hardest cycling climbs in wales
Bwlch y Groes (SW #91), 3. The views? Repeatedly, you'll think you're through the worst - only to be hit again with the next step of the staircase. Al Jaadah Pass, 3. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. The gradient towards the top is, in the most part, forgiving, with the most taxing stretches found around the villages lower down. Within a few hundred feet of the start point, a switchback of over 20% warns you of the battle to come. My bike is creaking. Grid Ref: NG 775 423 (OS24) Length 8980m Height gain 623m Approx climb time 37 mins, Extracts taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs and Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs by Simon Warren, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Cyclist climbing Hardknott Pass, The Lake District National Park, Cumbria Photograph: Peter Oliver/Alamy, Cyclists on Wrynose Pass in the Lake District. If you want to share something you need to create an account. Once through, you can pick up some speed before the final steep turns and your new-found momentum will help carry you through these and over the top. From the long, straight opening stretch, the summit seems scarily close in distance, while worryingly far away in altitude. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). Grid ref: SO 403 918 (OS 137)Length 0.96kmHeight gain 163mApprox climb time 7 mins, You're spoilt for choice when it comes to climbing Cleeve Hill. 1. Newly formed Denver Disruptors and Miami Nights NCL teams will make their debut at Tucson Bicycle Classic and tackle a full season of NCL and domestic racing, By Anne-Marije Rook The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. A wide right-hand bend signifies the end of the toughest part, from where it's a lovely, if exactly, ride up to the top, with a hairpin halfway up affording a great view of the town you've just left. The first 10km climbs 800m to a small Visitor Centre, via ever steepening slopes and long 12 - 15% ramps. Where From the bottom left corner of Rosedale Abbey leave the main road and turn south east on to Gill Lane, pass the giant warning sign, and head up. Apart from the few cars that travel this route, you're more likely to have wary, onlooking deer for company, as they track your slow progress up the mountain. This page provides an excellent and comprehensive summary of the top, hardest and best bicycling climbs in Wales. One for the power climbers. The sense of achievement? Its from here that this road separates itself from its peers, and its from here that everyone will be pushed to their limits. The Floor is Lava is nothing compared to this road. Let us know your thoughts about this page. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). As of 2022, Simon Warren has published 12 cycling climbing books - 10 focusing on the UK, one on TdF and the other on the Giro. Bwlch Penbarras from Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, The Road to Hell from Denbigh via Nantglyn, Llanberis Pass / Pen-y-Pass from Nant Peris. Another climb with a fair bit of ascent to even get to the start. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. A headwind, on the other hand, and it can be a real grind. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. I cant say for sure but I decide to stick with before to salvage what I can of my fragile ego. A commonly held belief is that the name is derived from eryr ("eagle"), and thus means 'the abode/land of eagles',but recent evidence is that it means quite simply Highlands, and is related to the Latin oriri (to rise) as leading Welsh scholar Sir Ifor Williams proved.The term Eryri first appeared in a manuscript in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, in an account of the downfall of the semi-legendary 5th-century king Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern).In the Middle Ages the title Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia (Tywysog Cymru ac Arglwydd Eryri) was used by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd; his grandfather Llywelyn Fawr used the title Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller area, namely the upland area of northern Gwynedd centred on the Snowdon massif, whereas the national park covers an area more than twice that size extending far to the south into Meirionnydd. Llangynidr Mountain is very much a climb of two halves. I had to go and check it out. Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. I slump over the bars. The surface is rough at first and steep from the outset, but improves as you pass over a cattlegrid and approach the double hairpin. Length 2.25km Height gain 298m Approx climb time 15 mins, If Hardknott is the king of climbs, then Wrynose is its queen; slightly softer at the edges but no less ruthless. Passing farm buildings and trees, the road veers left, then a very sharp 25% right a taste of what's to come before easing as the last of the trees disappear beneath you. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. That said, Bwlch Penbarra is certainly a top three for US. Baran Road is arguably the most beautiful of all the tough climbs were listing here. ranks this as the hardest climb in Wales and he will get no argument from us on that front! ), and I recommend parking there and not attempting to traverse any part of the actual climb route in a car. Bath My puny cycling arms are shaking like a frightened kitten. Stay up to date with the latest developments. F. J. The dial might touch 10% at times here, but in reality this is a fairly gentle climb that winds gracefully up for Mitchel Troy, just outside Monmouth, to its summit close to the village of Trelleck through a pleasant mix of open fields and deciduous woodland. Then you hit the switchbacks, where a better surface is cold comfort as you grapple with gravity's pull and attempt to hold your momentum through these vicious bends. World Cycle Tours, Nutterswood Cottage, Nutters Wood, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PZ, United Kingdom. 1. Between the narrow road, the rutted surface and the severity of the slope, this is one seriously tough climb. Id evaluated the merits of all contenders from Yorkshire's Rosedale Chimney to Ffordd Penllech via Bushcombe Lane and Vale Street but then came that bigger fish, then came a new vision of hell: Afon Ddu, AKA the Baby Zoncolan. It never relents, never lets up until you reach the bend in the shadow of a rocky outcrop, you've still got a fair bit of climbing to reach the top, but it's not as hard now. It's a testing drag, with the incline quickly kicking up to 9% and staying there or thereabouts much of the way to the top. The bottom of the Abercynafon climb - note the 20% gradient, The open countryside of the Baran Road climb, The open part of the Bedlinog climb, after leaving the village, Looking south from the climb up the Black Mountain, The profile of the Black Mountain, from Brynamman, Looking down at the upper reaches of the Black Mountain climb from Llangadog, Looking north from the top of the Black Mountain, The profile for the Black Mountain from Llangadog, The top of the British, heading out of Abersychan, Steep inclines before leaving Aberdare on the way up Maerdy Mountain, The hairpin on the climb up Maerdy Mountain from Aberdare, Descending from the Bwlch into the Afan Valley, Near the top of the Bwlch, from the Afan Valley, The profile for the climb up the Bwlch from the Afan Valley, Looking up towards the summit of the Bwlch on the way up from Treorchy, The early part of the Caerphilly Mountain climb after leaving Tongwynlais, The steepest part of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from Tongwynlais, The profile of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from Caerphilly, The 20% slopes of the Wenallt climb up Caerphilly Mountain, The profile of the Wenallt climb up Caerphilly Mountain, Dan Martin and Nairo Quintana lead up Caerphilly Mountain in the 2013 Tour of Britain, The final kick on the Mountain Road ascent of Caerphilly Mountain, The profile of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from the centre of the town, The road up Cefn Bryn stretching into the distance, The higher part of the Cimla climb out of Neath, The steep and cobbled slopes of Swansea's Constitution Hill, The long stretch up to Crai reservoir from Pen y Cae, The view down from the top hairpin on the Devil's Elbow, The top section of the Gospel Pass, after the steepest parts, Climbing up alongside dry stone walls and mountain streams on Heol Lan, Looking back down the climb out of Llangattock, Looking back down from the top of Llangynidr Mountain, Llanguicke Road: Almost unimaginably steep, The views from close to the summit of Llangynidr Mountain, The climb from Llangwm towards Shirenewton, The climb to Llanwonno, shortly after leaving the houses of Graigwen Road, The forested section close to the top of the climb to Llanwonno from Pontypridd, Onto more open terrain at the top of the Maerdy Mountain, The profile of the climb up Maerdy Mountain, The Old Black Rock climb from Gilwern to Brynmawr, The relentless gradient to the top of Penrhys, One of the steepest sections of the climb up past Pontypridd Golf Club, Looking back from the top of the Pontypridd Golf Club climb, The profile for the Pontypridd Golf Club climb, The top section of the Rhigos on the north side, The profile of the Rhigos climb from Hirwaun, The profile of the Rhigos from Treherbert, Rhiwr Road is difficult from the very start, Looking back towards Monmouth shortly after leaving Mitchel Troy on the climb to Trelleck, The profile of the climb towards Trelleck from Mitchel Troy. We asked Simon Warren to provide us with lists of both the Top 10 Hardest, and Top 10 Most Epic bike climbs in England, Wales, Scotland, and the UK. [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. The 5 hardest cycling climbs in the UK (Please link to Pedalsure.com if using elsewhere) Bealach na B Bealach-na-Ba 9.2km at 6.8% (Grid: 1 km) -25% -10% 0% 10% 25% View full details on The closest to an Alpine mountain climb that the UK has to offer is Bealach na B ("Pass of the Cattle" in Scottish Gaelic) on the west coast of Scotland. Without being too hysterical, this climb is nothing more than a joyless straight line of pain. Is it the suffering? Horshoe Pass (Bwlch yr Oernant) - 317m - 7 to 20% - 6.1km #91. Babusar Pass, 4. With this in mind, I put my eyes to work scanning the gradients ahead looking for any stretch of reprieve, no matter how short, where I can take a break from the infernal torment. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. Since that . Its gradient maxes out at 37 percent, with an . And it's so steep, close to 25% at the point where the tall valley walls disappear and the radar slowly rises over the horizon to sit above you, tracking the remainder of your progress. Ahead lies 30 metres that has every single ounce of muscle straining like a weight lifter attempting to raise four times their body weight above their heads. Heres how it works. Mauna Kea, 2. is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs - Britain). Luckily for us the rain was holding on our expedition. - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. Click the CONTRIBUTE button to share your thoughts with us. winding route from Hay you veer right past the turn for Craswall and over a cattle grid.The road steepens here for the hardest part of the climb.After a few hundred yards you are greeted to a fantastic view of Hay Bluff and . You start your ascent from the beautiful Corgarff castle and straight away you hit 20% slopes rough, relentlessly steep and twisting a little. A little bit about Simon Warren - We contacted Simon Warren with our request for his Top 10 lists because we consider him the Gold Standard and cyclist with the most thorough and comprehensive knowledge of hill climbing by bike in the UK. Friends Dominic Millar, Graham Salisbury and James Findlater have returned home triumphant having completed 3,300 miles and climbed around 50 vertical miles in month-long endurance cycling . The sign reading 20% as you cross a stream on the beautiful valley road from Talybont-on-Usk is the first hint of the lung-busting effort that awaits you. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. Round the end of Loch Kishorn and follow the signs to Applecross, up and over Bealach-na-Ba. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure. Riding from Llangadog, you'll be climbing before you realise, but the real business starts after the woodland stops and the open mountainside starts. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. While our Fiets list overlaps Simons for some climbs, the 2 lists do give you a nice sense of the objective and subjective Top 10 hardest Welsh climbs. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. Leaving Rosedale Abbey, a sign warns you of the one-in-three yes, one-in-three gradient to come. This is largely due to its length of 9.32km. Im now trapped on a two foot wide strip of rippled 30 per cent concrete fighting for survival. The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. Essentially every turn is a blind curve. Join the road up from Thornhill and things get a little easier before the final wall up to the main road. The famous hairpin means you've broken the back of it, and by the time you're onto the tree-lined final straight, you'll virtually be able to taste the ice cream from the van in the layby at the summit. The Brecon landscape is barren but beautiful as you climb 3.5 miles in Pen-y-Cae. In an attempt to move right, my front wheel lifts, there is a bang, my right foot instinctively unclips and that was it, I am gone. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. Where: Heading north out of Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley. And Lots of them. Where: Between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil. Pass the clock tower, and things step up a notch, with a straight 16% ramp taking you (via a flatter terrace section) onto the climb proper. Favourite cycling climbs in North Wales 1 - Pen-y-Pass aka Llanberis Pass Pen Y Pass Profile. When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. Click on "Climb Page" to jump to the detail page for that particular bike climb. But those who want to do climbs like Penrhys are extreme even within that bracket. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. danevanscycling Ffordd Pen Llech Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy, Warning sign near the Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire Photograph: Mark Sunderland/Alamy, Remote pass Bwlch y Groes, Wales Photograph: Keith Morris/Alamy, The road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul, Aberdeenshire. Pass Castell Coch on your left, feel the smooth false flat underneath your wheels and the scent of wild garlic in the air, and you'll think you're in for an easy couple of miles. The second bend here is so steep on the inside that it forces you far right, so take care. The less celebrated of two routes up Llangynidr Mountain, the climb from Llangattock is no less difficult. This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). Or should we be asking, how accurate? From there, there's the option of a fast descent into Defynnog, but a much better alternative is to continue in a straight line uphill and onto the ancient Heol Senni. Zig-zag past cascading waterfalls, amidst the brief protection of rocky outcrops to exit this tangle of tarmac and round one final left hand to finish. We begin this climb in the midst of lush pastureland. We relied heavily on Simon Warrens Top UK Climbs Series in ranking and documenting UK bike climbs (. ) Stwlan Dam. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. Thankfully it eases off as it reaches the higher levels, giving you the chance to recover before the summit while taking in stunning views of Hay Bluff and the English borders. South Africa's Cape Epic is the only MTB stage race classed as 'hors categorie' (beyond category) by the UCI, and upon looking at the eight days of riding . Grid Ref: SH 913 232 (OS125)Length 3.56km Height gain 385m Approx climb time 23 mins, A true monster of a climb through the heart of the Cairngorms, the road up to the Lecht Ski Centre is a simply stunning ride. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Anything you have read or been told about this amazing road is likely to be true. The top 10 hardest cycling climbs around the globe, all of which we have personally documented, are: 1. 1. On my first climb up Bwlch y Groes in 2018 I got a flat tire on my vehicle that was parked in front of one of these homesteads and was assisted in fixing the flat by the old-timer that lived nearby. Don't let the urban nature of this climb fool you - it's not easy. There is still some way to go but you can click through the gears before finishing just after a gaping cattle grid adjacent to a small car park.Where Head east from the A435 through the village of Bishop's Cleeve on Finlay Way. Get the arrow-straight, slightly soul-destroying drag past Tower Colliery out the way and enjoy the way this climb gently curves its way across the front of the mountain. When I first tackled Hardknott Pass in the Lake District I assumed nothing could ever beat that, but then a few years after I discovered the road up to Abdon Burf in the Shropshire Hills and my perception of torture was changed. This climb truly is beauty and the beast. South Wales needs no introduction. The climb goes up a ridge to a small parking lot, where we saw two other cyclists. Things start off fairly easily, but get harder and harder and harder again by the time you near the summit of Cefn Eglwysllan, with a lovely 20% ramp greeting you to the very top. Ride 1.8 miles gaining 916 at 10% average grade. The Tyla rounds The Blorenge Mountain from Gilwern, and its an incredibly challenging climb, mainly because of its steep lower slopes. Its so incredibly steep that even 10 seconds of going too hard early on and youll blow it, you really have to measure it just right., Dan Jones's climbing prowess and local knowledge showing on the steeper sections of Abdon Ddu. Photos clockwise from top left: Bwlch y Groes (Wales #1, UK #2 hardest); Stwlan Dam (Wales #1, UK #2 most epic); Entering Wales in Llanymynech; Cardiff Castle; Welsh flag flying over Cardiff Castle (center). Having featured as a summit finish for the Welsh Nationals and the Tour of Britain, as well as being the signature climb for Velothon Wales, the Tumble is easily one of the most famous climbs in Wales. Photograph: Paul White/Alamy, Scotch mist hanging over Bealach na Ba. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Dan tells me he brought none other than Andrew Feather (current national hill climb champion) here a few weeks back. It's all a bit of an optical illusion though. A great alternative to the Cray climb (see above) - this starts from the same point, but instead of taking the main road, bears left up a narrow lane into a desolate moment top.
