Finish at the car park at the top of the climb. Join the road up from Thornhill and things get a little easier before the final wall up to the main road. Bending right the slope immediately kicks up to around 25 per cent but this is mere childs play compared to what lies ahead. Up and up, and then mercifully dipping, or is it just levelling? Top 100 #86. 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. Explore the climbing route via Google Street Views. Saw signs of a moose, unstrapped and started walking down the trail and saw her about 100ft up the trail. The Road to Hell - 353m - 3 to 20% - 11km #90. Zig-zag past cascading waterfalls, amidst the brief protection of rocky outcrops to exit this tangle of tarmac and round one final left hand to finish. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. And Lots of them. I had to go and check it out. 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. Our preloaded PJAMM Adventure App trip pages Wales and the UK are accessed by clicking the purple PJAMM Trips button above. If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. 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. (sort by distance, difficulty, elevation and more). Where Leaving the A593 just south of Skelwith Bridge head west to Little Langdale. It's a very tough mile though, averaging somewhere around 9% as it cuts its way up the side of Maerdy Mountain. You can also subscribe to the magazine, save on the cover price and get it delivered every Thursday. A mix of all three? Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. All rights reserved. Where Leave the A66 in Appleby-in-Westmorland, head north past Brampton, and left through Dufton to arrive in Knock. Abercynafon Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. The 1.9 mile route is memorable for its scary hairpin climb. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. 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. Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. Maximum gradient: 16%. Bryn Du is a very steep climb in Aberdare, up Maerdy Mountain. Where Turn off the A896 and head east just before Tornapress. 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 Great Orme from Llandudno via Marine Drive, The Great Orme from Llandudno via Ty Gwyn Road. 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. But its trajectory means that the damage is done on the brutally steep lower slopes. At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! By the time you reach the clock tower in Pricetown, you'll have been climbing fairly constantly since Bryncethin. 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. Where Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head north east towards Aber-Cywarch. Luckily for us the rain was holding on our expedition. But the end of the steep ramp is within touching distance. | 26 regions. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). 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. 2. But what is the attraction? We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. The less celebrated of two routes up Llangynidr Mountain, the climb from Llangattock is no less difficult. This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). It starts from the village of Porlock and climbs an average of 10% gradient towards the top of Exmoor. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. The hardest, most difficult and challenging cycling climbs in Wales are, in order of difficulty, 1. 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 . 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. It is in the Aran Mountains near the south east edge of Snowdonia (The Guardian - Britains top 10 toughest cycle climbs). The top 10 hardest cycling climbs around the globe, all of which we have personally documented, are: 1. The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. A headwind, on the other hand, and it can be a real grind. You'll be counting each and every pedal rev as you slowly push your way up the scree-littered road to the summit. He wasn't wrong. 1. Signup for our. 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. Holding a straight line is becoming all but impossible and the effort needed is simply unsustainable. You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. 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. 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 This climb is along the southeastern edge of Snowdonia National Park (established 1951 - third national park in Britain after Peak District and Lake District). "Take it easy now or you'll never make it." England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Climbing for fun requires a particular type of sadism. 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. It's also available via Apple Newsstand and Readly. As Dan waltzes off ahead I am beginning to falter. for this page: ). The wooded opening sequence and the first phases on the open hillside are where you'll really suffer. Within a few hundred feet of the start point, a switchback of over 20% warns you of the battle to come. View PJAMM Cycling's collection of the highest ranked climbs in Wales. An altitude gain of 620ft in just a mile gives a clue about what kind of climb this is. Without being too hysterical, this climb is nothing more than a joyless straight line of pain. is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (, Also known as Hellfire Pass, Bwich-Y-Groes is the highest paved road in Wales. Follow the road alongside the river to Llanymawddwy, pass through and begin the climb across the Pont y Pennant. The Gospel Pass is situated in Wales. If a man with legs as strong as Dans struggles up a climb then what chance do us mortals have? Bwlch y Groes is rich in history and strong on inspiring, if not breathtaking, scenery. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. The best advice for anyone heading uphill out of Aberdare - don't put yourself in the red too early. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our. If you were measuring the steepest, hardest, highest or longest climbs in South Wales, this wouldn't be anywhere near it. My knees are ready to snap. Height gain 286m The first time I went up was on a mountain bike and even that proved almost impossible, however, once I got to the top I knew I had to return on a road bike to see how fast I could ride it, he recalls. Dan is still chatting away but Ive fallen silent - there is no space to fit words in-between breaths. 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. This route is an area of desolate but beautiful countryside. It's a brave soul who doesn't find the site of the Bwlch summit towering above them as they set out from Treorchy slightly daunting. 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. This was the advice of a local man as I approached the foot of this brutal climb last year. 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. The Brecon landscape is barren but beautiful as you climb 3.5 miles in Pen-y-Cae. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. 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. Most local riders know its here, we gave it the nickname the Baby Zoncolan but we all avoid it like the plague. 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 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. Where: Heading north out of Cymmer in the Afan Valley. Believe the hype. I slump over the bars. From the long, straight opening stretch, the summit seems scarily close in distance, while worryingly far away in altitude. From there it's a steep and tough push to reach the saddle of the pass. The steepest paved street in Pittsburghand one of the toughest climbs in the USmakes the top spot on our list. 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 . I asked. 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%. From this page you may navigate to the top 10 most difficult bicycling climbs in Wales. Click on "Climb Page" to jump to the detail page for that particular bike climb. Through Gayle, the road flat, hugging the river, soon rises sharply for a short 17% lung-opener. 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. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. Ranking list Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. By the end of this section, you'll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level. They are good people out here that enjoy a way of life much slower and unfamiliar to most others I think. 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. Pozza San Glisente (Dos dell'Asino), 8. In a way. I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. Below, we detail 10 of the toughest climbs in the UK, and provide links to the Strava segments to help you plan your routes. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be. 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. 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. Simon Warren (100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, UK) ranks this as the hardest climb in Wales and he will get no argument from us on that front! 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. If someone built it we will damn well try and ride it, even if it means falling on our ass because. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. The sheer length of this steep section is what sets this climb apart, there's just nowhere to recover. 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. The lower half is a meander through pastoral scenery, before suddenly opening out onto exposed mountain top with stunning views of the peaks around Abergavenny. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. This climb isn't for the faint-hearted. 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. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. The route hugs the side of the steeply sided valley, following the contours of the hillside as it heads towards the summit. Or should we be asking, how accurate? 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. . Im now trapped on a two foot wide strip of rippled 30 per cent concrete fighting for survival. BA1 1UA. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). 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. Where: Between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. This brutal, bucket list climb invites you to tackle an incredible 48 hairpin bends between Prato and the mountain's summit. One for the power climbers. Bwlch Penbarra to Jubilee Tower, 4. 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. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? 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. The surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre. >>> Subscriptions deals forCycling Weeklymagazine. Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. In fact, there is a sign at the start warning that the road is Unsuitable for motor vehicles. Although I assume this is mostly to keep tourists away as we intersected multiple residents traveling the road in their cars. 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. The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. Snowdonia (Welsh: Eryri) is a mountainous region in north west Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. 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. See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the Profile Tool button. The lodge helpfully is a decent cafe stop too as it happens. 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. 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. Its found as you head north-west 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. Since that first book, he's added 11 more, as well Ride Britain which showcases 40 inspirational road cycling routes. 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.