For some years, Monte Zoncolan (aka Kaiser) has risen to the honours among cycling enthusiasts and beyond. The Giro d’Italia cycle race has revealed what is considered to be one of the toughest climbs (if not the hardest) of those faced on these long tours. Indeed, cyclists from all over the world come to Ovaro, at the heart of Carnia, to try to overcome the force of gravity which tries to push them downhill with a series of infernal slopes.

Well, if you want to experience a worse nightmare, you can ride your bicycle to the opposite side of the Kaiser, cross the Degano torrent and aim for the house with 100 windows. Once there, relax for the last time, cross Mione and go beyond a signal that indicates a slope the likes of which you’ve never seen before.

You will experience the thrill of an impossible climb called Stentaria. This is simply a terrible name that describes the road to get to the top of the Forcella Pass, probably the most ambiguous name one could give a mountain pass. Here, if you have the strength to grit your teeth to the top, you will find yourself challenging and updating your perception of fatigue.

You will see the climb to the Kaiser from the Ovaro side it with different eyes and will feel like a quiet stroll in town for a drink by comparison! This is not just what I say: the numbers speak very clearly:

Ovaro>Zoncolan average steepness 11.52%

Ovaro>Passo della Forcella average steepness 15.08%.

Then, if you consider only the stretch from Mione to the Pass, the numbers are even more inclement: distance 6.08 km, height difference 1111 metres, average steepness 18.27%. Like a staircase but 6 km long, and with abundant stretches over 20% with peaks of 28%. In practice, in the rare sections where the slope is just 12% to 15%, it seems like plain sailing; I’m not joking.

The great thing is that you can tackle it both on mountain bikes and racing bikes, as it is all asphalted and in the more steep sections, cemented. Anyway, I recommend an Mtb so that once you get to the top, you can continue on the dirt roads leading to the malghe huts of Sauris. Here, the nightmare that was the climb is completely forgotten thanks to the breathtaking views to be had between the Forchia, Losa, Gerona and Pieltinis huts, fabulous places that I also recommend for a simple walk. Once you’ve tackled the last climb to the Pieltinis pass, you can easily reach Val Pesarina, put your wheels back on asphalt and return to Ovaro.

On the web, a very popular site for cycling enthusiasts ranked the Stentaria in 12th place of the hardest climbs in the world, while the Kaiser is at 50th. In addition, few people know that in Friuli, within 20 km, we have four of the toughest climbs in the world and Ovaro is right at the centre.