The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. World Cycle Tours, Nutterswood Cottage, Nutters Wood, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PZ, United Kingdom. The climb begins as we pass a set of old farm buildings on the left. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). "Take it easy now or you'll never make it." All rights reserved. The Tour of Britain tackled the climb in 2010, when Swiss Michael Albasini attacked up it to take a solo win in Swansea. 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. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). 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. The three vicious ascents leaving Woodmancote all offer a fantastic challenge, and of the three it's Bushcombe Lane that stands apart. If someone built it we will damn well try and ride it, even if it means falling on our ass because. 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. 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. Through the gate, straight over a cattle grid and into more hard work, the road bending left past a stone shelter, a sure-fire signal although you are nowhere near the top yet that you're heading into truly hostile country. 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. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. 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. The Great Orme from Llandudno via Marine Drive, The Great Orme from Llandudno via Ty Gwyn Road. The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. Have you tackled the toughest climb in your region? 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). If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. 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. This route is an area of desolate but beautiful countryside. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britain's steepest hill. Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. But its trajectory means that the damage is done on the brutally steep lower slopes. Believe the hype.
The 10 Hardest Cycling Climbs in the World 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. 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 We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. Bedlinog 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. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. The surface is rough at first and steep from the outset, but improves as you pass over a cattlegrid and approach the double hairpin. With summer temperatures routinely. When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. 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. 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. After around 50 metres the second bend arrives where on the corner there is a slight leveling, Dan immediately heads to the shallower part of the corner here to catch a few seconds respite. 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. Heave yourself round this evil corner and you're through the worst of it. But, I like to think its a Sheep in Dragons clothing. South Wales needs no introduction. Cwm Eigiau, 6. The steepest paved street in Pittsburghand one of the toughest climbs in the USmakes the top spot on our list. After all that has preceded it, the finale a set of four hairpin bends may be all too much, but fear not. 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. Ranking list This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). The Guardian - Britains top 10 toughest cycle climbs, 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. 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%. The early parts of this mountain road rarely drop below 10% as the route winds its way up through the trees. 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. As Eryri (see above), this area has a unique place in Welsh history, tradition and culture. North, as editor of the book Snowdonia (1949), states "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper." [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. 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. I snapped my chain not once but twice in my attempt to conquer this vicious stretch of tarmac. In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. Get info and context about new features. It's all fairly steady going as the climb starts just off the A449. 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. He was in north Wales pinching some of my best KOMs so I thought he deserved some punishment. The top 10 hardest cycling climbs around the globe, all of which we have personally documented, are: 1. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. As Dan waltzes off ahead I am beginning to falter. Horshoe Pass (Bwlch yr Oernant) - 317m - 7 to 20% - 6.1km #91. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. Heres how it works. Most local riders know its here, we gave it the nickname the Baby Zoncolan but we all avoid it like the plague. La Muerte, 9. Published 2 March 23. For more epic hill climbing data, visit our Top 10 Most Epic UK and also our Top 10 Most Epic Welsh hill . In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. 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. The route is found in Abersychan, Torfaen, where its lower slopes begin on the A4043 and then after a mile turn left and youll begin to climb through a breathtaking gorge. The Shelf - 262m - 5 to 15% - 5.1km #87. My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. 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. Bwlch Penbarra (SW #88), 9. 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. The climb is tough right away, then gets tougher still as you bend right into what is a small taste of things to come. I did warn him how bad it was but he was like, yeah, its just another hill. If you survive the absolute wall out of Pontypridd along Graigwen Road, you'll be treated to one of the most beautiful routes in this part of South Wales as the road follows a ridge high above Taff Valley to the historic church of Llanwonno. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. The second bend here is so steep on the inside that it forces you far right, so take care. We rank this monster as #2 most difficult in UK via the Fiets index. At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! 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.