Goletto di Cadino

Overview

Goletto di Cadino is one of those climbs whose numbers tell you everything you need to know before you turn a pedal. It runs 18.1 km from a start elevation of 241 m to a summit at 1932 m, stacking up 1691 m of net elevation gain along the way. The average gradient is a punishing 9.37%, and it earns its hors catégorie (HC) rating without needing to argue the point. This is not a climb that eases you in and then bites — it is steep from the numbers on the page to the numbers under your wheels, and it stays that way for the better part of two hours for most riders.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is sustained steepness rather than a single showpiece ramp. With a 9.37% average held across 18.1 km, there is very little relief built into this climb — an average that high over that distance means the flatter sections are rare and short, and they are paid for immediately afterward. The pitch peaks at 22.73%, more than double the average, so somewhere on the mountain there is a wall that will have you out of the saddle and grinding. Note the small gap between the 1691 m net gain and the 1669 m total ascent: only 22 m of the elevation you climb is ever given back. In practical terms, this road almost never points downhill. It is a one-direction grind from bottom to top.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and this steep, pacing discipline is the whole game. The riders who blow up here are the ones who chase the early ramps; the riders who summit strong are the ones who settle into a sustainable effort and refuse to surge. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just under threshold for the sustained sections, saving your matches for the 22.73% pitch. If you do not know your threshold power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go — guessing on an 18.1 km, 9.37% climb is how you end up walking. Break the ascent into mental thirds and treat each as its own effort rather than staring down all 1691 m at once.

Gearing

Gear this one for survival, not ego. With a 9.37% average and a 22.73% maximum over 18.1 km, most riders will want the widest range they can fit. A 34×32 is the sensible floor — enough to spin the sustained pitches without cross-chaining your cadence into the ground. But given the length and the ramps, a 34×34 is the smarter call for anyone who is not racing this on fresh legs. That extra sprocket buys you a lower cadence reserve for the 22.73% wall, and on a climb where you climb 1691 m without respite, cadence reserve is exactly what keeps your legs turning to the top.

Summary

Goletto di Cadino is a pure, honest HC test: long, steep, and almost entirely without relief. Come with low gearing, a paced effort, and respect for the numbers, and the summit at 1932 m is yours.

Length: 18.1 km
Average gradient: 9.37%
Max gradient: 22.73%
Start: 241 m
Summit: 1932 m
Net gain: 1691 m
Total ascent: 1669 m
Category: HC