The Col Collection
Want to compare the difficulty of different climbs? Here we have a table of climbs and stats for significant or popular cycling climbs that I’ve done. You can sort by location, ascent ft, average gradient, and difficulty* (FIETS).
*The Fiets Index was created by the Dutch cycling magazine FIETS. The actual formula is: [H^2/D*10] + (T-1000:1000; but only if greater than 0)
- H = ending elevation minus starting elevation in meters.
- D = total distance traveled in meters.
- T = Height in meters.
- ^ = multiply that number by itself (i.e., square the number)
- * = multiply
- Note: Only add T-1000 if that number is greater than zero.
In general this is a good guide but I have some issues with it. It deviates in two areas: extreme altitude and extreme grade. Long climbs are endurance, steep is muscle and tendon strain. For me, the Mortirolo was the hardest in the strain category. Then there is the altitude factor, for which Pikes Peak take top honors. And this formula doesn’t consider factors such as for Pikes, the last 2 miles are over 9%! Sure it averages only 5.9 but that 9.9 at e 13000-14000 feet is brutal.
The Stelvio double, on the otherhand, was a really big day but not that hard. Doing Pikes twice in a day sounds aweful, however. The Swiss climbs I found pretty hard in general because after doing a couple of them you have over 10000 ft. That second climb feels hard. The top of a third in a day and you are at like 16000ft.
Some climbs have a reputation that is not matched to the difficulty. Lookout Mountain in Golden, for example, has been used in many races, amateur and pro, but it’s just a hill. I’ve done the whole thing in the big ring on a good day, and I’m far from pro. Conversely, I think some of the Boulder climbs are harder than this list suggests because they are steep-ish and at 6000-9000 feet.
Physics point of reference: I weigh under 140 pounds.
Anyway, aside from big altitude and and the ultra steep, this is a valid formula.
Here is a map of all Col Collection climbs.
| Cols and Climbs Completed | Difficulty (FIETS) | Distance - miles | Vertical Ascent - feet | Average Grade | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passo del Ghisallo (Bellagio) | 2.8 | 5.3 | 1727 | 5.2% | Italy |
| Passo Campolongo (Corvara) | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1194 | 5.8% | Italy |
| Col de la Croix de Morts | 3 | 5.5 | 1329 | 4.6% | France |
| Lookout Mountain | 3.1 | 4.5 | 1,205 | 5.2% | Golden |
| Passo Campolongo (Arabba) | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1476 | 5.7% | Italy |
| Nigerpass (Vigo de Fassa) | 3.7 | 3.9 | 1388 | 6.8 | Italy |
| Col de Port (Tarascon) | 4.1 | 9.2 | 2650 | 5.7% | France |
| Col du Chioula (N 20 - D 44) | 4.4 | 11.7 | 3038 | 4.2% | France |
| Col du Marmare (Luzenac) | 4.4 | 11 | 3174 | 4.7% | France |
| Great St. Bernard (old ski station) | 4.4 | 3.9 | 1762 | 8.5% | Switzerland |
| Arp Du Jeu | 4.5 | 4.0 | 1772 | 8.4% | Italy |
| Oberalppass | 4.6 | 6.4 | 1995 | 5.9% | Switzerland |
| Boulder Canyon | 4.7 | 3.8 | 2,815 | 3.4% | Boulder |
| Valparola (east) | 4.7 | 7.9 | 2189 | 5.9% | Italy |
| Forcella Staulanza (Caprile) | 4.9 | 9 | 2636 | 5.5% | Italy |
| Col du Marmare (N 20 - D 44) | 5.1 | 8.6 | 2185 | 4.8% | France |
| Gotthard Pass (Hospental) | 5.2 | 5.6 | 1970 | 7.1% | Switzerland |
| Col du Soulor (Arrens-Marsous) | 5.2 | 4.6 | 3343 | 7.8% | France |
| Valparola (west) | 5.2 | 8.9 | 2515 | 6.2 | Italy |
| Col de la Croix (Les Diablerets) | 5.4 | 5.2 | 2011 | 7.2% | Switzerland |
| Derborence | 5.4 | 10.7 | 3056 | 6% | Switzerland |
| Furkapass (Realp) | 5.4 | 4 | 1839 | 8.2% | Switzerland |
| Col du Chioula (Ax les Thermes) | 5.5 | 7.0 | 2463 | 6.5% | France |
| Nigerpass (Tiers) | 5.5 | 8.2 | 2655 | 5.6% | Italy |
| Col de Ordino (Ordino) | 5.6 | 6.2 | 2260 | 6.3% | Andorra |
| Collada de Beixalis | 5.6 | 4.4 | 1834 | 8.7% | Andorra |
| Grimselpass | 5.7 | 6 | 2203 | 6.6% | Switzerland |
| Lee Hill to end of Deer Trail (from 36) | 5.7 | 6.6 | 2334 | 7.9% | Boulder |
| Passo Pordoi (Arabba) | 5.7 | 5.8 | 2205 | 7% | Italy |
| Trail Ridge Road (Grand Lake side to Visitors Center) | 5.7 | 14 | 3100 | 4.2% | Colorado |
| Passo Duran (Dont) | 5.8 | 5.4 | 2178 | 7.4% | Italy |
| Col du Glandon (Barrage du Verney) | 5.9 | 15.7 | 4271 | 6.7% | France |
| Falzarego (north) | 5.9 | 8.6 | 2650 | 6.1% | Italy |
| SuperJames (from 36) | 5.9 | 9.4 | 2618 | 5.1% | Boulder |
| Ax-3-Domains | 6 | 5 | 2194 | 8.3% | France |
Col du Telegraphe | 6 | 7.6 | 2680 | 6.7% | France |
| Flagstaff - "Superflag" (Gregory Canyon to mailboxes) | 6.1 | 4.6 | 1935 | 8.6% | Boulder |
| Falzarego (south) | 6.2 | 7.7 | 2662 | 6.4% | Italy |
| Sugarloaf Road | 6.3 | 4.8 | 2036 | 8% | Boulder |
| Col du Pradel (Niort de Sault) | 6.4 | 7.8 | 2733 | 6.6% | France |
| Passo Pordoi (Canazei) | 6.4 | 7.3 | 2541 | 6.5% | Italy |
| Sella Pass (Canazei) | 6.4 | 6.9 | 2553 | 7.2% | Italy |
| Passo Giau (Pocol) | 6.5 | 5.7 | 2288 | 7.9% | Italy |
| Furkapass (Obergoms) | 6.7 | 10.5 | 3382 | 6.4% | Switzerland |
| Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Cortina) | 6.7 | 13.1 | 4224 | 5.6% | Italy |
| Sunshine Canyon (4th to top) | 7.2 | 9 | 3046 | 6.4% | Boulder |
| Col de la Croix de Fer (Barrage du Verney) | 7.3 | 15.1 | 4635 | 6.9% | France |
| Col d'Agnes (Aulus les Bains) | 7.3 | 6.1 | 2620 | 8% | France |
| Trail Ridge Road (Estes Park to Visitors Center) | 7.3 | 24.6 | 4794 | 4% | Colorado |
| Port de Cabus | 7.5 | 11.4 | 3585 | 5.5% | Andorra |
| Magnolia Road (to dirt) | 7.7 | 4.5 | 2203 | 9.9% | Boulder |
| Great St. Bernard (St. Rhemy-en-Bosses) | 7.9 | 8.8 | 3146 | 6.5% | Italy |
| Col de Sarenne (Le Freney d'Oisans) | 8.1 | 9.9 | 3746 | 7.1% | France |
| Gotthard Pass (Airolo) | 8.2 | 7.6 | 3049 | 7.6% | Switzerland |
| Left Hand Canyon (36 to Brainard Lake) | 8.2 | 21.2 | 5238 | 5.3% | Boulder |
| Mt Lemmon | 8.2 | 25.2 | 5495 | 4.6% | Tucson |
| Passo di Marmolada / Fedaia (from Caprile) | 8.2 | 9.1 | 3361 | 8.9% | Italy |
| Col de la Gueulaz(Lac d’Emosson) | 8.3 | 6.6 | 2995 | 8.5% | Switzerland |
| Luz Ardiden | 8.3 | 8.3 | 3364 | 7.6% | France |
| Port de Lers (Massat) | 8.3 | 8 | 3271 | 5.2% | France |
| Col de la Forclaz (Martigny) | 8.7 | 8.2 | 3394 | 7.8% | Switzerland |
| Susten Pass | 9.1 | 20.9 | 5989 | 4.7% | Switzerland |
| Gavia Pass (Bormio) | 9.3 | 15.8 | 4624 | 6.3% | Italy |
| Klausen Pass (Altdorf) | 9.6 | 14.8 | 4908 | 6.7% | Switzerland |
| Col de Pailhères (Usson) | 9.6 | 9.4 | 3777 | 7.8% | France |
| Alpe d'Huez | 9.7 | 8.4 | 3586 | 8.3% | France |
| Passo Giau (Selva di Cadore) | 9.7 | 6.2 | 2985 | 8.9% | Italy |
| Col du Tentes | 9.8 | 19.2 | 5569 | 5.1% | France |
Col du Galibier (Valloire) | 9.9 | 11.35 | 6312 | 7.1% | France |
| Klausen Pass (Linthal) | 10.1 | 15.2 | 5134 | 6% | Switzerland |
| Lac de Moiry | 10.2 | 19.3 | 6639 | 4.8% | Switzerland |
| Plateau de Beille | 10.6 | 9.9 | 4178 | 7.7% | France |
| Col du Tourmalet (Campan) | 10.7 | 13.2 | 4710 | 7.8% | France |
| Mt Evans (Idaho Springs) | 10.7 | 27.4 | 6163 | 4.4% | Colorado |
| Col du Tourmalet (Luz Saint Sauveur) | 11.3 | 11.9 | 5068 | 7.5% | France |
| Col de la Croix (Ollon) | 11.4 | 10.7 | 4443 | 6.8% | Switzerland |
| Gavia Pass (Ponte de Legno) | 11.4 | 12 | 4512 | 7.9% | Italy |
| Grosse Scheidegg (Meiringen) | 11.5 | 10.2 | 4140 | 9.6% | Switzerland |
| Mt Evans (Evergreen - not a continuous climb) | 11.6 | 35.4 | 8316 | 4.1% | Colorado |
| Passo dello Stelvio (Bormio) | 12.2 | 13.4 | 5030 | 7.1% | Italy |
| Sanetsch Pass | 13.2 | 15.8 | 5827 | 6.6% | Switzerland |
| Mortirolo | 14.1 | 7.6 | 4179 | 10.8% | Italy |
| Passo dello Stelvio (Prato) | 15.4 | 15.1 | 5932 | 7.4% | Italy |
| Pikes Peak | 17.4 | 24.6 | 7782 | 5.9% | Colorado |
| Cols and Climbs Completed | Difficulty Score (FIETS) | Distance - miles | Vertical Ascent - feet | Average Grade | Location |