Passo Paschiet

Overview

Passo Paschiet is one of the hardest climbs you can point a bike at. Over 22.4 km it averages 9.41%, dragging you from a start elevation of 719 m all the way to a summit at 2825 m. That is 2106 m of net elevation gain, with 2065 m of total ascent, and it earns the top rating in the book: HC, hors catégorie. There is no clever way to make this easy. The length alone would be respectable at half the gradient; the gradient alone would be respectable at half the length. Paschiet gives you both at once.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 9.41% average across 22.4 km is the headline number, and it tells you almost everything. With net gain (2106 m) sitting only marginally above total ascent (2065 m), this is a climb that essentially only goes up — there are no meaningful descents or flat recoveries built into the profile to reset your legs. Every kilometre is pulling you higher, and the small gap between net and total ascent means whatever brief easings exist are quickly repaid. Treat the whole 22.4 km as one sustained effort rather than a series of separate ramps. The finish sits at 2825 m, so the closing kilometres are also the thinnest in air, and the gradient shows no sign of relenting there.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and this steep, pacing is the entire game. The single most useful reference is your FTP — the power you can hold for roughly an hour. On a sub-9.41% average climb that will take most riders well beyond an hour, you should be riding comfortably below FTP for the majority of the 22.4 km, not chasing it. Go out too hard in the first few kilometres and the altitude near the 2825 m summit will collect the debt with interest.

If you do not know your number, estimate it first with the FTP estimator, then set a ceiling and refuse to break it early. Ride the opening third conservatively, settle into a rhythm through the middle, and only spend what is left once the summit is genuinely close.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. A 9.41% average sustained for 22.4 km at altitude will punish anyone running a road-race setup. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible starting point. A 34×32 is the minimum I would suggest for strong climbers, and even they will be grinding on the steeper stretches. For most riders — and for anyone carrying fatigue or riding at tempo — a 34×34 gives you the extra spin to protect your knees and keep your cadence up when the air thins toward 2825 m. If your bike can take a larger cassette, it is worth having on Paschiet.

Summary

Passo Paschiet is a genuine HC test: long, relentlessly steep, and finishing high. Respect the 9.41% average, gear low, pace off your FTP, and treat all 22.4 km as one continuous effort. Get those right and the summit is yours.

Length: 22.4 km
Average gradient: 9.41%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 719 m
Summit: 2825 m
Net gain: 2106 m
Total ascent: 2065 m
Category: HC