Passo della Cavegna

Overview

The Passo della Cavegna is a true hors catégorie monster, the kind of climb that rewrites your idea of what a long day in the mountains feels like. Over 28.1 km it drags you from a valley floor at 224 m all the way to a 2115 m summit, a net gain of 1891 m earned one pedal stroke at a time. The average gradient sits at 6.72%, which sounds civil on paper but hides just how sustained the effort is: there is almost no reprieve across nearly thirty kilometres. With a total ascent of 1882 m, this is a climb measured in patience as much as power. If you have never ridden something rated HC, the Cavegna will teach you exactly why that category exists.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 6.72% average across 28.1 km is deceptive. Climbs this long rarely hold a single pitch; instead the road breathes, easing to shallower grades in the wooded lower slopes before stiffening as the air thins toward 2115 m. Expect the early kilometres from 224 m to feel deceptively rhythmic, the sort of grade you can settle into. The real test comes higher, where the cumulative fatigue of thousands of metres of climbing meets steeper ramps. Because the net gain of 1891 m slightly exceeds the total ascent of 1882 m, the profile trends relentlessly upward with only the faintest breaks — there is nowhere to truly recover. Ride it as one continuous effort, not a series of walls.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this size, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit comfortably below it for the opening two-thirds — a climb of 28.1 km punishes anyone who goes out hot. A good target is a steady tempo that you could, in theory, hold for the full duration without cracking. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a plan. The 6.72% average means your effort will be near-constant, so small surges cost far more than they do on rolling terrain. Fuel early and often: 1891 m of vertical gain burns a lot of matches, and bonking at 2000 m of altitude is a lonely place to be.

Gearing

Do not undergear this climb. For most riders a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible floor. A 34×32 will get strong climbers over the top, but on a 28.1 km effort at 6.72% averaging toward a 2115 m summit, the extra range of a 34×34 is worth every gram. That single-tooth difference lets you spin rather than grind when the fatigue of 1891 m of climbing sets in. If your bike accepts it, an even wider cassette is no admission of weakness on an HC ascent — it is smart insurance for keeping your cadence and your legs alive to the summit.

Summary

The Passo della Cavegna is a benchmark HC climb: long, sustained, and unforgiving from 224 m to 2115 m. Respect the distance, meter your effort against your threshold, gear low, and it becomes one of the most satisfying summits you will ever earn.

Length: 28.1 km
Average gradient: 6.72%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 224 m
Summit: 2115 m
Net gain: 1891 m
Total ascent: 1882 m
Category: HC