Passo Juribrutto - Sforcèla Grana

Overview

Passo Juribrutto - Sforcèla Grana is a climb that hides nothing. Over just 9 km it averages a savage 12.34%, dragging you from a start elevation of 1611 m all the way to a 2726 m summit. That is 1115 m of net vertical gain packed into a distance most riders would cover in a gentle warm-up on flatter roads. Rated HC — hors catégorie, the hardest classification there is — this is not a climb you ride into by accident. It demands respect from the first pedal stroke and keeps demanding it until the road finally levels.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 12.34% average tells only part of the story. The real character of this climb lives in its spikes. With a maximum gradient of 32.48%, there are pitches here that read like a wall rather than a road — a full 20.14 percentage points steeper than the already-cruel average. When a climb averages this high, the "easy" sections are still steep, which means there is nowhere to truly recover. Total ascent comes in at 1144 m, just 29 m more than the net gain, so this is an almost relentlessly upward line: very little rolling, almost no descending, just a sustained push skyward. Expect long stretches in the mid-teens punctuated by ramps that force you out of the saddle whether you planned to stand or not.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is survival. Anchor your effort to your FTP and accept that the steepest ramps will spike you well above it — the goal is to keep those surges short and drop back to a sustainable output as soon as the gradient eases. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit, then set a power ceiling for the shallower pitches so you have something left for the 32.48% sections. Start conservatively; the summit is 2726 m up and going into the red early on a 12.34% average is a mistake you rarely recover from.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. A standard compact with a 34×32 will feel marginal once the road tips past 20%, and on the 32.48% pitches it may leave you grinding at a cadence that shreds your legs. Fit the widest cassette your derailleur will take: a 34×34 is the sensible floor here, and many riders will wish for more. The priority is spinning circles rather than mashing squares — with a 12.34% average sustained over 9 km, preserving your knees and your cadence matters more than any weight penalty from a bigger cassette.

Summary

Passo Juribrutto - Sforcèla Grana is a pure test of climbing legs and gearing choices: short, unforgiving, and vertical from bottom to top. Come prepared, gear low, and pace with discipline.

Length: 9 km
Average gradient: 12.34%
Max gradient: 32.48%
Start: 1611 m
Summit: 2726 m
Net gain: 1115 m
Total ascent: 1144 m
Category: HC