Passo Ferrarino

Overview

Passo Ferrarino is a Category 2 climb that packs a genuine punch into a compact 8.5 km. From a base at 360 m it rises to a summit of 899 m, a net gain of 539 m earned at an average gradient of 6.36%. That average is honest but not the whole story: with pitches touching 10.23%, this is a climb that rewards riders who can hold a steady effort through gradient that keeps shifting under the wheels. The total ascent of 515 m confirms it climbs almost the entire way, with little in the way of false flat to break the rhythm.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is the gap between the 6.36% average and the 10.23% maximum. That spread of nearly 4 percentage points tells you the road is not uniform — long stretches sit close to the average while sharper ramps spike well above it. Expect the hardest sections to arrive as short walls rather than sustained double-digit blocks, since the average would be far higher otherwise. The small difference between the 539 m net gain and the 515 m total ascent means there is barely any descending or flat inside these 8.5 km; the elevation profile is a near-continuous upward line. Ride it knowing the tough moments come in bursts, and that recovery between them is measured in seconds, not minutes.

Pacing Notes

At 8.5 km and 6.36% average, Passo Ferrarino is a threshold-length effort for most riders — long enough to punish a hot start, short enough that going too conservative leaves time on the road. Anchor your pacing to your FTP: aim to sit just below it on the steadier gradient and allow yourself to drift above it over the 10.23% ramps, then settle back down once each one relents. Do not chase the spikes with matched power the whole way, or the back half of the 539 m of climbing will unravel you. If you are unsure of your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your target watts. The key discipline is smoothing your effort across the walls so your average power stays controlled even as the gradient jumps.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 6.36% with ramps to 10.23%, most riders will want a compact setup with a generous cassette. A 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline and will get many riders up the steady sections comfortably. For the 10.23% pitches, or for anyone carrying fatigue, a 34×34 gives you meaningful extra range to keep your cadence up and your legs turning rather than grinding. Over 8.5 km of near-constant ascent, spinning a slightly easier gear protects your legs far more than muscling a bigger one.

Summary

Passo Ferrarino is a tidy, honest Category 2 climb: 8.5 km, 6.36% average, and enough steep punctuation at 10.23% to keep you honest. Pace to your threshold, gear for the walls, and it delivers a satisfying 539 m of vertical.

Length: 8.5 km
Average gradient: 6.36%
Max gradient: 10.23%
Start: 360 m
Summit: 899 m
Net gain: 539 m
Total ascent: 515 m
Category: 2