefly; the goal is to keep those spikes short.

If you are not sure what number to target, run your recent data through the FTP estimator and set a ceiling before you start. On an 8.3 km effort at 11.56%, most riders will be climbing for the better part of an hour, so pace it like a sustained threshold day, not a sprint.

Gearing

Do not underestimate this one. On sustained 11%-plus gradients with 20.26% ramps, gearing is the difference between climbing and walking. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the minimum sensible front end. For the cassette, a 34×32 is the bare floor and will leave you grinding on the steepest pitches; most riders will be far happier with a 34×34, which gives you a genuine survival gear for the 20.26% sections. If your setup allows anything easier, use it — there is no shame in spinning up an HC climb, and there is a lot of pain in over-gearing one.

Summary

Forcella Clautana is a short climb only on paper. The combination of length, an 11.56% average, and 20.26% ramps makes it a proper HC test of both engine and gearing. Pace it to your FTP, gear it generously, and respect the 957 m of gain.

Length: 8.3 km
Average gradient: 11.56%
Max gradient: 20.26%
Start: 616 m
Summit: 1573 m
Net gain: 957 m
Total ascent: 929 m
Category: HC