Forcella Mosè

Overview

Forcella Mosè is a category 1 climb that packs serious difficulty into a compact 7.1 km. From a start elevation of 578 m, the road claws its way up to a 1155 m summit, a net gain of 577 m. The headline figure is the average gradient: 8.09%, sustained over the full length. That is not a climb with a gentle run-in and a sting at the end — it is steep from the moment the grade tips upward and it rarely relents. With a maximum pitch of 16.85%, there are sections that force you out of any comfortable rhythm and into pure damage limitation. This is a climb you respect before the first pedal stroke.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do the math and the shape becomes clear. Over 7.1 km you gain 577 m net, and the recorded total ascent of 561 m tells you there is little to no descending mixed in — the road simply goes up. An 8.09% average across the entire distance means the "easy" sections are still genuinely hard, likely sitting in the 6–7% range, while the tough parts push toward that 16.85% maximum. Expect the gradient to pulse rather than hold a single number: stretches that let you settle, punctuated by ramps that spike the effort. Because the average is so high, there is no long false-flat to recover on. Every meter of the 577 m of climbing has to be earned, and the steepest ramps arrive without much warning.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, discipline early is everything. The temptation is to attack the lower slopes, but at 8.09% average you will pay for any overreach on the 16.85% ramps later. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something in reserve for the steep pitches. A good target is to ride the sustained sections just below threshold, then accept short surges above it when the grade bites — but keep those surges brief. If you do not know your threshold power, estimate it first with the FTP estimator so your pacing is grounded in real numbers rather than guesswork. With only 7.1 km to cover, a steady, slightly conservative effort will nearly always beat a fast start followed by a blow-up on the upper ramps.

Gearing

Given the 8.09% average and 16.85% maximum, gearing is not the place to save weight or ego. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained slopes, but on the steepest 16.85% ramps you will be grinding at low cadence. If you have any doubt about your climbing legs, or you are carrying fatigue, fit a 34×34 for extra margin — the lower ratio lets you spin rather than lurch through the hardest pitches and protects your legs for the full 577 m of climbing.

Summary

Forcella Mosè is short, steep, and unforgiving — a genuine category 1 test where the 8.09% average and 16.85% spikes matter far more than the modest 7.1 km distance. Pace it with your FTP, gear it low, and respect the ramps.

Length: 7.1 km
Average gradient: 8.09%
Max gradient: 16.85%
Start: 578 m
Summit: 1155 m
Net gain: 577 m
Total ascent: 561 m
Category: 1