Forcella Sora Forno - Ofenscharte

Overview

Forcella Sora Forno - Ofenscharte is a long, demanding Category 1 climb that runs for 24.1 km at an average gradient of 5.66%. From a start elevation of 1013 m it lifts you all the way to a summit of 2378 m, a net elevation gain of 1365 m. That summit height alone tells you a great deal: you finish in thin, high-mountain air, and the sheer length means this is an effort measured in the better part of an hour rather than a punchy quarter-hour test. With a total ascent of 1320 m recorded across its rolling profile, it is a climb where consistency, not fireworks, wins the day.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline average of 5.66% is honest but incomplete. Tucked inside these 24.1 km is a maximum gradient of 36.79% — a wall so steep it barely reads as rideable, the kind of pitch that forces you out of the saddle and demands every bit of traction your tyres can find. The gap between a 5.66% average and a 36.79% spike signals a lumpy, irregular road: long stretches sitting near or below the average, punctuated by sharp, morale-testing kicks. Note too that the net gain of 1365 m exceeds the total ascent of 1320 m, a quirk that points to a profile which is not a single clean drag but a sequence of rises. Expect to shift gears constantly and to read the road ahead rather than settle into one rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing discipline is everything. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP: riding the shallower sections at a controlled sub-threshold output banks the energy you will need when the gradient rears up toward that 36.79% maximum. If you do not know your threshold, estimate it first with the FTP estimator, then set a ceiling you can hold for the full 24.1 km. The classic mistake here is burning matches early on the flatter grades near 5.66%; those savings vanish instantly on the steep ramps. Let the average pull you along and save your surges for the pitches that actually demand them.

Gearing

With a max gradient of 36.79% and 1365 m of vertical to absorb, gear conservatively. A compact 34-tooth front paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained 5.66% sections, but on the steepest ramps you will want more relief — a 34×34 gives you that extra spin and keeps your cadence off the floor when the road tilts violently. If your setup allows an even larger sprocket, take it; over 24.1 km, spinning a low gear beats grinding a big one into the ground.

Summary

Forcella Sora Forno - Ofenscharte rewards patience: pace to your threshold, gear low, and respect both the 24.1 km length and the brutal 36.79% pitch waiting inside it.

Length: 24.1 km
Average gradient: 5.66%
Max gradient: 36.79%
Start: 1013 m
Summit: 2378 m
Net gain: 1365 m
Total ascent: 1320 m
Category: 1