- Ascent
- 1840 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 30.4 km
- max. gradient
- 15 %
- ø gradient
- 6.1 %
The Colle Fauniera from Valgrana is an HC climb of 30.4 km with 1,840 m of elevation gain at an average of 6.1 %, peaking at 15 %. The road runs up the Valle Grana to 2,481 m and drops on the far side through the Vallone dell'Arma to Demonte. After a gentle valley approach, the last 14 kilometres or so average around 9 %.
The Colle Fauniera is two climbs in one: a long, gentle valley road and a steep mountain road on top of it. From Valgrana it is 30.4 kilometres and 1,840 metres of climbing up to 2,481 metres. Only eight climbs in our list have more elevation gain. Most of it comes in the second half.
The Colle Fauniera at a glance
The key figures from Valgrana: category HC, 30.4 km, 1,840 m of climbing, 6.1 % on average and 15 % at its steepest. The road follows the Valle Grana upwards and climbs to the pass at 2,481 m. On the far side it drops through the Vallone dell’Arma to Demonte in the Stura valley. In our list the Fauniera belongs to the Western Alps region.
The climb from Valgrana
The first 13 kilometres or so are hardly a climb, the gradient mostly stays below 5 %. After that comes one steeper kilometre and then two flatter ones again. Anyone who reads only the 6.1 % average expects a completely different climb. This first part is the warm up for what follows.
The last 14 kilometres or so average around 9 %, and this is where the Fauniera shows its real character. The start of this section brings the steepest kilometre of the whole climb, after that several kilometres go above 10 %. Only one kilometre in between drops clearly below 7 %. The very end eases off a little before the pass.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
The Fauniera is one of the big climbs in the list: only eight have more elevation gain, only seven are longer, and only eleven finish higher than 2,481 m. In the Western Alps it ranks fourth for both elevation gain and length. The Passo dello Stelvio has almost exactly the same climbing at 1,844 m, but packs it into 24.9 instead of 30.4 kilometres. The Fauniera’s 6.1 % average is low because of its long approach, 70 climbs are steeper on average.
Practical tips
On the Fauniera the pacing decides everything: the valley part invites you to go fast, but the hard 14 kilometres still lie ahead. A compact gearing with a large sprocket makes sense for the steep second half. At 2,481 m it can be cold even in summer, so warm layers for the top are a must. Carry on over the pass and you drop through the Vallone dell’Arma to Demonte, the way back to Valgrana is the same road.
