Passo della Spina

Overview

Passo della Spina is one of those climbs that reads like a typo until you're actually on it. Over just 9 km the road drags you from 402 m at the base all the way to a 1520 m summit — a net elevation gain of 1118 m. That works out to an average gradient of 12.44%, a figure that would be alarming for a short wall, let alone something sustained across nine kilometres. Add the HC (hors catégorie) label, the hardest rung above categories 1 through 4, and you know exactly what kind of day you've signed up for.

This is not a climb you settle into. It's a climb you survive, metre by metre.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is the 12.44% average, but averages flatten out the story. On Passo della Spina the terrain swings hard, and the max gradient of 32.35% tells you the road has at least one moment that is closer to a wall than a road. When a climb averages 12.44% yet peaks at 32.35%, it means the pitch is constantly shifting — there are ramps far above the mean and short reprieves that let it back down.

Note too the small gap between the 1118 m of net gain and the 1098 m of total ascent. That negative-space difference of 20 m tells you there's almost no descending or false-flat recovery baked into these 9 km. Every metre of the road points relentlessly upward toward that 1520 m summit.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is everything — go too hard on the lower ramps and the 32.35% pitch will simply stop you. Anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the first kilometre, because adrenaline lies on a 12.44% average.

The problem is that on gradients this severe you're often forced above threshold whether you like it or not; the road, not your legs, sets the tempo. Aim to spend the shallower sections slightly under FTP so you have a match to burn when the pitch rears up. If you don't know your number, run the FTP estimator before you go — a realistic threshold value turns this climb from a blind grind into a manageable, if brutal, effort.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With a 12.44% average and a 32.35% max, a standard road setup will have you grinding sub-cadence and torching your legs long before the summit. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the starting point, and the cassette is where you buy your survival.

A 34×32 is the bare minimum here, and even that will feel tall on the steepest ramp. If your rear derailleur can take it, run a 34×34 — the extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive on the worst pitches and protects your knees across all 9 km. On an HC climb this steep, a slightly easier gear is never wasted; spin it out and stay seated where you can.

Summary

Passo della Spina is a genuine HC test: short in distance but savage in gradient, with almost no recovery from base to summit. Gear low, pace to your threshold, and respect the ramps.

Length: 9 km
Average gradient: 12.44%
Max gradient: 32.35%
Start: 402 m
Summit: 1520 m
Net gain: 1118 m
Total ascent: 1098 m
Category: HC