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We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. Brutal hill climb in Wales held on newly-crowned - Cycling Weekly Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britain's steepest hill. Second hardest bike climb in the UK (#1 Wales) - PJAMM Cycling Below, we detail 10 of the toughest climbs in the UK, and provide links to the Strava segments to help you plan your routes. 1. I can see why. From bend two the road swings left, kicks up then eases back to rumble across a cattle grid and so far, so pretty ordinary but then, up ahead the road arcs away to the right and here it begins to look serious. . 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 British is named after the massive old ironworks that once dominated this area above Pontypool. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . As Dan waltzes off ahead I am beginning to falter. Repeatedly, you'll think you're through the worst - only to be hit again with the next step of the staircase. 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. Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. 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. 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. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Three Cycling UK members have successfully completed an epic challenge to tackle 100 of the UK's most iconic climbs in one mammoth month-long road trip. That said, Bwlch Penbarra is certainly a top three for US. The five toughest cycling sportives in the world - The Telegraph Thank you for signing up! 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Photograph: Paul White/Alamy, Scotch mist hanging over Bealach na Ba. It's not quite the Alps, but it's a close as it gets in South Wales. "Take it easy now or you'll never make it." 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 . A straight line of unflinching steepness of such monotony that it regularly feels like you're going nowhere. Baniamr Aquabah Pass, 6. Start opposite the old red telephone box, past the numerous warning signs, across the cattle grid then bend slightly left. Who knows. 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. The 5 hardest cycling climbs in the UK (Please link to Pedalsure.com if using elsewhere) Bealach na B The closest to an Alpine mountain climb that the UK has to offer is Bealach na B ("Pass of the Cattle" in Scottish Gaelic) on the west coast of Scotland. -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . 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. From there it's a steep and tough push to reach the saddle of the pass. Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. Let us know your thoughts about this page. You have to take each and every opportunity to recover when it is presented, no matter how slight he says. The Gospel Pass is situated 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. Top 7 cycling climbs in North Wales and Snowdonia 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. Check the forecast before you head out and be prepared for harsher weather at the top. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. Now straightening up, the next stretch is ridiculously hard, the main problem here being just staying upright while either side of the road, sheep wait to see if yet another rider falls victim to the Chimney. Where: Between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. Sign up with your email address to receive offers, news and updates. The Hardest Climbs - The Steepest Roads in the World Bikes & Gear Health & Nutrition Training Repair Exclusives Subscribe Sign In 1 Five Black Women Who Rode From NYC to DCin 1928 2 18 Best. At the end of this long stretch, as we reach bend four of four. We believe we have located and thoroughly documented the Top 10 Hardest (by Fiets and by Simon Warren) and 10 Most Epic (Simon Warren) and these are accessed via the Map or List above on the Wales Home page just above this Climb Area Summary. The Cowlyd, 2. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. Height gain 286m 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. From the junction with Station Road, exit the village past the first 25% sign then the road bends left at a second 25% warning as if you need reminding, it's going to be hard. After an age on the opening steep gradient the road banks right to plateau before a brief downhill. The Travel App includes many helpful travel tools, including: an itinerary, interactive map with points of interest and all loaded routes as well as navigation to each; a tracking feature that shows participant locations; records statistic for routes completed; post photos and text in real time to blog and map; and a share feature so friends, fans and family can follow you and your adventure on our interactive map. 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. Wales treated us quite well on our visit in August 2018. Cycling climbs Wales The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. This climb has one very steep segment near the beginning of the climb: a full half-mile at 16.5%. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy. Cape Epic. 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!! Where: Heading north-west out of Pontardawe. This is one of the toughest bits of road anywhere in the UK and, through the next left-hand bend, it touches 30% at the apex. [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. 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. 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. Babusar Pass, 4. 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. An altitude gain of 620ft in just a mile gives a clue about what kind of climb this is. North Wales Cycling Climbs amongst the top 100 - VC Melyd Apagua, 5. The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. The Tyla rounds The Blorenge Mountain from Gilwern, and its an incredibly challenging climb, mainly because of its steep lower slopes. Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (FIETS INDEX), This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. 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 The Netherlands: A trip through the lowlands. WOW - enough said! I cant say for sure but I decide to stick with before to salvage what I can of my fragile ego. It's very steep into a small woodland, over a cattle grid and then you will see the enormity of your task. Factoring in a pretty torrid road surface too means reaching the top of this wall is an achievement few will ever accomplish. Let us know what you thought of this climb. Do not attempt to ride here in unfavourable conditions. 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. Ranking list It is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. 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. 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. 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. 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. 10 of the UK's Toughest Cycling Climbs - Band of Climbers Horshoe Pass (Bwlch yr Oernant) - 317m - 7 to 20% - 6.1km #91. Windswept and remote this climb begins in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, and goes for 3.7 miles with a 12% gradient. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. He wasn't wrong. 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. 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. Is it the suffering? If someone built it we will damn well try and ride it, even if it means falling on our ass because. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. Bwlch y Groes (SW #91), 3. 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. But what is the attraction? for this page: 100 Greatest Climbs - A Road Cyclists Guide To Britains Hills; Cycling Climbs of Wales; see also https://www.100climbs.co.uk/books). Before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road, this was the main road between Gilwern and Brynmawr. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. 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. 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. Thanks to Strava for the route maps and climb profiles. Anything you have read or been told about this amazing road is likely to be true. 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%. BA1 1UA. The king of climbs and arguably the hardest road in the land, the legendary Hardknott Pass is an amazing sliver of tarmac. 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. The landscape is rough, its easy to see how the area gets pounded with rain and freezing temps most of the year. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. . Up and up, and then mercifully dipping, or is it just levelling? We begin this climb in the midst of lush pastureland. Simon and Dan get to grips with Pythagoras Theorem. Reaching new heights - tackling 100 toughest cycling climbs This climb comes with the steepest 500 meters in all of the UK at 25%, and it comes at the beginning of the climb so be prepared to strain at the outset. Scotland Bealach Na Ba Bealach na B is arguably the toughest climb in Britain. It's all a bit of an optical illusion though. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. . 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. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. 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. If a man with legs as strong as Dans struggles up a climb then what chance do us mortals have? But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? 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. Moel Arthur - 220m - 10 to 20% - 2.2km #88. Ride over Irton Pike and pass through Eskdale Green and Beckfoot to reach the base of the climb next to the warning sign at Jubilee Bridge. . It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. We have twice personally documented the Welsh Top 10 Hardest Climbs. And Lots of them. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). Each country has her crowned Jewel and Bwlch y Groes makes a good argument for taking that award for the Welsh territory. 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. 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). This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). Youll enjoy unobstructed views of the canyon as you pass Wales mascot - Sheep! After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. Maximum gradient: 16%. Now round to the right, the ever steepening, increasingly lumpy surface heads into arguably the hardest section of relentlessly steep tarmac in Britain. Mauna Kea, 2. In front of you is the Alpine-style Ski Centre, a simply awesome ride. I slump over the bars. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble Abergavenny. 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. Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. A flat lakeside hairpin two thirds of the way up should give you the slingshot needed for the last push, with the road cutting through rock on its final approach to the summit. 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. If the Tumble is the famous and successful son, the Tyla is his awkward, challenging older brother. Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble and line the road as the Tour of Britain cyclist near the finish, Abergavenny. 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. Grid Ref: NY 231 014 (OS96). The road levels slightly but the. 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 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. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. 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. 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). Gradients of around 30% are generally only found on the inside of tight bends. 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.