Passo della Forcora

Overview

Passo della Forcora is one of those climbs where the numbers tell the whole story before you ever turn a pedal. It runs 11.3 km from a start elevation of 197 m to a summit at 1180 m, and it does so at a punishing average gradient of 8.72%. That combination — real length paired with a steep, sustained slope — is exactly what earns a climb its HC (hors catégorie) rating, the hardest classification on the scale before the numbered categories 1 through 4.

With a net elevation gain of 983 m and 969 m of total ascent packed into those 11.3 km, there is almost nowhere to hide. The max gradient touches 16.26%, so even a rider who is comfortable at 8.72% needs to keep something in reserve for the ramps.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Forcora is consistency. An average of 8.72% across 11.3 km means this is not a climb of long false flats and one savage wall — the difficulty is spread evenly, kilometre after kilometre. When the road rears to its 16.26% maximum, that pitch is a spike above an already demanding baseline, roughly 7.54 percentage points steeper than the average.

Because the summit sits at 1180 m and the base at 197 m, you are working through 983 m of net vertical. The gap between the 983 m net gain and the 969 m of total ascent is small, which confirms there is little downhill relief along the way — once you start climbing, you keep climbing.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this uniform, pacing by effort beats pacing by feel. Anchor your ride to your FTP: a sustained 8.72% for 11.3 km rewards riders who settle into a steady, repeatable power output rather than surging on every ramp. If you do not know your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your target.

The trap here is the 16.26% max. Hold a fraction below threshold on the average slopes so you have the headroom to absorb the steepest metres without going into the red. Blow up on Forcora and there is no shallow section to recover on before the 1180 m summit.

Gearing

Gear for the average, then gear again for the max. On an HC climb averaging 8.72% and spiking to 16.26%, most riders will want a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 is a sensible baseline that will get strong climbers up the sustained slopes, but if you weigh toward endurance rather than power — or simply want to protect your knees over 11.3 km — a 34×34 buys you meaningful margin on the steepest ramps. Given the total ascent of 969 m with almost no respite, err toward the easier setup.

Summary

Passo della Forcora is a genuinely hard HC climb: 11.3 km, 8.72% average, and a 16.26% max, lifting you 983 m from 197 m to 1180 m. Steady, unrelenting, and honest — gear low, pace by power, and respect the ramps.

Length: 11.3 km
Average gradient: 8.72%
Max gradient: 16.26%
Start: 197 m
Summit: 1180 m
Net gain: 983 m
Total ascent: 969 m
Category: HC