Forcora d'Arasio

Overview

Forcora d'Arasio is an HC climb — hors catégorie, the hardest rating on the scale that runs down through 1, 2, 3, and 4. It earns that label the honest way: 11.9 km of road at a 9.9% average gradient, lifting you from a start elevation of 359 m to a summit of 1532 m. That is 1173 m of net gain, with 1249 m of total ascent once the small undulations are counted in. There is no false flat to hide behind and no long valley run-in to soften the numbers. From the moment the road tilts up, it stays up, and the average tells you plainly that this is a climb defined by relentlessness rather than a single savage ramp.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 9.9% average across 11.9 km is the headline, and it is worth sitting with what that really means. Sustaining almost 10% for nearly twelve kilometres is far harder than a short wall of the same steepness, because there is no recovery built into the shape. The gap between the 1249 m of total ascent and the 1173 m of net gain is only 76 m, which tells you the profile barely dips — there are almost no descents or flat sections to reset your legs. Treat the whole climb as one continuous effort. The steepness is consistent enough that whatever gradient you meet in the opening kilometre is a fair preview of what waits above, all the way to 1532 m.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and this steep, pacing is everything. Your FTP is the number to anchor to: ride the lower slopes at or just below threshold and resist the urge to chase a fast opening split, because 11.9 km at 9.9% will punish any early overreach mercilessly. Because the gradient never relents, even a small overshoot compounds over the full 1173 m of climbing. If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Aim to arrive at the halfway mark feeling like you have more in reserve than you want to — that discipline is what gets you to the 1532 m summit intact.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. A 9.9% average over 11.9 km rewards a low, spinnable ratio far more than raw strength. A compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get many riders up, but on gradients holding near 10% for this long, a 34×34 gives you the extra margin to keep cadence civilised when the legs fade in the upper half. If your setup allows something even lower, use it — the goal is to protect your knees and your composure across the full 1249 m of ascent, not to prove a point on ratio.

Summary

Forcora d'Arasio is a pure HC grind: sustained, unforgiving, and defined by its 9.9% average holding firm across 11.9 km. Pace it with your threshold, gear low, and respect the length as much as the steepness.

Length: 11.9 km
Average gradient: 9.9%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 359 m
Summit: 1532 m
Net gain: 1173 m
Total ascent: 1249 m
Category: HC