Forcella Grande del Latenar - Große Latemarscharte

Overview

The Forcella Grande del Latenar — the Große Latemarscharte — is a full hors catégorie (HC) climb, the hardest rung on the difficulty ladder above categories 1, 2, 3 and 4. It stretches 19.5 km and lifts you from a valley floor at 552 m to a summit at 1848 m. That is 1296 m of net elevation gain, with 1265 m of total ascent packed into a road that averages 6.65% and touches a maximum of 12.78%. This is a long, sustained effort: nearly twenty kilometres of near-continuous uphill that rewards patience far more than aggression.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 6.65% average over 19.5 km, this is a relentless middle-distance grind rather than a series of savage walls. The near-identical net gain (1296 m) and total ascent (1265 m) tell you the road climbs almost monotonically — there is very little downhill or flat to break the rhythm, so once you settle into the gradient you stay in it. The 12.78% maximum is nearly double the average, which means the real climb is not the number on the sign but the ramps hidden inside it. Expect the road to sit around the mid-single digits for long stretches, then stiffen into low-double-digit pitches that force you out of your comfortable cadence. Treat the average as your baseline and the 12.78% sections as the moments to manage, not to attack.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb runs 19.5 km with almost no recovery, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to spend the bulk of the ascent slightly below threshold, leaving headroom for the 12.78% ramps where power naturally spikes. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. A useful mental model over 1296 m of gain is to divide the effort into thirds: ride the first third conservatively, hold steady through the middle, and only lift the pace in the final third once the summit at 1848 m is within reach. Going into the red early on a climb this long is rarely recoverable.

Gearing

For an HC climb of this length and pitch, err generously on gearing. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible foundation. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained 6.65% sections, but the 12.78% ramps late in a 19.5 km effort are where a bailout gear earns its keep — a 34×34 gives you that extra margin to keep spinning rather than grinding. If you are unsure, size up: carrying an easier gear you rarely use costs nothing, while running out of gears at 1848 m with tired legs costs plenty.

Summary

The Latemarscharte is a classic long HC test — measured gradients, serious length, and just enough double-digit bite to punish poor pacing. Ride it smart, gear it generously, and let the 6.65% average do the honest work of carrying you to 1848 m.

Length: 19.5 km
Average gradient: 6.65%
Max gradient: 12.78%
Start: 552 m
Summit: 1848 m
Net gain: 1296 m
Total ascent: 1265 m
Category: HC