Passo Lodinut

Overview

Passo Lodinut is a Category 1 climb in Italy, running 21 km from a valley floor at 623 m up to a summit of 1,779 m. Over that distance it delivers 1,156 m of net elevation gain at an average gradient of 5.5%. On paper that reads as a long but moderate ascent — the kind of grade you can settle into and hold for well over an hour.

The paper number is misleading. The climb records 2,195 m of total ascent against just 1,156 m of net gain, which means roughly 1,039 m of descending is folded into the route. That undulation matters. You are not climbing steadily; you are repeatedly gaining and giving back altitude, and every metre lost has to be re-earned. The effort of Lodinut is significantly harder than its 5.5% average suggests, because the honest climbing gradient on the uphill pitches is well above that figure.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 5.5% average is diluted by the descents and flat linking sections. The real climbing happens in bursts, and the steepest ramp bites hard at 39.11% — a wall you must not hit already redlined.

• Flatter and downhill recovery sections that pull the average down and interrupt any rhythm
• Repeated short climbs that stack fatigue rather than delivering it in one sustained block
• Punchy re-ascents after each descent, where momentum is lost and rebuilt
• A single brutally steep ramp near the maximum gradient that demands your lowest gear

Pacing Notes

Do not pace this climb by speed — the undulation makes any target pace meaningless. Pace it by effort. Anchor your ride to a sustainable power output you can hold across the full 21 km, and let your speed rise on the descents and fall on the ramps. Chasing a fixed pace over rolling terrain forces surges on every rise, which burns matches you will want later.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through our FTP estimator before you go. On a climb with this much repeated re-ascent, going 20 watts too hard early compounds across every pitch.

Gearing

The 39.11% maximum gradient governs your setup, not the 5.5% average. That ramp will crush a road-race chainset. Fit a compact or sub-compact crankset and pair it with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the low end to spin the steepest section rather than grind it standing.

Check your drivetrain before the ride. Confirm the cassette clears the rear derailleur cage and that the chain shifts cleanly into the largest sprocket. Discovering you are undergeared on a 39% wall is not something you can fix mid-climb.

Summary

• Length: 21 km
• Average gradient: 5.5%
• Maximum gradient: 39.11%
• Net elevation gain: 1,156 m
• Total ascent: 2,195 m
• Category: 1

Passo Lodinut is a climb best measured by its total ascent, not its net gain. Gear low, pace by effort, and respect the ramps — the undulation is where this Category 1 earns its rating.