Here are some of the UK's other toughest ascents. 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. Llano de las Animas, 7. The steepest parts of the climb are before you've even left the edge of the town, but it's long enough to be a real struggle if you've burnt too many matches too soon. The first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. 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. The road levels slightly but the surface is cut up and damaged. Okay - sheep is not the official mascot. See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. WOW - enough said! Just keep going, then head down the terrifying descent. VIDEO: Snowboarder Climbs Tree To Evade Angry Moose. 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 also available via Apple Newsstand and Readly. 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. When we reached this last hairpin though his jaw hit the floor, he recalls. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. Grid Ref: SE 720 945 (OS94) Length 1430m Height gain 179m Approx climb time 9 mins, Fleet Moss, the highest road in Yorkshire, is a beast from either direction but the greater challenge lies in the route south from Hawes. Heave yourself round this evil corner and you're through the worst of it. This climb truly is beauty and the beast. Mauna Kea: Cycling the Hardest Climb in the World The hardest ascent is from the west, beginning at Fell Foot Farm, where straight away you have a 20% right-hander and that's just a taste of what lies ahead. 1. Explore the climbing route via Google Street Views. Banking right, the surface breaks up and 20% soon turns into 25%. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (, The History of Motor Sport and the Bwlch-y-Groes is nearly as old as motorsport. I can see why. 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. Visit our corporate site. 100 Greatest cycling climbs list - Cycling uphill Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). First built in 2nd century by the Romans, the pass is unbelievably tough from both directions. Height gain 286m This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride. Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble and line the road as the Tour of Britain cyclist near the finish, Abergavenny. Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. Epic Climbs in South Wales - Cardiff By Bike Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. Best cycling climbs Europe: Top 10 hardest routes - Red Bull In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. Even though its very short you have to go so slowly at first. Climbing for fun requires a particular type of sadism. From there it's a steep and tough push to reach the saddle of the pass. TOP 3 MOST EPIC BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (SIMON WARREN), Cycling the incomparable Stwlan Dam, Wales. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. 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. How many have you ridden? In a way. Pass Gairnshiel Lodge and Colnabaichin. "Take it easy now or you'll never make it." Pen-y-Pass is the climb out of Llanberis on the A4086 up to the Pen-y-Pass lodge where several walking routes to the summit of Snowdon start from. Round the end of Loch Kishorn and follow the signs to Applecross, up and over Bealach-na-Ba. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. This page provides an excellent and comprehensive summary of the top, hardest and best bicycling climbs in Wales. Grid ref: NY 710 321 (OS 91)Length 7.45kmHeight gain 638mApprox climb time 40 mins, Few climbs have such a fearsome reputation as Rosedale Chimney, and rightly so. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. 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. See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the Profile Tool button. Have we found Britian's steepest cycling climb | Cycling Weekly You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. . This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). Its found as you head north-west out of Pontardawe. Through a second gate it's easy for a while then bending right once again it's leg-breakingly tough to the finish at the station, where, looking around you, you might as well be on top of the world. Cycling climbs Wales The top few miles of the Swansea Valley take you up the steady slopes of a wide and straight main road up to the beautiful Crai Reservoir. This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. Follow the base of the ridge until you reach Asterton then turn right past the post box and head up. 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 . We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. You'll be counting each and every pedal rev as you slowly push your way up the scree-littered road to the summit. The hardest part is swinging onto the six or seven kilometre climbs and seeing riders crawling up the hill ahead of you looking like ants . What follows is a brief levelling out but you can't put off what lies ahead for long. 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. Afon Ddu starts abruptly from the main road and youll need just one gear, the lowest you can fit on your bike. 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. It is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. Learn More ALL TRIPS The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. 5 Hardest Climbs In The UK - Pedalsure In 2021 we contacted Simon Warren requesting his picks for the Top 10 Most Epic and Top 10 Hardest bike climbs in (1) Wales, (2) England, (3) Scotland, and (4) the UK. There is no dress rehearsal for this stretch of road, this is one take and one take only. Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. 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%. Simon Warren (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, UK) ranks this as the hardest climb in Wales and he will get no argument from us on that front! In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. Once past an axle weight sign the climb begins. Now very narrow and lined with snow poles, the climb is so well surfaced it resembles a two-metre-wide carpet. Plus detailed bike, kit and accessory reviews from the experts. United States - Top Bike Climbs - PJAMM Cycling . 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. 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. Bwlch Penbarra (SW #88), 9. A headwind, on the other hand, and it can be a real grind. Check the forecast before you head out and be prepared for harsher weather at the top. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. 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. If you want the privilege of having ridden the highest paved road in Wales, you'll need to earn it. Grid ref: SD 862 843 (OS98)Length 5.34km Height gain 323m Approx climb time 22 mins, On the eastern edge of the Long Mynd lies the infamous Asterton Bank, also known by many other names that I could not print here. We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. I can now hear Jess approaching from behind, her 34 x 32 slightly more suited to the venue than my 34 x 28, judging by her colourful language I assume I am in her way. It's a brave soul who doesn't find the site of the Bwlch summit towering above them as they set out from Treorchy slightly daunting. Taking your bike up a steep climb next to Welsh dry stone walls and mountain streams on Heol Lan is an experience that will stay with you. F. J. 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. Moel Arthur - 220m - 10 to 20% - 2.2km #88. Holding a straight line is becoming all but impossible and the effort needed is simply unsustainable. And Lots of them. Since that first book, he's added 11 more, as well Ride Britain which showcases 40 inspirational road cycling routes. Almost imperceptibly, the gradient rises up until you'll suddenly feel like you're pedaling through treacle - probably just before the turn-off for Fforest Fawr. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. Theres always a bigger fish. Thats what the ancient proverb says, and just when I thought Id ridden the steepest road in Britain, and put the matter of determining the country's toughest cycling climb to bed once and for all, up popped another hideous incline to further move the goalposts and redefine suffering. The gradient towards the top is, in the most part, forgiving, with the most taxing stretches found around the villages lower down. is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs - Britain). I had to go and check it out. The scenery gets more barren as you climb, dispensing with the trees and dry stone walls of the lower stretches and opening out into a classic Brecon Beacons landscape at the summit. The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. Windswept and remote this climb begins in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, and goes for 3.7 miles with a 12% gradient. 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. The faint summit can be seen straight in front for a large part of the climb, making it easy to set an impatient tempo that'll come back to bite you later on. 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. The Most Challenging Climbs in South Wales - World Cycle Tours 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. One of the hardest climbs in the South West (Credit: Mark Percy) Dunkery Beacon is one of the toughest climbs in the south west of England with 321m of climbing over 3.1km. Cycling climbs: UK's top 5 road climbs - Red Bull Afon Ddu, 7. I cant say for sure but I decide to stick with before to salvage what I can of my fragile ego. Finish at the car park at the top of the climb. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news sent straight to your inbox? Grid Ref: NY 277 027 (OS90) Length 2.52km Height gain 278m Approx climb time 15 mins, This is the greatest climb in England, this is our Mont Ventoux, it has no peers, there is no comparison: Great Dun Fell is simply unique. Where Head north into the mountains from Ballater on the A939. Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-Y-Groes. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. If you were measuring the steepest, hardest, highest or longest climbs in South Wales, this wouldn't be anywhere near it. 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. Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! Believe the hype. 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. Abercynafon Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. There's a choice towards the top between turning right down towards Llangynidr or carrying on along the road to Rassau to complete the full climb. -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . 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). He wasn't wrong. 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 . Picturesque mountains, hills, valleys and coastland define the landscape, and make the area a dream cycling location. Through Gayle, the road flat, hugging the river, soon rises sharply for a short 17% lung-opener. Not only is this listed as the #1 most epic bike climb in Wales and #2 in the UK, we consider it a Top 25 Most Epic World Climb - its THAT AMAZING!! It starts from the village of Porlock and climbs an average of 10% gradient towards the top of Exmoor. Don't let the urban nature of this climb fool you - it's not easy. Where Leave the A684 that runs through Hawes and head south on Gayle Lane to Gayle. With the wind on your back, it's one that can be tackled in the big ring on a good day. 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. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. But as the road heads into the trees, it rears up sharply, and doesn't drop below 12% until the very top. Wrong. I snapped my chain not once but twice in my attempt to conquer this vicious stretch of tarmac. Stay up to date with the latest developments. Its from here that this road separates itself from its peers, and its from here that everyone will be pushed to their limits. Hardest cycle climbs: 6 of the world's toughest hills - Red Bull That said, Bwlch Penbarra is certainly a top three for US. Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head into the Afon Dyfi Valley. The Brecon landscape is barren but beautiful as you climb 3.5 miles in Pen-y-Cae. A while later the utterly horrendous Cowlyd in north Wales found its way onto my radar and again the slate was wiped clean and a new standard was set. 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. 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. Wales treated us quite well on our visit in August 2018. Two miles up a main road at between 4% and 6% might sound easy, but that just depends on how fast you're going. The Tour of Britain tackled the climb in 2010, when Swiss Michael Albasini attacked up it to take a solo win in Swansea.
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