Goletto di Ravenola

Overview

Goletto di Ravenola is a genuine hors catégorie test: 19.4 km of climbing that starts at 241 m and finishes at 2136 m. That is 1895 m of net elevation gain over a single, sustained effort, and the average gradient never lets up at 9.75%. Very few climbs pair this kind of length with this kind of steepness — most long climbs earn their distance by sitting nearer 6 or 7 percent. Here the road holds close to double digits for the better part of an hour, and the max gradient of 19.58% means there are pitches that briefly double the average. Treat it with respect; this is a climb that rewards patience and punishes ego.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The numbers tell a coherent story. With a 9.75% average across 19.4 km, there is no meaningful flat recovery built into this ascent — the total ascent of 1878 m sits only 17 m below the net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost continuously with next to no descending in between. That is unusual and important: on many climbs you get false flats and dips to spin the legs out. Here you do not. The 19.58% max gradient marks the steepest ramps, roughly twice the average, so expect sections where the road kicks well above what your body has settled into. The smart read is to treat the whole 19.4 km as one long, steady grind punctuated by short, sharp surges rather than a climb with distinct easy and hard halves.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and steep, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP rather than to how you feel in the first few kilometres, because the 9.75% average will make an over-eager start feel deceptively easy before it buries you higher up. Aim to ride the sustained sections just below threshold and save headroom for the pitches climbing toward 19.58%. If you do not know your threshold number, use the FTP estimator to get a working figure before you commit to a target. Then hold that ceiling honestly for the full 1895 m of gain — with almost no recovery terrain, every match you burn early is gone for good.

Gearing

Gear for the steep pitches, not the average. On a 9.75% climb that spikes to 19.58%, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but on the ramps toward 19.58% — nearly 20 km into the effort with 1895 m already in the legs — you will want the extra relief of a 34×34. If your derailleur can accept it, run the 34×34; the lower gear lets you keep cadence up and protects your legs across the full length rather than forcing you into grinding, muscle-shredding low-cadence efforts near the top.

Summary

Goletto di Ravenola is a full HC climb that demands real preparation: 19.4 km at 9.75% with almost no respite, topping out at 2136 m. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and ride it as one long effort.

Length: 19.4 km
Average gradient: 9.75%
Max gradient: 19.58%
Start: 241 m
Summit: 2136 m
Net gain: 1895 m
Total ascent: 1878 m
Category: HC