Forcella Coldai

Overview

Forcella Coldai is a hors catégorie climb — the HC label reserved for the hardest, most uncompromising ascents. Over 12.4 km it averages 8.18%, dragging you from a valley floor at 822 m up to a summit at 1836 m. That is a net gain of 1014 m, with a total ascent of 961 m once the small dips and recoveries along the way are accounted for. This is not a climb you ease into; the average alone would make most riders wary, and the maximum pitch of 29.39% turns one section into something closer to a wall than a road.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The number that defines this climb is the average: 8.18% sustained across the full 12.4 km. There is no long false flat to hide behind and no gentle run-in to warm the legs — the arithmetic simply does not leave room for it. To gain 1014 m of net elevation over that distance, the road has to keep pointing relentlessly upward.

The 29.39% maximum is the sting in the tail of the profile. A pitch that steep sits far above the 8.18% mean, which tells you the gradient is not evenly poured out. Expect stretches close to the average punctuated by a savage ramp where the road kicks well past 20%. When you hit it, momentum vanishes; it becomes a battle of torque and traction rather than rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On an HC climb of this length, discipline early is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the temptation to chase the opening slopes — at 8.18% average over 12.4 km, minutes spent overcooked in the first third are paid back with interest near the top. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target.

Ride the sustained sections just under threshold, then accept that the 29.39% ramp will spike you well into the red no matter how measured you have been. The trick is arriving at that wall with something left to spend, not clawing back from a blow-up you caused yourself. With more than a kilometre still to climb after most steep pitches, save a reserve for the run to 1836 m.

Gearing

For a 12.4 km climb averaging 8.18% and spiking to 29.39%, gear low — lower than you think you need. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front. On the back, a 34×32 is the minimum most riders will want, and honestly it is the floor rather than the comfortable choice here. Given that 29.39% maximum, a 34×34 gives you the extra room to keep the cranks turning instead of grinding to a standstill on the steepest ramp. If your setup allows anything easier still, this is the climb to use it on.

Summary

Forcella Coldai earns its HC rating without asking for the benefit of the doubt: long, steep, and topped off with a brutal maximum pitch. Pace it honestly, gear it low, and respect the wall.

Length: 12.4 km
Average gradient: 8.18%
Max gradient: 29.39%
Start: 822 m
Summit: 1836 m
Net gain: 1014 m
Total ascent: 961 m
Category: HC