Sella di Cordin / Kordin Sattel

Overview

The Sella di Cordin, known locally as the Kordin Sattel, is a short climb only by the clock. Across 5.7 km it averages a savage 13.48%, hauling you from a start elevation of 980 m to a summit at 1747 m. That is 767 m of net elevation gain packed into under six kilometres, with a total ascent of 755 m once you account for the small dips along the way. It is rated HC — hors catégorie, the hardest bracket there is, sitting above categories 1, 2, 3, and 4. The number that defines this climb is not its length but its relentlessness: there is almost nowhere to recover.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 13.48% average is not built from a gentle rise with a single wall. It is built from a road that simply refuses to relent. With a maximum pitch of 28.14%, the steepest ramp here is more than double the average, and it arrives on a gradient that is already brutally steep before it spikes. The gap between the 13.48% mean and the 28.14% peak — a swing of 14.66 percentage points — tells you the shape: long stretches near or above the average, punctuated by ramps that nearly stall you. Over 5.7 km, expect the road to pitch, ease fractionally, and pitch again, never truly flattening. From 980 m to 1747 m the climbing is continuous, and the 767 m of net gain is earned metre by metre.

Pacing Notes

Pacing an HC climb this steep is an exercise in restraint. On a 13.48% average, gravity dictates a low speed, so your effort is governed almost entirely by power, not momentum — there is no flywheel to carry you through the 28.14% ramps. Ride the whole climb just under your FTP, leaving a genuine reserve for the steepest pitches, because a surge on a 28% wall will spike your heart rate and cost you far more than it gains. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then set a ceiling and hold to it. On a climb with 767 m of gain and nowhere to soft-pedal, going a fraction too hard in the first kilometre echoes all the way to the 1747 m summit.

Gearing

Gear for the maximum, not the average. A 13.48% mean already asks for a very low ratio, and the 28.14% pitches demand more still. A 34×32 is the sensible floor here, and most riders will be far happier on a 34×34 — the extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive when the road tilts toward 28% and spares your knees over 767 m of ascent. If your bike or budget allows an even lower ratio than 34×34, take it; on this climb there is no such thing as a gear that is too easy.

Summary

The Sella di Cordin / Kordin Sattel is a compact monster: 5.7 km that plays like far more, thanks to a 13.48% average and a 28.14% maximum. Bring your lowest gears, pace to your threshold, and respect every one of the 767 metres it takes to reach 1747 m.

Length: 5.7 km
Average gradient: 13.48%
Max gradient: 28.14%
Start: 980 m
Summit: 1747 m
Net gain: 767 m
Total ascent: 755 m
Category: HC