Forcella Mostaccin

Overview

Forcella Mostaccin is a short, sharp Italian climb that trades length for pure severity. Over just 2.9 km it averages 8.42%, which puts it firmly in the "no soft-pedalling" category, and it earns its category 2 rating not through distance but through unrelenting steepness. You start at 131 m and finish at 376 m, a net gain of 245 m across a road that rarely lets the gradient sag. At under three kilometres, it is the kind of effort you can commit to fully from the base — there is no long tempo phase to hide in, only a sustained, high-intensity push to the summit.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the gap between average and maximum. With a mean of 8.42% and a peak of 11.7%, the pitch swings within a narrow but punishing band — the difference between the two is just 3.28 percentage points, which tells you the whole climb lives at a high baseline. This is not a road that lulls you with flat sections and then ambushes you; instead, the gradient sits stubbornly in the steep zone and occasionally ramps toward that 11.7% maximum. Because the average is so close to the max, you should expect very little recovery. The 245 m of net gain is delivered across only 2.9 km, so the vertical arrives quickly and constantly. Read the road ahead: when the surface tilts toward its steepest, keep your effort even rather than surging.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is about ceiling management, not conservation. Anchor your effort to your FTP: a wall averaging 8.42% will let you ride comfortably above threshold for its duration, but going into the red in the first few hundred metres risks a blow-up you cannot recover from before the 376 m summit. If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Aim to hold a strong, sustainable power through the middle and save a little for the pitches nearing 11.7%, where cadence naturally drops and the temptation to stand and hammer is strongest. With only 2.9 km to cover, a slightly disciplined start pays off handsomely by the top.

Gearing

Steepness this consistent is exactly where gearing choices decide your day. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible foundation. Pairing it with a 34×32 gives most riders enough range to keep a workable cadence on the 8.42% average and survive the pitches toward 11.7%. If you climb at a lower cadence, tend to fade on sustained gradients, or simply want insurance on the steepest ramps, step up to a 34×34 — that extra sprocket keeps your legs turning rather than grinding. Over 2.9 km of near-continuous steepness, easier gearing is not a weakness; it is what lets you hold power to the summit.

Summary

Forcella Mostaccin is a compact, uncompromising test: not long, but steep enough to demand respect and smart pacing from the first pedal stroke. Gear low, start controlled, and finish strong.

Length: 2.9 km
Average gradient: 8.42%
Max gradient: 11.7%
Start: 131 m
Summit: 376 m
Net gain: 245 m
Total ascent: 220 m
Category: 2