Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso

Overview

Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso is a category 1 climb that packs serious difficulty into a compact distance. Over 6.7 km it averages 8.5%, lifting you from a start elevation of 583 m to a summit at 1156 m. That is a net elevation gain of 573 m, with a total ascent of 545 m once the small undulations are smoothed out. There is nothing gentle about the average here — 8.5% sustained over nearly seven kilometres is the kind of number that defines a hard day, and the 16.21% maximum gradient confirms this climb has real teeth. It sits just below hors catégorie, the hardest tier, and it earns that ranking honestly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of this climb is consistency at a punishing level. With an 8.5% average across 6.7 km, there are no long recovery stretches to hide in. The gradient climbs toward its 16.21% maximum in the steepest ramps, and those pitches are where the climb does most of its damage — the difference between the 8.5% average and that 16.21% peak is nearly 8 points, so the steep sections demand a hard surge above your rhythm. Because net gain (573 m) sits slightly above total ascent (545 m), the profile trends almost entirely upward with only marginal flattening, so effort accumulates without release. Ride it expecting the road to keep tilting, and treat every easing not as a rest but as a chance to reset your breathing before the next ramp.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this sustained, pacing is everything. The 8.5% average means you cannot bury yourself early and expect to recover — there is no flat to coast on across all 6.7 km. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to hold a steady percentage of it, letting the gradient dictate small surges rather than chasing a fixed speed. On the 16.21% ramps, allow your power to spike briefly, then settle back the moment the road relents. If you are unsure where your threshold sits, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator so you climb to a target you can actually sustain. A rider who paces the first 3 km conservatively will almost always beat one who attacks the base and unravels near the 1156 m summit.

Gearing

Bring climbing gears. With a 6.7 km stretch at 8.5% and pitches touching 16.21%, this is not terrain for a tight cassette. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 32-tooth sprocket — a 34×32 — is the sensible baseline for strong climbers who can turn a bigger gear at low cadence. For most riders, and especially anyone carrying fatigue into the steepest ramps, a 34×34 is the smarter choice: that extra sprocket keeps your cadence up and protects your knees when the gradient hits 16.21%. Err toward the easier ratio. Spinning a 34×34 will always beat grinding a gear that is one tooth too tall.

Summary

Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso is a genuinely hard category 1 test — short at 6.7 km, but relentless at 8.5% average with a 16.21% sting. Pace it to your threshold, gear it low, and respect the 573 m of vertical between the 583 m base and the 1156 m top.

Length: 6.7 km
Average gradient: 8.5%
Max gradient: 16.21%
Start: 583 m
Summit: 1156 m
Net gain: 573 m
Total ascent: 545 m
Category: 1