North Col

North Col cycling climb profile

North Col is not a climb that rewards optimism. On paper, it is brutally simple: 7 km, 1101 m of net elevation gain, an average gradient of 15.75%, and a maximum gradient of 31.8%. Add a start elevation of 4298 m and a summit elevation of 5399 m, and the defining feature becomes clear. This is not just a steep climb. It is a steep climb at an elevation where aerobic power is already under pressure.

The HC classification fits because there is almost no margin for riding it casually. A 15.75% average over 7 km means the baseline effort is already above what many climbs reserve for their hardest ramps. The 31.8% maximum tells you there are sections where momentum will collapse quickly if the gear is too big or the pacing is too aggressive.

How the gradient rides

With only the overall climb data available, the safest way to read North Col is as a sustained wall rather than a rolling ascent with recoveries. The average gradient is high enough that even the easier portions, if there are any, cannot be treated as meaningful recovery unless the road briefly backs off substantially.

That changes the tactical problem. On a climb with a moderate average and scattered steep ramps, a rider can often float the easier ground and absorb the spikes. Here, the average itself is the spike. The maximum gradient of 31.8% should be treated as a gear-selection warning more than a one-off statistic. If the low gear is only just manageable on the average grade, it will not be manageable when the road reaches its steepest point.

Pacing and gearing

The correct pacing strategy is defensive. Start below the power you would normally associate with a 7 km climb, because the altitude and gradient both punish early overreach. The effort should feel controlled before it feels productive. If the legs are already fighting the gear early, the climb has effectively forced you into a strength effort, and that usually becomes expensive before the summit.

Use the lowest practical climbing gear available. This is a climb where preserving cadence matters because grinding a heavy gear on sustained double-digit gradients increases muscular load and makes it harder to regulate effort. If you pace by /glossary/ftp, resist the temptation to chase a sea-level target. At this elevation, perceived effort and breathing will likely outrun the number on the head unit.

The cleanest approach is steady pressure, no surges, and no attempt to muscle over the steepest ramps unless necessary. On North Col, the rider who keeps the effort repeatable is likely to climb faster than the rider who tries to win back time against gradients that severe.