Predil Pass

Overview

Predil Pass is a category 1 climb that packs a serious punch into a compact distance. Over just 7 km it hauls you from 583 m up to a summit of 1155 m, a net gain of 572 m. That works out to an average gradient of 8.18 percent, and averages in the eights rarely tell the full story — the road ramps as steeply as 15.6 percent at its worst. With a total ascent of 556 m recorded across the profile, there is precious little respite. This is a climb that asks a hard question early and keeps asking it until the top.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The math here is unforgiving. An 8.18 percent average sustained for 7 km means there is no long flat run-in to hide behind and no false-flat coasting to the summit. Where the gradient spikes to 15.6 percent, you are nearly double the average, and those pitches are where riders come undone if they have overcooked the lower slopes. The difference between the 572 m of net gain and the 556 m of total ascent is tiny, which confirms what the profile suggests: this road climbs and keeps climbing, without the descents or dips that would inflate the total ascent above the straight-line gain. Treat it as a steady, grinding wall punctuated by sharper ramps rather than a climb with recovery zones.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the temptation to attack the opening slopes — the 15.6 percent pitches later on will punish any early overspend. Aim to hold a controlled, sustainable power for the full 7 km, then release whatever is left in the final stretch to the 1155 m summit. If you are unsure what number to target, run your figures through the FTP estimator first and build your climbing effort around it. With 572 m to gain and nowhere to soft-pedal, a rider who paces the first half sensibly will pass those who went out hot.

Gearing

Steep and sustained is exactly the profile that rewards generous gearing. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call here. A 34×32 will get many climbers up the 8.18 percent stretches at a workable cadence, but given the 15.6 percent ramps, a 34×34 is the safer choice — that extra sprocket keeps your cadence high and your knees happy when the road bites hardest. If you can fit an even wider range, the 572 m of climbing over 7 km will not object. Spinning a low gear beats grinding a big one every time on a wall like this.

Summary

Predil Pass is short, brutally honest, and steep from bottom to top. Respect the 8.18 percent average, gear low for the 15.6 percent ramps, and pace the opening kilometres, and its 572 m of climbing will reward you with a summit worth earning.

Length: 7 km
Average gradient: 8.18%
Max gradient: 15.6%
Start: 583 m
Summit: 1155 m
Net gain: 572 m
Total ascent: 556 m
Category: 1