The hardest, most difficult and challenging cycling climbs in Wales are, in order of difficulty, 1. 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. Riding alongside Dan with Jess tucked in behind we set off, all three of us understandably apprehensive of what lies ahead. 1. I cant say for sure but I decide to stick with before to salvage what I can of my fragile ego. 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. Pass Gairnshiel Lodge and Colnabaichin. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. The climb lasts for almost a mile and has an elevation gain of 180 metres. But, I like to think its a Sheep in Dragons clothing. On the opposite side of the Blorenge to the more famous Tumble, Rhiwr Road makes that famous climb look like child's play. Read next: This spectacular virtual fly-through shows the stunning route of the 2016 Velothon Wales. Where: Between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. Its from here that this road separates itself from its peers, and its from here that everyone will be pushed to their limits. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Tyla rounds the Blorenge from Gilwern, Heading into the trees on the Wentwood Ridge climb just where it starts to get really steep. Height gain 286m When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. 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. Photos clockwise from top left: Bwlch y Groes (Wales #1, UK #2 hardest); Stwlan Dam (Wales #1, UK #2 most epic); Entering Wales in Llanymynech; Cardiff Castle; Welsh flag flying over Cardiff Castle (center). Average gradient: 6.5% Another 100 Greatest Cycling hills 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs at Amazon.co.uk Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs at Waterstones Another 100 climbs include: Longest Hill Climb Cragg Vale - The longest continuous ascent in England - 9.1 km. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. 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. Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our. 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. The best advice for anyone heading uphill out of Aberdare - don't put yourself in the red too early. I did warn him how bad it was but he was like, yeah, its just another hill. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. danevanscycling Ffordd Pen Llech 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. The climb is really unique. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . . 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. Cross the cattle grid onto a long straight 7% drag that takes you into the trees. 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. You're now face to face with the vicious 25% corner which delivers you on to the cruel slopes that cling to the side of the sheer bank. La Muerte, 9. Follow the base of the ridge until you reach Asterton then turn right past the post box and head up. Signup for our. And Lots of them. 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. Anything you have read or been told about this amazing road is likely to be true. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. and climbs through roadside fields. Please check your inbox to complete the sign-up process and ensure you receive emails and offers from us in the future. He wasn't wrong. 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. You'll find the top, most difficult, epic, scenic, hardest, challenging, extreme, inspiring, bucket list bike climbs located in Wales. Join the road up from Thornhill and things get a little easier before the final wall up to the main road. 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). Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. You have to take each and every opportunity to recover when it is presented, no matter how slight he says. 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. Climb summary by PJAMMs Brad Butterfield who documented this climb in 2018 and again in 2022 (Wales is one of 27 countries Brad has cycled and documented for PJAMM in addition to 16 US states). It only takes 1 minute and it's completely free. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Riding from Llangadog, you'll be climbing before you realise, but the real business starts after the woodland stops and the open mountainside starts. Once the gradient kicks in it just gets steeper and steeper, 20% past the last of the houses, then the fun really starts. Maximum gradient: 16%. There, in front of you, painted on to the side of the mountain and looking like a giant flight of stairs, lies the rest of the climb. The scene of a brilliant double ascent during the 2013 Tour of Britain, this iconic route out of Caerphilly also features as the final climb in the Velothon Wales loop of South Wales. Where: Heading north out of Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley. . 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. Click on "Climb Page" to jump to the detail page for that particular bike climb. It also has a very interesting motorsport history: The History of Motor Sport and the Bwlch-y-Groes is nearly as old as motorsport. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. Having left the steep streets of Upper Brynamman behind, the road dissects the open mountainside, tussock-covered hillsides on both flanks. Climbing for fun requires a particular type of sadism. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. Dan tells me he brought none other than Andrew Feather (current national hill climb champion) here a few weeks back. We have twice personally documented the Welsh Top 10 Hardest Climbs. The sheer length of this steep section is what sets this climb apart, there's just nowhere to recover. We asked Simon Warren to provide us with lists of both the Top 10 Hardest, and Top 10 Most Epic bike climbs in England, Wales, Scotland, and the UK. 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. before our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! ) South Wales needs no introduction. The Rhigos is an altogether different proposition from the south, getting straighter rather than more meandering as it climbs. 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 . 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. Im now trapped on a two foot wide strip of rippled 30 per cent concrete fighting for survival. The landscape is rough, its easy to see how the area gets pounded with rain and freezing temps most of the year. 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. The average gradient of the climb is 2.9% and the maximum gradient is 13%. 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. 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 It does not include the hills to the south of Maentwrog. But the end of the steep ramp is within touching distance. You can also subscribe to the magazine, save on the cover price and get it delivered every Thursday. 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). List of - 100 Climbs Total climbing: 21,293m over 322.75km. Apagua, 5. ranks this as the hardest climb in Wales and he will get no argument from us on that front! Up and up, and then mercifully dipping, or is it just levelling? This is largely due to its length of 9.32km. If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. The northern ascent of the Black has a very different character to its southern counterpart. The Cowlyd, 2. Let us know your thoughts about this page. The base of the climb is on the first right out of the village next to a farm gate. It's all fairly steady going as the climb starts just off the A449. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britain's steepest hill. There is still some way to go but you can click through the gears before finishing just after a gaping cattle grid adjacent to a small car park.Where Head east from the A435 through the village of Bishop's Cleeve on Finlay Way. This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. Bending right the slope immediately kicks up to around 25 per cent but this is mere childs play compared to what lies ahead. 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. Believe the hype. Youll enjoy unobstructed views of the canyon as you pass Wales mascot - Sheep! In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. BA1 1UA. Therefore, after Bealach na Ba (UK #1 Most Epic and #4 hardest), Bwlch y Groes might be the second best bike climb in all the land. Electric Mountain, 5. If any more proof was needed, this road takes no prisoners., it is utterly savage but thats what we love, right? This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. 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. Picturesque mountains, hills, valleys and coastland define the landscape, and make the area a dream cycling location. We asked Simon Warren to provide us with lists of both the Top 10 Hardest, and Top 10 Most Epic bike climbs in England, Wales, Scotland, and the UK. 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. Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. The road to get to this climb is brutally narrow with thick shrubs blocking the views ahead. Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be preparing similar articles for your area - and there's a form at the bottom to send your suggestions). This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. 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. Where: Heading north-west out of Pontardawe. Pass through the village, over the river, turning right to find the base of Beggarmans Road and head for the sky. Now round to the right, the ever steepening, increasingly lumpy surface heads into arguably the hardest section of relentlessly steep tarmac in Britain. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! 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. 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. United Kingdom: Wales Hardest and Most Epic Hill Climbs. You'll be counting each and every pedal rev as you slowly push your way up the scree-littered road to the summit. Passo Stelvio, Italy. Its so incredibly steep that even 10 seconds of going too hard early on and youll blow it, you really have to measure it just right., Dan Jones's climbing prowess and local knowledge showing on the steeper sections of Abdon Ddu. 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 . Newly formed NCL teams to make their debut at Tucson Bicycle Classic, Rapha launches a Film Fund, US filmmakers encouraged to pitch Living life by bike stories, Improve your performance with our expert practical, nutritional and training tips, Every week get exclusive interviews, fitness tips and product reviews. 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. Simon and Dan get to grips with Pythagoras Theorem. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. From there it's a steep and tough push to reach the saddle of the pass. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. Dan is still chatting away but Ive fallen silent - there is no space to fit words in-between breaths. Climbing up through Bedlinog is such a challenge because its so deceptive. - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. South Africa's Cape Epic is the only MTB stage race classed as 'hors categorie' (beyond category) by the UCI, and upon looking at the eight days of riding . The full climb might be 2.4km, but that doesn't even nearly tell the full story. The Gospel Pass is 548 high. This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride. We rank this monster as #2 most difficult in UK via the Fiets index. This brutal, bucket list climb invites you to tackle an incredible 48 hairpin bends between Prato and the mountain's summit. It is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. The 1.9 mile route is memorable for its scary hairpin climb. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. The climb is tough right away, then gets tougher still as you bend right into what is a small taste of things to come. Don't let the urban nature of this climb fool you - it's not easy. 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. Scotland Bealach Na Ba Bealach na B is arguably the toughest climb in Britain. 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. "Backcountry riding and we were on a pump track to get back inbounds. The gradient towards the top is, in the most part, forgiving, with the most taxing stretches found around the villages lower down. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. Cairn O'Mount from the south side is 3.35km with an elevation gain of 319 meters. 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. As I force round this wicked right-hander, bend three, the pale, rugged and debris-strewn surface rises up like a wall through the trees. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. It's not quite the Alps, but it's a close as it gets in South Wales. But one thing's for sure - Wales has some great places to do it. The road levels slightly but the. It's a long drag, but not particularly taxing in the most part, rising through the trees with the rumbling of vehicles on the adjacent main road in the distance. 1. 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. 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. 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. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure. We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. 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. I slump over the bars. Views and scenery during the middle of the climb. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. . This was the advice of a local man as I approached the foot of this brutal climb last year. Here there is another leveling, a plateau of sorts before things turn from nasty to insane. Bealach na B is the one most talked about, as one of few category 1 road climbs in the United Kingdom. Cape Epic. 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. We completed this jewel in August 2018 and because it is so epic, came back for a second go in June 2022. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Climb the Gospel Pass via Hay on Wye by bike. Within a few hundred feet of the start point, a switchback of over 20% warns you of the battle to come. Watch a gorgeous open up before your eyes as you tackle this country road that rises straight out of Pontardawe. 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. 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. VIDEO: Snowboarder Climbs Tree To Evade Angry Moose. And yet it's easy to forget that it's also one of the toughest. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. 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 Floor is Lava is nothing compared to this road. 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. The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. Get info and context about new features. 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. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. Ffordd Penllech in Harlech is the UK's steepest road (Pic: Stephen Elwyn Roddick, via Wiki Commons) Jenkin Road was the final climb of stage two of this year's Tour de France (Pic: Marc, via. The surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre. It's that steep much of the way. Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. 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! Length: 64.8km Maximum gradient: 13% Vertical: 1,785m Hazards: Heat exhaustion and death America's Death Valley is not generally known as a great place to ride. >>> Subscriptions deals forCycling Weeklymagazine. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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 average gradient might "only" be 8.3%, but that's reduced by the steady stretch of false flat that precedes the summit. 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 first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. The climb up here out of Ferndale is pretty tasty too. Holding a straight line is becoming all but impossible and the effort needed is simply unsustainable. Photograph: Paul White/Alamy, Scotch mist hanging over Bealach na Ba. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. 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. 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.