Forcella de Medesc

Overview

Forcella de Medesc is a long, high-mountain climb that rewards patience over punch. At 19.2 km, it is the kind of ascent you settle into rather than attack. The average gradient of 5.09% reads gently on paper, but it stretches across nearly twenty kilometres and finishes at 2029 m of altitude, where thin air quietly taxes even well-trained legs. From a start elevation of 1052 m, the road carries you to a summit that sits 977 m higher — the net elevation gain — earning this climb its category 1 rating, one rung below the hardest hors catégorie ascents.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do not be lulled by that 5.09% average. The gradient is far from uniform: the max pitch of 22.17% is more than four times steeper than the mean, so somewhere on this climb the road ramps into a genuinely brutal wall. Because the total ascent is 924 m while the net gain is 977 m, the profile is almost entirely upward — there is little in the way of false descent to give your legs a break, but the climbing is honest and continuous. Expect long stretches sitting near the average, punctuated by sharp kickers where the gradient spikes toward that 22.17% ceiling. Those ramps are where the climb is won or lost.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, restraint early is everything. The steady 5.09% average means most riders should aim to hold a rhythm slightly below their FTP, leaving headroom for the steep pitches near 22.17% that will otherwise blow your effort apart. Nearly 20 km at altitude compounds fatigue, so the goal is even, sustainable power rather than heroics in the first few kilometres. If you are unsure what wattage you can hold for this duration, use the FTP estimator to anchor your target before you start. Meter your effort to the summit at 2029 m, not to the next bend.

Gearing

With a max gradient of 22.17% and 977 m to grind through, generous gearing is not weakness — it is smart. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will get many climbers up the steadier 5.09% sections comfortably, but the pitches toward 22.17% are where a 34×34 truly earns its place, letting you keep cadence up and torque down when the road stands on end. If your bike accepts it, the extra sprocket of the 34×34 buys real insurance over 19.2 km of climbing.

Summary

Forcella de Medesc is a classic long-haul category 1 test: 19.2 km of near-continuous climbing that gains 977 m of altitude and tops out at 2029 m. Pace it patiently, gear it generously, and respect the max pitches, and it becomes one of the more satisfying big-mountain days you can ride.

Length: 19.2 km
Average gradient: 5.09%
Max gradient: 22.17%
Start: 1052 m
Summit: 2029 m
Net gain: 977 m
Total ascent: 924 m
Category: 1