Bocchetta di Redondello

Overview

The Bocchetta di Redondello is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest classification on the scale before the numbered categories 1 through 4. Over 15.1 km it averages 7.94%, lifting you from a start elevation of 198 m to a summit of 1393 m. That is a net elevation gain of 1195 m, with 1168 m of total ascent measured along the way — the small difference telling you the road barely relents once it points up. This is not a climb you nibble at; at nearly 8% for the better part of an hour, it demands a plan.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 7.94% across 15.1 km is relentless on its own, but the number that reshapes the whole effort is the 24.14% max gradient. That is well beyond three times the average, so somewhere on the mountain there is a wall steep enough to stall an unprepared rider outright. With a net gain of 1195 m spread over 15.1 km and only 1168 m of total ascent, there is almost no false-flat recovery baked in — very little of the road descends, so the climbing is nearly continuous. Expect the pitch to swing above and below 7.94% repeatedly, punching toward that 24.14% spike where the gradient ramps hardest.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long the winning move is restraint. Riding 15.1 km at 7.94% is fundamentally a threshold effort, so anchor your pacing to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the first kilometre. If you do not have a current number, run the FTP estimator before you go so your target watts are grounded in data. Hold a touch below threshold on the steadier sections and consciously bank effort for the 24.14% max pitch, where power spikes are unavoidable. Riders who go out hard on the lower slopes almost always pay it back with interest across the final third, when the 1195 m of accumulated climbing starts to bite.

Gearing

For an HC climb averaging 7.94% over 15.1 km with a 24.14% max, gear low and gear early. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front. Pair it with at least a 34×32 cassette combination for most riders; on the 24.14% wall you will be grateful for every tooth, so a 34×34 is the smarter choice if your drivetrain accepts it. The extra range on 34×34 keeps your cadence alive where the road is steepest, which protects your legs across all 1195 m of gain. Undergearing here is the classic mistake — err generous.

Summary

The Bocchetta di Redondello is a full HC-grade challenge: sustained, steep, and topped by a genuine max-gradient wall. Pace it to your FTP, gear low, and respect the length. Get those three right and the 1393 m summit is yours.

Length: 15.1 km
Average gradient: 7.94%
Max gradient: 24.14%
Start: 198 m
Summit: 1393 m
Net gain: 1195 m
Total ascent: 1168 m
Category: HC