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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. Bwlch Penbarras from Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, The Road to Hell from Denbigh via Nantglyn, Llanberis Pass / Pen-y-Pass from Nant Peris. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. This page provides an excellent and comprehensive summary of the top, hardest and best bicycling climbs in Wales. The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. Over the course of the slog, you'll climb . The first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. But the gentle appearance of the hedge-lined opening can be misleading - it's here that the damage can be done if not enough is left in the tank for the slightly more forgiving upper reaches. You have to take each and every opportunity to recover when it is presented, no matter how slight he says. Visit our corporate site. You'll be counting each and every pedal rev as you slowly push your way up the scree-littered road to the summit. 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. This intimidating wall achieves virtually all of its 150m altitude gain in the space of a fearsome 1.2km, at an average gradient of nearly 13%. is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs - Britain). Rising 859ft over 2.7 miles actually makes for a fairly manageable gradient most of the way up, and there's more road on which to gain altitude than it might look initially. Stwlan Dam. Luckily for us the rain was holding on our expedition. Inspecting my bike it appears my right pedal has partially disintegrated. I cant say for sure but I decide to stick with before to salvage what I can of my fragile ego. Published 2 March 23. It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. . 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. If the Tumble is the famous and successful son, the Tyla is his awkward, challenging older brother. 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. It also has a very interesting motorsport history: The History of Motor Sport and the Bwlch-y-Groes is nearly as old as motorsport. It's all fairly steady going as the climb starts just off the A449. If youve ever been to Manhattan and walked the streets straining your neck upwards to admire the skyscrapers, well, for a moment looking up this road it feels like that. Ride only 600 meters but at a stunning 21.3% average grade. Essentially every turn is a blind curve. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. Arguably, though, he is best known as the author of Cycling Climbs series of books. Our preloaded PJAMM Adventure App trip pages Wales and the UK are accessed by clicking the purple PJAMM Trips button above. Wales is a wonderful country with great people, extraordinary scenery and EPIC bike climbs!! This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). 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. Bwlch Penbarra (SW #88), 9. The top 10 hardest cycling climbs around the globe, all of which we have personally documented, are: 1. Grid Ref: NY 231 014 (OS96). Up and up, and then mercifully dipping, or is it just levelling? Up ahead, eventually the final bends come into view, just as the gradient gets brutal on the long weather-beaten 20% slope that tests your legs to the limit. This is a list of all 200 climbs feature in 100 Greatest cycling climbs and also the sequel How many have you suffered on your way up? Venture into Scotland or the North of England, and you'll also find some climbs to rival many an Alpine climb too, with England's Mont Ventoux - Great Dun Fell being a particular highlight. Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our. And don't even think about putting a foot down - you'll never get started again. 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 . But the end of the steep ramp is within touching distance. I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. 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. Straining to reach each successive crest burns more matches then to further compound the difficulty the act of zig zagging, (the practice where the cyclist tries to marginally reduce the severity of the slope by riding left to right) is rendered impossible by the unbroken line of slippery debris that runs along the roads centre. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Simon Warren for his books generally and for his contribution of Top 10 lists for PJAMM Cycling. 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. Enter the first of two sets of brutal switchbacks and wrench body and bike through the 25% corners. Based in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Simon continues to keep riding his bike uphill and guides rides, hosts events and gives talks on climbing hills on bikes! If you were measuring the steepest, hardest, highest or longest climbs in South Wales, this wouldn't be anywhere near it. Between bend three and four the pitch increases to a brutal 30 per cent then backs off slightly so we can recover for an instant before it kicks up again. Al Jaadah Pass, 3. 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. This climb is ranked #3 on PJAMMs FIETS formula-based difficulty index, as well as the UK Top Hardest Climbs list provided to us by Simon Warrenbefore our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! The end of the dry stone wall alongside you signifies the top of the climb, from where there are beautiful views north towards the western Brecon Beacons. The Cowlyd, 2. My knees are ready to snap. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If a man with legs as strong as Dans struggles up a climb then what chance do us mortals have? Wrong. This is apparent in books published prior to 1951, such as the classic travelogue Wild Wales by George Borrow (1862) and The Mountains of Snowdonia by H. Carr & G. Lister (1925). before our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! ) Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news sent straight to your inbox? (sort by distance, difficulty, elevation and more). Only two miles, but one of those climbs that feels like it goes on forever. - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. The surface is rough at first and steep from the outset, but improves as you pass over a cattlegrid and approach the double hairpin. Since that first book, he's added 11 more, as well Ride Britain which showcases 40 inspirational road cycling routes. Where Leave the A684 that runs through Hawes and head south on Gayle Lane to Gayle. But, I like to think its a Sheep in Dragons clothing. Ride two miles gaining 1,329 at 12.5% average grade. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. The Netherlands: A trip through the lowlands. The gradient towards the top is, in the most part, forgiving, with the most taxing stretches found around the villages lower down. Get info and context about new features. My puny cycling arms are shaking like a frightened kitten. Please check your inbox to complete the sign-up process and ensure you receive emails and offers from us in the future. Named after the huge old ironworks that once dominated this hillside above Pontypool, there's little to suggest the majesty of this climb's top section when you turn onto its lower slopes off the A4043 through Abersychan. The 1.9 mile route is memorable for its scary hairpin climb. Apagua, 5. Get through this, the first of many brutal stretches, and things back off for a while before ramping up to the first of two gates. 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. Have you tackled the toughest climb in your region? Read next: This spectacular virtual fly-through shows the stunning route of the 2016 Velothon Wales. Pass through the large orange gates used to close the road in winter proof, if you hadn't twigged already, that you're heading into serious country. 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. Average gradient: 6.5% Another 100 Greatest Cycling hills 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs at Amazon.co.uk Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs at Waterstones Another 100 climbs include: Longest Hill Climb Cragg Vale - The longest continuous ascent in England - 9.1 km. Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access, Enjoy your first month for just 1 / $1 / 1, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. The scene of a brilliant double ascent during the 2013 Tour of Britain, this iconic route out of Caerphilly also features as the final climb in the Velothon Wales loop of South Wales. It might be less than a mile, but make no mistake - this is the one of the toughest climbs in South Wales, with the gradient hovering around 15% virtually all the way until it finally shows some mercy in the last couple of hundred metres. Who knows. It is in the Aran Mountains near the south east edge of Snowdonia (. It's mentally taxing rather than a top-level physical challenge - the four miles of climbing are largely gentle in gradient terms, but difficult because of the scale of the landscape. Once the gradient kicks in it just gets steeper and steeper, 20% past the last of the houses, then the fun really starts. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). And Lots of them. It's also available via Apple Newsstand and Readly. 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. It then all but levels off as you pass various farm buildings, where the surface is broken and covered with the mud and debris from passing tractor tyres. When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. I asked. Climb summary by PJAMM Cyclings Brad Butterfield - he climbed this one in 2018 and 2022. El Torneado, and 10. Cwm Eigiau, 6. Ranking list 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 . The Gospel Pass is 548 high. The Tyla rounds The Blorenge Mountain from Gilwern, and its an incredibly challenging climb, mainly because of its steep lower slopes. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. Populated by wandering sheep, the road steepens relentlessly, offering nowhere to hide as you click through the gears hoping to find a large enough sprocket just to keep moving. Explore the climbing route via Google Street Views. 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. 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. See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. A pretty stone bridge over a stream takes you across the side of the hill, before a further hairpin spins you back towards the exposed top section. "Cycling in south Wales is a completely different story. Cycling apparel brand, Rapha today launched the Rapha Film Fund, a program designed to help support creatives bring their life lived by bike stories to life on Raphas YouTube. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be. Dan is his normal chatty self as we hit the first ramp, our wheels getting their first taste of the ribbed and abrasive concrete surface that would do its best to hinder our progress the entire way up. Where: Heading north out of Cymmer in the Afan Valley. Bryn Du is a very steep climb in Aberdare, up Maerdy Mountain. How many have you ridden? Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. #3 HARDEST WELSH CLIMB -BWLCH PENBARRA TO JUBILEE TOWER, Cycling Bwlch Penbarras to Jubilee Tower, Wales. The Harlech Hell Climb event was held on the excruciating climb on Sunday (August 11), with riders tackling the 330 metre climb, which averages 17 per cent and reaches a maximum gradient of 37.45 . is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (, Also known as Hellfire Pass, Bwich-Y-Groes is the highest paved road in Wales. Climbing for fun requires a particular type of sadism. Moel Arthur - 220m - 10 to 20% - 2.2km #88. There's still plenty of climbing to do along the way, but nothing as ugly as the severe slopes that head straight out of Ponty. My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be preparing similar articles for your area - and there's a form at the bottom to send your suggestions). We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. But I have to keep fighting. This mini monster was brought to my attention by hill climb master and double National Champion Dan Evans after I noticed a string of expletives in his Strava feed. ALL CLIMBS PJAMM TRIPS MEMBER COMMENTS Climb List: (sort by distance, difficulty, elevation and more) PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. 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. . Hit the opening 12% slope too hard and you're finished - because it's followed by a sequence of bends with gradients rising above 30%. Cairn O'Mount from the south side is 3.35km with an elevation gain of 319 meters. When is the first day of spring and when do clocks go forward in 2023? Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. Therefore, after Bealach na Ba (UK #1 Most Epic and #4 hardest), Bwlch y Groes might be the second best bike climb in all the land. Babusar Pass, 4. I can see why. Far from any major towns, the starting point is near some very old homesteads. Bwlch Penbarra to Jubilee Tower, 4. There is no dress rehearsal for this stretch of road, this is one take and one take only. The gradient kicks up to 14% as you head through the Cimla area of Neath, before a descent the other side takes you down into the Afan Valley. And yet once you get to the top, you'll realise you enjoyed every second. 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. The route hugs the side of the steeply sided valley, following the contours of the hillside as it heads towards the summit. This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). But we dare you to stand at Broad Pool, look up at the ribbon of road snaking up to Gower's highest point and not want to ride it. Bath One for the power climbers. The sense of achievement? Length: 64.8km Maximum gradient: 13% Vertical: 1,785m Hazards: Heat exhaustion and death America's Death Valley is not generally known as a great place to ride. Climbing up through Bedlinog is such a challenge because its so deceptive. If you want to share something you need to create an account. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. The second set of switchbacks are steeper still, and these now 30% slopes will have you straining every sinew as your front wheel desperately searches for a kinder gradient and weaves all over the road fighting to stay upright. . Early motoring magazines often mention that editorial staff hand car manufacturers had been testing on the Bwlch y Groes owing to its status of a continual and sever gradient to one of the highest moorland crossings by a road in the UK. By the end of this section, you'll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level. It's very steep into a small woodland, over a cattle grid and then you will see the enormity of your task. Named after the river beside it, the Afon Ddu (Welsh for black river) which flows down from Llyn Cowlyd I ask Dan how he first came across it. Signup for our. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head into the Afon Dyfi Valley. It's that steep much of the way. Is it the suffering? The early parts of this mountain road rarely drop below 10% as the route winds its way up through the trees. On the opposite side of the Blorenge to the more famous Tumble, Rhiwr Road makes that famous climb look like child's play. 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. Anything you have read or been told about this amazing road is likely to be true. By the time you reach the clock tower in Pricetown, you'll have been climbing fairly constantly since Bryncethin. The Brecon landscape is barren but beautiful as you climb 3.5 miles in Pen-y-Cae. Picturesque mountains, hills, valleys and coastland define the landscape, and make the area a dream cycling location. It is really tough to crown just one climb in Wales as a favorite after riding so many over our few weeks of riding in June 2022. Bedlinog Cape Epic. The surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre. I slump over the bars. 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. Within a few hundred feet of the start point, a switchback of over 20% warns you of the battle to come. Where Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head north east towards Aber-Cywarch. I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. 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. By the time the open mountain top is reached, things are much more benign. It starts steep from the village of Clydach and beats you up for a whole mile before easing just a touch. . 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. Mauna Kea, 2. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline.The park is governed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, which is made up of local government and Welsh representatives, and its main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth. Rounding the corner I spot our photographer Andy ahead and see he isnt in position. 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. Saw signs of a moose, unstrapped and started walking down the trail and saw her about 100ft up the trail. First built in 2nd century by the Romans, the pass is unbelievably tough from both directions. Plus detailed bike, kit and accessory reviews from the experts.