TOP 3 MOST EPIC BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (SIMON WARREN), Cycling the incomparable Stwlan Dam, Wales. 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. This climb has the steepest 500 meter segment in all the UK. ), and I recommend parking there and not attempting to traverse any part of the actual climb route in a car. Click the CONTRIBUTE button to share your thoughts with us. Dan tells me he brought none other than Andrew Feather (current national hill climb champion) here a few weeks back. 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. Rounding the corner I spot our photographer Andy ahead and see he isnt in position. This brutal, bucket list climb invites you to tackle an incredible 48 hairpin bends between Prato and the mountain's summit. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Leave the head of Loch Kishorn, turn left and you're on your way, soon passing the large sign warning of the various dangers that lie ahead. 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 Great Orme from Llandudno via Marine Drive, The Great Orme from Llandudno via Ty Gwyn Road. The climb begins as we pass a set of old farm buildings on the left. Believe the hype. 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. This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). But the end of the steep ramp is within touching distance. Cross the cattle grid onto a long straight 7% drag that takes you into the trees. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. List of - 100 Climbs Total climbing: 21,293m over 322.75km. With one and a half pedals and dented pride I manage to make it to the top to join Dan and Jess at the finish outside the water treatment works. We rank this monster as the #3 most difficult in Britain via the Fiets index - #2 in Wales! 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. Scanuppia Factoring in a pretty torrid road surface too means reaching the top of this wall is an achievement few will ever accomplish. It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. I can see why. This spectacular virtual fly-through shows the stunning route of the 2016 Velothon Wales, Huge vintage clothing warehouse where you can get designer brands at a fraction of the price, The Thrift operates over a huge 12,000 sq ft and stocks big brands as well as a value section, Superdrug anti-aging cream called 'botox in a tub' by shoppers, Optimum Collagen Day cream is priced at 14.99. I say a big thank you to Dan and Jess for joining me for the morning its then that they point out to me, if you thought it was hard on the way up, just wait until you go back down. From there it's a steep and tough push to reach the saddle of the pass. This gorgeous country road is testing for even the best cyclists, but it provides great views north towards the western Brecon Beacons. 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!! Over the course of the slog, you'll climb . The bike climbs we have documented are in the slideshow above. 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 After all that has preceded it, the finale a set of four hairpin bends may be all too much, but fear not. After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. South Wales needs no introduction. Grid ref: SO 983 279 (OS 163)Length 1.54kmHeight gain 167mApprox climb time 9 mins, Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-y-Groes is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales. Do not attempt to ride here in unfavourable conditions. A short flat section ramps up hard, then almost levels before ramping hard again. The full climb might be 2.4km, but that doesn't even nearly tell the full story. Thank you for signing up! Riding from Llangadog, you'll be climbing before you realise, but the real business starts after the woodland stops and the open mountainside starts. The landscape is rough, its easy to see how the area gets pounded with rain and freezing temps most of the year. If you want the privilege of having ridden the highest paved road in Wales, you'll need to earn it. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. Im now trapped on a two foot wide strip of rippled 30 per cent concrete fighting for survival. I dare not look up and in a situation like this it is best not to concentrate on the finish but just live in the moment, trying to stay on two wheels, preserving forward momentum. danevanscycling Ffordd Pen Llech Where Turn off the A896 and head east just before Tornapress. 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. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. Since that first book, he's added 11 more, as well Ride Britain which showcases 40 inspirational road cycling routes. I slump over the bars. We relied heavily on Simon Warrens Top UK Climbs Series in ranking and documenting UK bike climbs (. ) The Gospel Pass is 548 high. An altitude gain of 620ft in just a mile gives a clue about what kind of climb this is. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. Stay up to date with the latest developments. When is the first day of spring and when do clocks go forward in 2023? - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. Wrong. Youre not going to forget the name of this route, nor how it makes you feel! 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. It's not too steep to begin with but as the road bends hard left at the base of an almighty tower of rock, then the gradient increases. Climbing up through Bedlinog is such a challenge because its so deceptive. and climbs through roadside fields. The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. Stick with it, as eventually the one-in-three does turn into a relatively gentle one-in-six, allowing you to build a little momentum to drag your bike up on to the moor. 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. First off, a classic. After an age on the opening steep gradient the road banks right to plateau before a brief downhill. WOW - enough said! The surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. The three vicious ascents leaving Woodmancote all offer a fantastic challenge, and of the three it's Bushcombe Lane that stands apart. The maximum gradient is 13%. [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. A long, long stretch of wickedly steep tarmac lies ahead, hugging the side of the mountain, with a slight levelling halfway but steeper still after that. Snowdonia (Welsh: Eryri) is a mountainous region in north west Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The climb lasts for almost a mile and has an elevation gain of 180 metres. 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. The northern ascent of the Black has a very different character to its southern counterpart. Where: Between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil. 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. It's neither steep or particularly tough, but the constant sequence of false summits can make it a heartbreaking experience for an already fatigued rider. My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. 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). 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. VIDEO: Snowboarder Climbs Tree To Evade Angry Moose. Select a portion of the route to retrieve climb & profile data for that segment. The road levels slightly but the. Enter the first of two sets of brutal switchbacks and wrench body and bike through the 25% corners. The king of climbs and arguably the hardest road in the land, the legendary Hardknott Pass is an amazing sliver of tarmac. But those who want to do climbs like Penrhys are extreme even within that bracket. We completed this jewel in August 2018 and because it is so epic, came back for a second go in June 2022. The superlative Bwlch y Groes is coincidentally ranked #2 most epic hill climb in Wales and 3 in all the UK. We completed this jewel in August 2018 and because it is so epic, came back for a second go in June 2022. These bike climbs can be viewed via google maps or by a detailed list of the climbs that can be arranged by difficulty, distance (longest climbs in Wales), altitude gained, highest elevation . This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. Where To find Hardknott Pass leave the A595 and head east towards Eskdale. In a way. This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). Babusar Pass, 4. 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. 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 From this page you may navigate to the top 10 most difficult bicycling climbs in Wales. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. "Cycling in south Wales is a completely different story. 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. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. Published 2 March 23. Holding a straight line is becoming all but impossible and the effort needed is simply unsustainable. 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. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. El Torneado, 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. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . Grid ref: NJ 252 118 (OS37) Length 3.01km Height gain 245m Approx climb time 21 mins, This is it: the Holy Grail, the toughest and wildest climb in Britain. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. The Tyla rounds the Blorenge from Gilwern, Heading into the trees on the Wentwood Ridge climb just where it starts to get really steep. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. How steep? And yet it's easy to forget that it's also one of the toughest. The views? 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! Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy. The route hugs the side of the steeply sided valley, following the contours of the hillside as it heads towards the summit. The lodge helpfully is a decent cafe stop too as it happens. The average gradient of the climb is 2.9% and the maximum gradient is 13%. One for the power climbers. Wales treated us quite well on our visit in August 2018. 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. Cairn O'Mount from the south side is 3.35km with an elevation gain of 319 meters. Whether it's the pine trees, the hairpin close to the top, or the meadows at the summit, but there always seems something slightly alpine about this little climb at the top of the Rhondda - even though it's less than a mile long. At the end of this long stretch, as we reach bend four of four. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. The road levels slightly but the surface is cut up and damaged. My puny cycling arms are shaking like a frightened kitten. #3 HARDEST WELSH CLIMB -BWLCH PENBARRA TO JUBILEE TOWER, Cycling Bwlch Penbarras to Jubilee Tower, Wales. Unlike national parks in other countries, Snowdonia (and other such parks in Britain) are made up of both public and private lands under central planning authority. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Climb the Gospel Pass via Hay on Wye by bike. It's also available via Apple Newsstand and Readly. Start opposite the old red telephone box, past the numerous warning signs, across the cattle grid then bend slightly left. Approaching 20%, you crawl through harsh, boulder-littered scenery, a massive slog to the briefest of levels where the classification of the road changes public cars are allowed no further. Once past an axle weight sign the climb begins. Whatever it is, it makes the stretch of climbing ahead look terrifying. . Bwlch y Groes (SW #91), 3. If you want to share something you need to create an account. Before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road, this was the main road between Gilwern and Brynmawr. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. Another climb with a fair bit of ascent to even get to the start. Signup for our. This climb is breathtaking and we will return and do this one again - its just that unique, inspiring and exceptional. 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 base of the climb is on the first right out of the village next to a farm gate. Visit our corporate site. 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. Heading up the Blorenge from the other side, the climb gains slightly less altitude in slightly greater distance. Scotland Bealach Na Ba Bealach na B is arguably the toughest climb in Britain. Read next: This spectacular virtual fly-through shows the stunning route of the 2016 Velothon Wales. We rank this monster as #2 most difficult in UK via the Fiets index. A few weeks later I arrive with our photographer Andy, Dan and his wife Jess - a hill climb champion in her own right - to share the experience with them and get the local low down on this insane 700 metres of vertical concrete. Here there is another leveling, a plateau of sorts before things turn from nasty to insane. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. Windswept and remote this climb begins in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, and goes for 3.7 miles with a 12% gradient. | 26 regions. Continue on to Fell Foot Farm and start to climb as you turn past the buildings. The Tyla rounds The Blorenge Mountain from Gilwern, and its an incredibly challenging climb, mainly because of its steep lower slopes. 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. Without being too hysterical, this climb is nothing more than a joyless straight line of pain. 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. The wooded opening sequence and the first phases on the open hillside are where you'll really suffer. This climb truly is beauty and the beast. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . 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. Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. 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. 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. By the end of this section, you'll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level. 1. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. There is no dress rehearsal for this stretch of road, this is one take and one take only. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. 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. 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 is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. Ride only 600 meters but at a stunning 21.3% average grade. Climbing into the Aran Mountains on the edge of Snowdonia, its a road of outstanding beauty rough, weathered and remorselessly steep. Simon and Dan get to grips with Pythagoras Theorem. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! The climb is really unique. It's all a bit of an optical illusion though. 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. 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. 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. Thanks to Strava for the route maps and climb profiles. Is it the suffering? We begin this climb in the midst of lush pastureland. 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