It only takes 1 minute and it's completely free. As Eryri (see above), this area has a unique place in Welsh history, tradition and culture. Once the gradient kicks in it just gets steeper and steeper, 20% past the last of the houses, then the fun really starts. 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. First built in 2nd century by the Romans, the pass is unbelievably tough from both directions. You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. 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. The Gospel Pass is situated in Wales. The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. Follow the road alongside the river to Llanymawddwy, pass through and begin the climb across the Pont y Pennant. A few weeks later I arrive with our photographer Andy, Dan and his wife Jess - a hill climb champion in her own right - to share the experience with them and get the local low down on this insane 700 metres of vertical concrete. 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. But what is the attraction? 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. F. J. Explore the climbing route via Google Street Views. 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. 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. It's not quite the Alps, but it's a close as it gets in South Wales. Our preloaded PJAMM Adventure App trip pages Wales and the UK are accessed by clicking the purple PJAMM Trips button above. 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. Get through this, the first of many brutal stretches, and things back off for a while before ramping up to the first of two gates. 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 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. This featureoriginally appeared in the September 23 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine,on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, priced 3.25. The northern ascent of the Black has a very different character to its southern counterpart. Don't let the urban nature of this climb fool you - it's not easy. After leaving the village, you're into open moorland but don't expect a gradient in single figures. 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 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. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! This challenging route is found between between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil and is a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres). I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. If you were measuring the steepest, hardest, highest or longest climbs in South Wales, this wouldn't be anywhere near it. 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. The sheer length of this steep section is what sets this climb apart, there's just nowhere to recover. The top few miles of the Swansea Valley take you up the steady slopes of a wide and straight main road up to the beautiful Crai Reservoir. It starts steep from the village of Clydach and beats you up for a whole mile before easing just a touch. The bike climbs we have documented are in the slideshow above. Here there is another leveling, a plateau of sorts before things turn from nasty to insane. 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. . 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. and climbs through roadside fields. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? The road to get to this climb is brutally narrow with thick shrubs blocking the views ahead. By the end of this section, you'll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. 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. In front of you is the Alpine-style Ski Centre, a simply awesome ride. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure. Where Head north into the mountains from Ballater on the A939. Ride 1.8 miles gaining 916 at 10% average grade. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. Now round to the right, the ever steepening, increasingly lumpy surface heads into arguably the hardest section of relentlessly steep tarmac in Britain. 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. How many have you suffered on your way up? This climb is breathtaking and we will return and do this one again - its just that unique, inspiring and exceptional. 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. This is largely due to its length of 9.32km. 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 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. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. Afon Ddu, 7. 1. The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). Once past an axle weight sign the climb begins. Like being first? Climbing up through Bedlinog is such a challenge because its so deceptive. Each country has her crowned Jewel and Bwlch y Groes makes a good argument for taking that award for the Welsh territory. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. And Lots of them. 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. Signup for our. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! - Subscribe to our monthly newsletter. This climb isn't for the faint-hearted. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. Inspecting my bike it appears my right pedal has partially disintegrated. Height gain 286m 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. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. The king of climbs and arguably the hardest road in the land, the legendary Hardknott Pass is an amazing sliver of tarmac. But one thing's for sure - Wales has some great places to do it. Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. A mix of all three? After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. But we dare you to stand at Broad Pool, look up at the ribbon of road snaking up to Gower's highest point and not want to ride it. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. Without being too hysterical, this climb is nothing more than a joyless straight line of pain. The road levels slightly but the surface is cut up and damaged. As Dan waltzes off ahead I am beginning to falter. This climb truly is beauty and the beast. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. But as the road heads into the trees, it rears up sharply, and doesn't drop below 12% until the very top. 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. 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. . In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (SIMON WARREN). Scotland Bealach Na Ba Bealach na B is arguably the toughest climb in Britain. 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. Pass Castell Coch on your left, feel the smooth false flat underneath your wheels and the scent of wild garlic in the air, and you'll think you're in for an easy couple of miles. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. Stay up to date with the latest developments. 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. Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. 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. If the Tumble is the famous and successful son, the Tyla is his awkward, challenging older brother. before our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! ) When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. Get info and context about new features. To climb from the east, begin at the warning sign at Jubilee Bridge. Now very narrow and lined with snow poles, the climb is so well surfaced it resembles a two-metre-wide carpet. It might be less than a mile, but make no mistake - this is the one of the toughest climbs in South Wales, with the gradient hovering around 15% virtually all the way until it finally shows some mercy in the last couple of hundred metres. 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). Wales treated us quite well on our visit in August 2018. See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the Profile Tool button. 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 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. 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 surface, just wide enough for a single car, is smooth at the edges but little more than gravel and moss in the centre.