Molignonpass - Passo Molignon

Overview

Molignonpass, the Passo Molignon, is a genuine hors catégorie test that asks for both patience and reserves. From a start elevation of 367 m it climbs unbroken to a summit of 2397 m, a net gain of 2030 m spread across 29.1 km. The average gradient of 6.98% understates the challenge, because a max pitch of 22.69% and a total ascent of 2161 m mean the road never lets you settle into cruise control for long. This is a climb measured in the better part of an hour of sustained effort, not minutes.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure — 6.98% averaged over 29.1 km — describes a road that stays honestly steep from bottom to top. But the gap between the average and the 22.69% maximum tells the real story: this is not a metronomic drag but a climb with teeth. Expect long stretches near the mean broken by sharp ramps that spike well into the teens and beyond. The difference between the 2161 m of total ascent and the 2030 m of net gain is small, only 131 m, which confirms there is almost no descending or false-flat relief along the way. Once you turn upward, you climb, and you keep climbing.

Pacing Notes

At 29.1 km this is an effort where pacing decides everything. Anchor your intensity to your FTP and resist the temptation to chase the early ramps — the climb is far too long to bank a fast start. Aim to sit just under threshold on the sustained sections and treat the 22.69% pitches as short over-efforts to be absorbed, not raced. With 2030 m of vertical to grind through, a few percent too hard in the opening kilometres compounds into a full-body deficit near the 2397 m summit. If you are unsure where your ceiling sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target.

Gearing

For an HC climb this long and this steep, gear low and gear again. 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 6.98% sections, but the 22.69% ramps are where that ratio runs out of room — on grades that steep, cadence collapses and the effort turns anaerobic fast. If you can fit it, a 34×34 buys the extra spin that keeps your legs turning through the worst pitches and protects your reserves for the final drag to 2397 m. Over 29.1 km, the lower gear pays for itself many times over.

Summary

Molignonpass is a long, uncompromising HC ascent: 29.1 km, 6.98% on average, and 2030 m of net elevation to a high summit. Pace it conservatively, gear it generously, and respect the 22.69% ramps and you will reach the top with something left.

Length: 29.1 km
Average gradient: 6.98%
Max gradient: 22.69%
Start: 367 m
Summit: 2397 m
Net gain: 2030 m
Total ascent: 2161 m
Category: HC