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. Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. 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 Great Orme from Llandudno via Marine Drive, The Great Orme from Llandudno via Ty Gwyn Road. Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news sent straight to your inbox? 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 Cwm Eigiau, 6. I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. It does not include the hills to the south of Maentwrog. Bwlch y Groes (SW #91), 3. All rights reserved. You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. 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! Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. The Gospel Pass is situated in Wales. If you want to share something you need to create an account. Maximum gradient: 16%. A short flat section ramps up hard, then almost levels before ramping hard again. #3 HARDEST WELSH CLIMB -BWLCH PENBARRA TO JUBILEE TOWER, Cycling Bwlch Penbarras to Jubilee Tower, Wales. In a way. Babusar Pass, 4. Dan is still chatting away but Ive fallen silent - there is no space to fit words in-between breaths. It's all a bit of an optical illusion though. But those who want to do climbs like Penrhys are extreme even within that bracket. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. There is no dress rehearsal for this stretch of road, this is one take and one take only. 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. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 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. They are good people out here that enjoy a way of life much slower and unfamiliar to most others I think. Pass through the village, over the river, turning right to find the base of Beggarmans Road and head for the sky. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m For a while there I thought Id settled it. This page provides an excellent and comprehensive summary of the top, hardest and best bicycling climbs in Wales. Finish at the car park at the top of the climb. 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. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. Check the forecast before you head out and be prepared for harsher weather at the top. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! Hit the opening 12% slope too hard and you're finished - because it's followed by a sequence of bends with gradients rising above 30%. Thanks to Strava for the route maps and climb profiles. 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. . 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. Apagua, 5. Where Turn off the A896 and head east just before Tornapress. . 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. The surface is rough at first and steep from the outset, but improves as you pass over a cattlegrid and approach the double hairpin. . 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. Staring with 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs in 2010, Simon has set out to chronicle and, of course, ride the toughest cycling climbs across the UK and Europe. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. This was the advice of a local man as I approached the foot of this brutal climb last year. Bending right the slope immediately kicks up to around 25 per cent but this is mere childs play compared to what lies ahead. F. J. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (FIETS INDEX), This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. Learn More ALL TRIPS Ride two miles gaining 1,055 at 10.3% average grade. How steep? Afon Ddu starts abruptly from the main road and youll need just one gear, the lowest you can fit on your bike. Published 2 March 23. 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. Where Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head north east towards Aber-Cywarch. 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. Repeatedly, you'll think you're through the worst - only to be hit again with the next step of the staircase. Essentially every turn is a blind curve. 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. The full climb might be 2.4km, but that doesn't even nearly tell the full story. 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. Top 100 #86. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Llangynidr Mountain is very much a climb of two halves. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the Profile Tool button. 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. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. Scanuppia Follow the road alongside the river to Llanymawddwy, pass through and begin the climb across the Pont y Pennant. Bwlch Penbarra to Jubilee Tower, 4. Bwlch y Groes is rich in history and strong on inspiring, if not breathtaking, scenery. The views? Cape Epic. View epic images taken along the climbing route. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britains steepest hill. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. Riding from Llangadog, you'll be climbing before you realise, but the real business starts after the woodland stops and the open mountainside starts. If a man with legs as strong as Dans struggles up a climb then what chance do us mortals have? The average gradient of the climb is 2.9% and the maximum gradient is 13%. Its gradient maxes out at 37 percent, with an . Another climb with a fair bit of ascent to even get to the start. Sign up with your email address to receive offers, news and updates. You'll probably wish you were enjoying a sedate stroll along the fairways of the adjacent golf club by the time you reach the lung-crushing gradients at the top of this punchy climb out of Pontypridd. 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. "Cycling in south Wales is a completely different story. See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. The bottom of the Abercynafon climb - note the 20% gradient, The open countryside of the Baran Road climb, The open part of the Bedlinog climb, after leaving the village, Looking south from the climb up the Black Mountain, The profile of the Black Mountain, from Brynamman, Looking down at the upper reaches of the Black Mountain climb from Llangadog, Looking north from the top of the Black Mountain, The profile for the Black Mountain from Llangadog, The top of the British, heading out of Abersychan, Steep inclines before leaving Aberdare on the way up Maerdy Mountain, The hairpin on the climb up Maerdy Mountain from Aberdare, Descending from the Bwlch into the Afan Valley, Near the top of the Bwlch, from the Afan Valley, The profile for the climb up the Bwlch from the Afan Valley, Looking up towards the summit of the Bwlch on the way up from Treorchy, The early part of the Caerphilly Mountain climb after leaving Tongwynlais, The steepest part of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from Tongwynlais, The profile of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from Caerphilly, The 20% slopes of the Wenallt climb up Caerphilly Mountain, The profile of the Wenallt climb up Caerphilly Mountain, Dan Martin and Nairo Quintana lead up Caerphilly Mountain in the 2013 Tour of Britain, The final kick on the Mountain Road ascent of Caerphilly Mountain, The profile of the climb up Caerphilly Mountain from the centre of the town, The road up Cefn Bryn stretching into the distance, The higher part of the Cimla climb out of Neath, The steep and cobbled slopes of Swansea's Constitution Hill, The long stretch up to Crai reservoir from Pen y Cae, The view down from the top hairpin on the Devil's Elbow, The top section of the Gospel Pass, after the steepest parts, Climbing up alongside dry stone walls and mountain streams on Heol Lan, Looking back down the climb out of Llangattock, Looking back down from the top of Llangynidr Mountain, Llanguicke Road: Almost unimaginably steep, The views from close to the summit of Llangynidr Mountain, The climb from Llangwm towards Shirenewton, The climb to Llanwonno, shortly after leaving the houses of Graigwen Road, The forested section close to the top of the climb to Llanwonno from Pontypridd, Onto more open terrain at the top of the Maerdy Mountain, The profile of the climb up Maerdy Mountain, The Old Black Rock climb from Gilwern to Brynmawr, The relentless gradient to the top of Penrhys, One of the steepest sections of the climb up past Pontypridd Golf Club, Looking back from the top of the Pontypridd Golf Club climb, The profile for the Pontypridd Golf Club climb, The top section of the Rhigos on the north side, The profile of the Rhigos climb from Hirwaun, The profile of the Rhigos from Treherbert, Rhiwr Road is difficult from the very start, Looking back towards Monmouth shortly after leaving Mitchel Troy on the climb to Trelleck, The profile of the climb towards Trelleck from Mitchel Troy. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. Grid Ref: SH 913 232 (OS125)Length 3.56km Height gain 385m Approx climb time 23 mins, A true monster of a climb through the heart of the Cairngorms, the road up to the Lecht Ski Centre is a simply stunning ride. Like being first? How many have you suffered on your way up? 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. 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. When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. 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. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline. Favourite cycling climbs in North Wales 1 - Pen-y-Pass aka Llanberis Pass Pen Y Pass Profile. 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. is the highest tarmacked pass in Wales (, Also known as Hellfire Pass, Bwich-Y-Groes is the highest paved road in Wales. Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. Watch a gorgeous open up before your eyes as you tackle this country road that rises straight out of Pontardawe. On my first climb up Bwlch y Groes in 2018 I got a flat tire on my vehicle that was parked in front of one of these homesteads and was assisted in fixing the flat by the old-timer that lived nearby.