Passo di Entralais

Overview

Passo di Entralais is an HC climb — hors catégorie, the hardest rating on the scale ahead of categories 1 through 4 — and the numbers make the case instantly. Over 11.1 km the road averages 10.19%, a figure that is savage sustained for that long. You start at 493 m and finish at 1629 m, a net gain of 1136 m, with total ascent measured at 1128 m. There is no easing into this one: a double-digit average means the climb barely lets you breathe.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining trait here is relentlessness. A 10.19% average across 11.1 km leaves almost no room for recovery flats, and the 30.61% max gradient tells you the road throws in ramps far steeper than even that punishing mean. Note that the total ascent of 1128 m sits just below the net gain of 1136 m — a difference of only 8 m — which means the road climbs almost monotonically. There are effectively no descents to reset your legs. Every metre of vertical is earned on the way up, and the steepest pitches, near that 30.61% wall, will force you out of the saddle or onto your lowest gear whether you planned to be there or not.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this long, pacing is everything. Ride the first kilometres well within yourself, because the 10.19% average is the easy stretches averaged with the brutal ones — the ramps toward 30.61% will spike your power far above threshold no matter how disciplined you are. Anchor your effort to your FTP: aim to sit at or just below it on the sustained sections so you have headroom for the steep pitches. If you don't know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then plan a wattage ceiling you refuse to exceed early. Blow past it in the opening kilometres and the back half of 11.1 km will unravel you.

Gearing

Gear for the steep pitches, not the average. With a 10.19% mean and ramps toward 30.61%, most riders will want the widest range they can fit. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear is a sensible starting point for strong climbers, but on a wall approaching 30.61% even that can feel overgeared when the legs are deep into 1136 m of climbing. If you have any doubt about your strength on a sustained double-digit grade, fit a 34×34 and give yourself the extra spin. The lower gear costs you nothing on a climb with no flats and buys you cadence exactly where the road tries to stall you.

Summary

Passo di Entralais is a pure test of climbing endurance: long, steep, and unbroken from bottom to top. Pace it off your FTP, gear low, and respect the ramps.

Length: 11.1 km
Average gradient: 10.19%
Max gradient: 30.61%
Start: 493 m
Summit: 1629 m
Net gain: 1136 m
Total ascent: 1128 m
Category: HC