Nevesjoch - Passo di Neves

Overview

Nevesjoch - Passo di Neves is a hors catégorie climb, the hardest rung on the cycling ladder above categories 1 through 4. It runs 20.1 km from a valley floor at 860 m to a summit of 2399 m, a net gain of 1539 m with 1504 m of total ascent recorded across the profile. The average gradient is 7.64%, but that single figure understates the challenge: with a maximum pitch of 36.76%, this is a climb of savage moments stitched between merely hard ones.

Put simply, you are climbing for the better part of an hour, and the road almost never lets you sit up and breathe. An HC label is earned by length, steepness, and altitude together, and Nevesjoch checks all three.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Over 20.1 km the road lifts you 1539 m from base to summit. Divide that gain across the distance and you get the 7.64% average, but averages hide the story. The gap between the 7.64% mean and the 36.76% maximum is enormous — over 29 percentage points — which tells you the slope is deeply uneven.

Expect long sustained ramps around the average, punctuated by sharp kicks where the gradient briefly explodes toward that 36.76% wall. That the total ascent (1504 m) sits just below the net gain (1539 m) suggests an almost relentlessly upward road, with little to no descending or false-flat relief along the way. Every metre of altitude is climbed roughly where it appears in the profile — there is nowhere to hide.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats ambition. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a percentage you can sustain for the full 20.1 km rather than the first few. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start.

The danger on Nevesjoch is the spread between the 7.64% average and the 36.76% max. Ride the shallower sections a touch below threshold to bank energy for the spikes, where you will be forced well above it whether you like it or not. Going too deep on an early ramp with 1539 m of climbing still ahead is how riders blow apart before the summit at 2399 m.

Gearing

For an HC ascent averaging 7.64% and spiking to 36.76%, gear for the steepest metre, not the average. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front choice. On the rear, a 34×32 is the minimum most riders will want for 20.1 km at this pitch, and a 34×34 is the wiser call if you have any doubt about your legs on the sharpest ramps. Given a maximum of 36.76%, err toward the easier 34×34 — a spare gear you never use costs nothing, while a gear you needed and lacked can end your climb.

Summary

Nevesjoch - Passo di Neves is a genuine test: 20.1 km, 7.64% average, and a 36.76% maximum that demands respect. From 860 m to 2399 m you gain 1539 m of altitude. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and treat the average as the easy part.

Length: 20.1 km
Average gradient: 7.64%
Max gradient: 36.76%
Start: 860 m
Summit: 2399 m
Net gain: 1539 m
Total ascent: 1504 m
Category: HC