Little St Bernard Pass

Overview

Little St Bernard Pass is a long, patient category-1 ascent that rewards rhythm over aggression. Across 22.2 km it climbs from 928 m to a summit of 2190 m, delivering 1262 m of net elevation gain at an average gradient of 5.67%. The total ascent is slightly higher at 1267 m, meaning a handful of brief flatter or descending stretches interrupt the upward drag before the road claws that height back. This is not a climb of savage walls — the single steepest ramp reaches 11.8% — but the sheer distance makes it one that quietly empties the legs if you start too hard.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is 5.67%, and for most of the 22.2 km the road hovers close to that figure. Think of it as a sustained tempo effort rather than a series of hairpin surges. Because the total ascent (1267 m) sits just above the net gain (1262 m), you can expect around 5 m of give-back across the climb — small dips or false flats where the gradient briefly eases and lets you shift up. The maximum of 11.8% is the outlier: an isolated pinch rather than a defining feature. Everywhere else, the slope stays honest and readable, which is exactly what makes an early over-effort so costly. There is nowhere steep enough to bury you, but also nowhere shallow enough to fully recover if you've overcooked the opening kilometres.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, the smartest approach is to ride it as a threshold test. Settle in just under your FTP and hold that discipline through the middle kilometres, where the constant 5.67% grade will tempt you to push harder than is sustainable. Save a small margin for the 11.8% ramp so it doesn't force you into the red. If you're unsure of your current threshold before tackling the full 1262 m of gain, use the FTP estimator to set a realistic target power and pace off that. The rule of thumb: the effort should feel almost too easy in the first third, correct in the second, and appropriately hard only in the last.

Gearing

For a 22.2 km climb averaging 5.67% and topping out at 11.8%, err toward easier gearing than you think you need — the climb's length punishes tall ratios long before its gradient does. A compact 34×32 is a sensible baseline for strong climbers who can hold a steady tempo across the full 1262 m of ascent. If you tire on long efforts or ride at a lower FTP, step up to a 34×34, which gives you a spinnable bailout gear for the 11.8% pinch and lets you keep cadence high late in the climb when fatigue sets in.

Summary

Little St Bernard Pass is a distance climb, not a wall — 22.2 km of disciplined tempo that asks for patience, an easy gear, and a smart pacing plan. Ride it steady and the summit at 2190 m arrives as a reward rather than a rescue.

Length: 22.2 km
Average gradient: 5.67%
Max gradient: 11.8%
Start: 928 m
Summit: 2190 m
Net gain: 1262 m
Total ascent: 1267 m
Category: 1