Its found as you head north-west out of Pontardawe. I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. 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 . Rhiwr Road (SW #197), and 10. 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. Heave yourself round this evil corner and you're through the worst of it. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline. Thank you for signing up! The first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. Snowdonia National Park (Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) was established in 1951 as the third national park in Britain, following the Peak District and the Lake District. Thanks to the help of Strava, we've selected the top five hardest climbs in the UK: Fford Penllech - Wales Hardknott Pass - England Bealach-na-Ba - Scotland Rosedale Chimney - England Trooper. It's short, steep and fairly hostile all the way to the final left corner that brings you out Caerphilly Mountain's famous snack bar. Soon into the ride we are climbing through a canyon area with dramatic plateaus and hillside formations, particularly on the right side as we climb. Bwlch Penbarra (SW #88), 9. My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. If you can ride this, you can ride anything. Here there is another leveling, a plateau of sorts before things turn from nasty to insane. . Or should we be asking, how accurate? You start your ascent from the beautiful Corgarff castle and straight away you hit 20% slopes rough, relentlessly steep and twisting a little. It starts from the village of Porlock and climbs an average of 10% gradient towards the top of Exmoor. 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. 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. After leaving the village, you're into open moorland but don't expect a gradient in single figures. The road if you can call it that was built so vehicles could access the giant pipelines that draw water from Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Eigiau to feed the Dolgarrog hydroelectric power Station and the water treatment plant that sits on its slopes. Factoring in a pretty torrid road surface too means reaching the top of this wall is an achievement few will ever accomplish. Here are some of the UK's other toughest ascents. This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride. 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!! Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest], 100 Greatest Climbs - A Road Cyclists Guide To Britains Hills, Rate climbs, post comments and share your experiences on any of our climb pages, Create bucket lists of climbs & mark the dates you complete them, Weather data for all climbs - Start & Finish, Upload photos to your member page to customize your PJAMM Cycling experience, Utilize all of our interactive tools - Profile & Routes in Area. Cwm Eigiau, 6. View epic images taken along the climbing route. You will, however, be able to reacquaint your backside with the saddle for the final push to summit on the approach to the gliding club.Where To reach the base turn north away from the A489 at Plowden. Over the years, I've sought to climb as many hills as possible. United Kingdom: England's Hardest and Most Epic Hill Climbs, United Kingdom: Hardest and Epic Bike Climbs, United Kingdom: Scotland's Hardest and Most Epic Hill Climbs. Thanks to Strava for the route maps and climb profiles. The Brecon landscape is barren but beautiful as you climb 3.5 miles in Pen-y-Cae. 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. Bedlinog The landscape is rough, its easy to see how the area gets pounded with rain and freezing temps most of the year. The Most Challenging Climbs in South Wales, West Sicily: A Journey Through Ancient Culture & History, Wales: Cycling From The Border To The Brecon Beacons, Sweden: The Kattegattleden & Halland Coast. 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. See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the Profile Tool button. This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Llano de las Animas, 7. Al Jaadah Pass, 3. Unceremoniously I hit the floor and proceeded to tumble southwards just missing Jess by millimeters (how she stayed upright Ill never know and sincerely I apologise for ruining her QOM attempt). is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs - Britain). Afon Ddu, 7. It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. It's all fairly steady going as the climb starts just off the A449. Horshoe Pass (Bwlch yr Oernant) - 317m - 7 to 20% - 6.1km #91. Staring with 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs in 2010, Simon has set out to chronicle and, of course, ride the toughest cycling climbs across the UK and Europe. But the end of the steep ramp is within touching distance. 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. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. We begin this climb in the midst of lush pastureland. My knees are ready to snap. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. How many have you ridden? 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. 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. There is also now a Welsh Climbs book 100 greatest cycling climbs is a list of some of the hardest climbs in the UK from Constitution Hill to Kirkstone Pass and Ditchling Beacon. In a way. - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. One of the longest climbs in South Wales, the road through the Afan Valley is generally in an upward direction from the time it leaves Port Talbot, but it's after going through Cymmer that the climb begins in earnest. Let us know what you thought of this climb. Believe the hype. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. After an age on the opening steep gradient the road banks right to plateau before a brief downhill. You have to take each and every opportunity to recover when it is presented, no matter how slight he says. 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. 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. Click the CONTRIBUTE button to share your thoughts with us. >>> Subscriptions deals forCycling Weeklymagazine. -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . Bealach na B is the one most talked about, as one of few category 1 road climbs in the United Kingdom. Through Gayle, the road flat, hugging the river, soon rises sharply for a short 17% lung-opener. How steep? Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head into the Afon Dyfi Valley. The surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre. Mauna Kea, 2. 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! Once past an axle weight sign the climb begins. After all that has preceded it, the finale a set of four hairpin bends may be all too much, but fear not. 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. Just keep going, then head down the terrifying descent. 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. El Torneado, and 10. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. 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%. Where To find Hardknott Pass leave the A595 and head east towards Eskdale. The sheer length of this steep section is what sets this climb apart, there's just nowhere to recover. The bike climbs we have documented are in the slideshow above. I slump over the bars. The climb up here out of Ferndale is pretty tasty too. Where: Heading north out of Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy. If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. The climb lasts for almost a mile and has an elevation gain of 180 metres. BA1 1UA. 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. 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. You'll find the top, most difficult, epic, scenic, hardest, challenging, extreme, inspiring, bucket list bike climbs located in Wales. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. I had to go and check it out. The king of climbs and arguably the hardest road in the land, the legendary Hardknott Pass is an amazing sliver of tarmac. Stay up to date with the latest developments. You'll probably wish you were enjoying a sedate stroll along the fairways of the adjacent golf club by the time you reach the lung-crushing gradients at the top of this punchy climb out of Pontypridd. For a while there I thought Id settled it. and climbs through roadside fields. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. Do not attempt to ride here in unfavourable conditions. Please check your inbox to complete the sign-up process and ensure you receive emails and offers from us in the future. Most local riders know its here, we gave it the nickname the Baby Zoncolan but we all avoid it like the plague. Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. Best time to cycle J F M A M J J A S O N D Ranking list Wales Difficulty points Gradient Length Total ascent You can also subscribe to the magazine, save on the cover price and get it delivered every Thursday. Increasing in steepness as it passes old industrial relics, the road winds its way up the side of a breathtaking gorge, with just a few boulders between separating you and the 10% gradient from the edge. Luckily for us the rain was holding on our expedition. The Shelf - 262m - 5 to 15% - 5.1km #87. With a maximum gradient of 22% and an average gradient of 8.1% youre afforded great views of Aberdare the higher you climb. Afon Ddu starts abruptly from the main road and youll need just one gear, the lowest you can fit on your bike. When is the first day of spring and when do clocks go forward in 2023? Inspecting my bike it appears my right pedal has partially disintegrated. Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our. Round the end of Loch Kishorn and follow the signs to Applecross, up and over Bealach-na-Ba. The Netherlands: A trip through the lowlands. 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. 1. Pass through the village, over the river, turning right to find the base of Beggarmans Road and head for the sky. I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. You are eventually rewarded with a blissful flat stretch, but it's not over yet; round a left-hand bend is yet more 20% gradient, a final zig-zag and a few last kicks take you to what feels like the top of the world. This is a list of all 200 climbs feature in 100 Greatest cycling climbs and also the sequel Simon has been riding for over 30 years and has a long connection with Cycling Weekly, he was once a designer on the magazine and has been a regular contributor for many years. 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. Where Leaving the A593 just south of Skelwith Bridge head west to Little Langdale. Bending right the slope immediately kicks up to around 25 per cent but this is mere childs play compared to what lies ahead. With summer temperatures routinely. But those who want to do climbs like Penrhys are extreme even within that bracket. Riding from Llangadog, you'll be climbing before you realise, but the real business starts after the woodland stops and the open mountainside starts. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. . Bath Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. World Cycle Tours, Nutterswood Cottage, Nutters Wood, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PZ, United Kingdom. The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. Gradients of around 30% are generally only found on the inside of tight bends. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. In front of you is the Alpine-style Ski Centre, a simply awesome ride. Between the narrow road, the rutted surface and the severity of the slope, this is one seriously tough climb. The hardest, most difficult and challenging cycling climbs in Wales are, in order of difficulty, 1. It also has a very interesting motorsport history: The History of Motor Sport and the Bwlch-y-Groes is nearly as old as motorsport. - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. 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. For more epic hill climbing data, visit our Top 10 Most Epic UK and also our Top 10 Most Epic Welsh hill . 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. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. Click on "Climb Page" to jump to the detail page for that particular bike climb. The wooded opening sequence and the first phases on the open hillside are where you'll really suffer. before our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! ) The three vicious ascents leaving Woodmancote all offer a fantastic challenge, and of the three it's Bushcombe Lane that stands apart. Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. 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. Up and up, and then mercifully dipping, or is it just levelling? Turn left after around a mile though, and everything changes. 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. Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. 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. 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 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. Ranking list Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble and line the road as the Tour of Britain cyclist near the finish, Abergavenny. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (, Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-Y-Groes. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . Pass Gairnshiel Lodge and Colnabaichin. It only takes 1 minute and it's completely free. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. This featureoriginally appeared in the September 23 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine,on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, priced 3.25. What comes next will take your breath away. Rounding the corner I spot our photographer Andy ahead and see he isnt in position. I was to discover that there is absolutely no objection to cyclists riding it, although few would be mad enough. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. Apagua, 5. The road levels between the sharp bends giving you a chance to attack each wicked corner then gather yourself in time for the next. The Gospel Pass is 548 high. Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-Y-Groes. The 10 hardest hill climbs in Wales can be viewed on this page via the map (zoom in to view climbs in particular areas), by Climb Cards (photo and stats) or by a detailed list of the climbs that can be arranged in metric or imperial units by difficulty, distance (longest climbs in the area), altitude gained, highest elevation (highest summit), average grade (sort the grades by varying distances), lowest start point, etc. The climb begins as we pass a set of old farm buildings on the left. Scroll down the page to access the full Top 10 Welsh Bike Climbs on the Map below (or switch to "Table" for a detailed list). This is simply a magnificent cycling experience. Sign up with your email address to receive offers, news and updates. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Views and scenery during the middle of the climb. 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. After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. From this page you may navigate to the top 10 most difficult bicycling climbs in Wales. From the long, straight opening stretch, the summit seems scarily close in distance, while worryingly far away in altitude. Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! But amongst the legendary Welsh valleys, beaches and mountains found in the south of the country, where can you find the most challenging climbs on two wheels? The sense of achievement? 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. Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. This climb is along the southeastern edge of Snowdonia National Park (established 1951 - third national park in Britain after Peak District and Lake District). We relied heavily on Simon Warrens Top UK Climbs Series in ranking and documenting UK bike climbs (https://www.100climbs.co.uk/books) - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. Snowdonia (Welsh: Eryri) is a mountainous region in north west Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). Let us know your thoughts about this page.
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