Forcella Dolacis

Overview

Forcella Dolacis is an HC climb — hors catégorie, the hardest rating there is — and the numbers explain why. Over 10.6 km it averages 9.41%, dragging you from a start elevation of 331 m up to a 1324 m summit. That is a net elevation gain of 993 m packed into a road that barely stretches beyond ten kilometres. There is no easing-in, no long valley run-up to hide behind: the average alone is steeper than most riders can hold for even a few minutes, and here it is the price of admission for the whole climb.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Forcella Dolacis is relentlessness. With a 9.41% average sustained across 10.6 km, this is a wall dressed up as a road. The total ascent of 948 m sits just below the net gain of 993 m, which tells you almost every metre of forward progress is also a metre upward — there are effectively no descents or flat recovery sections to break the rhythm. Expect the gradient to hover in the same brutal band from bottom to top, so the challenge is less about surviving a single steep ramp and more about absorbing a full hour of climbing that never relents. Treat the whole 10.6 km as one continuous effort rather than a series of distinct pitches.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this uniform, pacing is everything. Because the gradient rarely dips, there is nowhere to recover a mistake, so the smart approach is to ride just under your sustainable ceiling from the first pedal stroke. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on an HC climb of 10.6 km, most riders will be climbing for the better part of an hour, which is precisely the duration your threshold power is defined around. Riding even a handful of watts over threshold early will cost you far more than it saves. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Settle into a steady cadence, keep your breathing controlled, and save any surge for the final kilometre once the 1324 m summit is genuinely in sight.

Gearing

At 9.41% for 10.6 km, gearing is not a luxury — it is the difference between spinning and grinding to a halt. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front end here. Paired with a 34×32, you have a low gear that lets most fit riders keep the cranks turning at a respectable cadence. But given how unbroken this climb is, many will be happier with a 34×34, which buys a little extra spin room for the long middle section where fatigue accumulates. If your legs or your event calendar lean toward the conservative, take the 34×34 — the extra range costs nothing on a climb with no flat where a taller gear would help.

Summary

Forcella Dolacis is a pure HC grind: short by grand-tour standards but savagely steep, with a 9.41% average that simply does not relent across its 10.6 km. Come with low gearing, a disciplined pacing plan, and respect for the 993 m of vertical waiting above.

Length: 10.6 km
Average gradient: 9.41%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 331 m
Summit: 1324 m
Net gain: 993 m
Total ascent: 948 m
Category: HC