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. before our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! ) 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. 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 We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. 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. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. But its trajectory means that the damage is done on the brutally steep lower slopes. Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. 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. 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). Pass through the village, over the river, turning right to find the base of Beggarmans Road and head for the sky. Abercynafon Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. 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. 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. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? 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. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. 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. Maximum gradient: 16%. What comes next will take your breath away. 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. When is the first day of spring and when do clocks go forward in 2023? Saw signs of a moose, unstrapped and started walking down the trail and saw her about 100ft up the trail. The photos in the collage at the top of this page are of PJAMMs Top 10 Hardest per the Fiets Index. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. F. J. . Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! Over the course of the slog, you'll climb . Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. 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. Turn left after around a mile though, and everything changes. 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. 10 of the UK's Toughest Cycling Climbs - Band of Climbers Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. On the west coast of Scotland, Bealach na B has the most elevation gain of any road climb in the UK, rising from sea level to 626m over a stretch of 9.2km. For more epic hill climbing data, visit our Top 10 Most Epic UK and also our Top 10 Most Epic Welsh hill . 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. 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. Between the narrow road, the rutted surface and the severity of the slope, this is one seriously tough climb. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m Taking your bike up a steep climb next to Welsh dry stone walls and mountain streams on Heol Lan is an experience that will stay with you. Bryn Du is a very steep climb in Aberdare, up Maerdy Mountain. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. VIDEO: Snowboarder Climbs Tree To Evade Angry Moose. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. Views and scenery during the middle of the climb. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. 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. 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. 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. Stwlan Dam. The sheer length of this steep section is what sets this climb apart, there's just nowhere to recover. The climb is really unique. The lodge helpfully is a decent cafe stop too as it happens. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. The 10 Hardest Bike Climbs in Wales - pjammcycling.com Windswept and remote this climb begins in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, and goes for 3.7 miles with a 12% gradient. It's a testing drag, with the incline quickly kicking up to 9% and staying there or thereabouts much of the way to the top. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. . Below, we detail 10 of the toughest climbs in the UK, and provide links to the Strava segments to help you plan your routes. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. La Muerte, 9. Grid ref: SD 862 843 (OS98)Length 5.34km Height gain 323m Approx climb time 22 mins, On the eastern edge of the Long Mynd lies the infamous Asterton Bank, also known by many other names that I could not print here. Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble Abergavenny. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. 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. Like being first? 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). ANDY! I scream, we are coming. ), and I recommend parking there and not attempting to traverse any part of the actual climb route in a car. 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. And yet once you get to the top, you'll realise you enjoyed every second. 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 . Bwlch y Groes is rich in history and strong on inspiring, if not breathtaking, scenery. Now very narrow and lined with snow poles, the climb is so well surfaced it resembles a two-metre-wide carpet. Rhiwr Road (SW #197), and 10. 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 Top 5 Steepest Cycling Climbs in the UK - Laka Youre not going to forget the name of this route, nor how it makes you feel! Heave yourself round this evil corner and you're through the worst of it. The 5 hardest cycling climbs in the UK (Please link to Pedalsure.com if using elsewhere) Bealach na B Bealach-na-Ba 9.2km at 6.8% (Grid: 1 km) -25% -10% 0% 10% 25% View full details on 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. 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. Up ahead, eventually the final bends come into view, just as the gradient gets brutal on the long weather-beaten 20% slope that tests your legs to the limit. This page provides an excellent and comprehensive summary of the top, hardest and best bicycling climbs in Wales. Once past an axle weight sign the climb begins. Having featured as a summit finish for the Welsh Nationals and the Tour of Britain, as well as being the signature climb for Velothon Wales, the Tumble is easily one of the most famous climbs in Wales. 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. 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. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . Ride 1.8 miles gaining 916 at 10% average grade. How many have you ridden? Heres how it works. But what is the attraction? 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. But as the road heads into the trees, it rears up sharply, and doesn't drop below 12% until the very top. Where: Heading north-west out of Pontardawe. Photograph: Paul White/Alamy, Scotch mist hanging over Bealach na Ba. 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!! 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. of course, ride the toughest cycling climbs across the UK and Europe. Essentially every turn is a blind curve. The road levels slightly but the surface is cut up and damaged. . The Rhigos is an altogether different proposition from the south, getting straighter rather than more meandering as it climbs. 5 Hardest Climbs In The UK - Pedalsure Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. The gradient kicks up to 14% as you head through the Cimla area of Neath, before a descent the other side takes you down into the Afan Valley. North, as editor of the book Snowdonia (1949), states "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper." We decided to opt for an even steeper summit - Cairn O'Mount. . Only two miles, but one of those climbs that feels like it goes on forever. And don't even think about putting a foot down - you'll never get started again. 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. Is it the suffering? This mini monster was brought to my attention by hill climb master and double National Champion Dan Evans after I noticed a string of expletives in his Strava feed. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. The first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. He was in north Wales pinching some of my best KOMs so I thought he deserved some punishment. Height gain 286m Best Hill Climbs in the US | Bicycling My bike is creaking. 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. I can see why. We have twice personally documented the Welsh Top 10 Hardest Climbs. Dan is his normal chatty self as we hit the first ramp, our wheels getting their first taste of the ribbed and abrasive concrete surface that would do its best to hinder our progress the entire way up. What follows is a brief levelling out but you can't put off what lies ahead for long. The climb begins as we pass a set of old farm buildings on the left. 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. >>> Subscriptions deals forCycling Weeklymagazine. These days, cyclists have it pretty much to themselves, save for the odd bit of local traffic. A great alternative to the Cray climb (see above) - this starts from the same point, but instead of taking the main road, bears left up a narrow lane into a desolate moment top. Get info and context about new features. 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 . I was to discover that there is absolutely no objection to cyclists riding it, although few would be mad enough. Join the road up from Thornhill and things get a little easier before the final wall up to the main road. Bealach na B is the one most talked about, as one of few category 1 road climbs in the United Kingdom. How many have you suffered on your way up? Climbing into the Aran Mountains on the edge of Snowdonia, its a road of outstanding beauty rough, weathered and remorselessly steep. 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. 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At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! Cycling climbs: UK's top 5 road climbs - Red Bull 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. Llangynidr Mountain is very much a climb of two halves. The hardest, most difficult and challenging cycling climbs in Wales are, in order of difficulty, 1. Wrong. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. Since that first book, he's added 11 more, as well Ride Britain which showcases 40 inspirational road cycling routes. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. It only takes 1 minute and it's completely free. The Gospel Pass is 548 high. But one thing's for sure - Wales has some great places to do it. 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. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline. 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 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. Its found as you head north-west out of Pontardawe. Once the gradient kicks in it just gets steeper and steeper, 20% past the last of the houses, then the fun really starts. 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. A mix of all three? Wales is a wonderful country with great people, extraordinary scenery and EPIC bike climbs!! 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 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. 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. The northern ascent of the Black has a very different character to its southern counterpart. Passing farm buildings and trees, the road veers left, then a very sharp 25% right a taste of what's to come before easing as the last of the trees disappear beneath you. After all that has preceded it, the finale a set of four hairpin bends may be all too much, but fear not. Thanks to Strava for the route maps and climb profiles. 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. Let us know your thoughts about this page. Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. Explore the climbing route via Google Street Views. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. 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. If a man with legs as strong as Dans struggles up a climb then what chance do us mortals have? The first 10km climbs 800m to a small Visitor Centre, via ever steepening slopes and long 12 - 15% ramps. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. The Shelf - 262m - 5 to 15% - 5.1km #87. 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. I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. 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. Bedlinog 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. 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). Since that . Before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road, this was the main road between Gilwern and Brynmawr. 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. An altitude gain of 620ft in just a mile gives a clue about what kind of climb this is. 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. 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. The Most Challenging Climbs in South Wales - World Cycle Tours Are you tough enough? | Ten of the UK's steepes Named after the river beside it, the Afon Ddu (Welsh for black river) which flows down from Llyn Cowlyd I ask Dan how he first came across it. Over the years, I've sought to climb as many hills as possible. Here there is another leveling, a plateau of sorts before things turn from nasty to insane. Check the forecast before you head out and be prepared for harsher weather at the top. The 10 Hardest Cycling Climbs in the World The Floor is Lava is nothing compared to this road. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. The climb lasts for almost a mile and has an elevation gain of 180 metres. Where Head north into the mountains from Ballater on the A939. 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). 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. Not here. List of - 100 Climbs Total climbing: 21,293m over 322.75km. 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. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. 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. Through Gayle, the road flat, hugging the river, soon rises sharply for a short 17% lung-opener. Now round to the right, the ever steepening, increasingly lumpy surface heads into arguably the hardest section of relentlessly steep tarmac in Britain. Scotland Bealach Na Ba Bealach na B is arguably the toughest climb in Britain. If the Tumble is the famous and successful son, the Tyla is his awkward, challenging older brother.