Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. When we reached this last hairpin though his jaw hit the floor, he recalls. 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. The 10 Hardest Cycling Climbs in the World 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. Pass Gairnshiel Lodge and Colnabaichin. 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. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . Thank you for signing up! Okay - sheep is not the official mascot. Passo Stelvio, Italy. 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. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m 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. It's also available via Apple Newsstand and Readly. This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride. Is it the suffering? View epic images taken along the climbing route. 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! But what is the attraction? 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). 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. I asked. The Tyla rounds the Blorenge from Gilwern, Heading into the trees on the Wentwood Ridge climb just where it starts to get really steep. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. But, I like to think its a Sheep in Dragons clothing. You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. Bwlch Penbarras from Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, The Road to Hell from Denbigh via Nantglyn, Llanberis Pass / Pen-y-Pass from Nant Peris. Dan is still chatting away but Ive fallen silent - there is no space to fit words in-between breaths. 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. 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.The term Eryri first appeared in a manuscript in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, in an account of the downfall of the semi-legendary 5th-century king Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern).In the Middle Ages the title Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia (Tywysog Cymru ac Arglwydd Eryri) was used by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd; his grandfather Llywelyn Fawr used the title Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller area, namely the upland area of northern Gwynedd centred on the Snowdon massif, whereas the national park covers an area more than twice that size extending far to the south into Meirionnydd. United Kingdom: England's Hardest and Most Epic Hill Climbs, United Kingdom: Hardest and Epic Bike Climbs, United Kingdom: Scotland's Hardest and Most Epic Hill Climbs. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. After leaving the village, you're into open moorland but don't expect a gradient in single figures. 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. Check the forecast before you head out and be prepared for harsher weather at the top. How many have you ridden? No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . Ride only 600 meters but at a stunning 21.3% average grade. This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (, The History of Motor Sport and the Bwlch-y-Groes is nearly as old as motorsport. Riding alongside Dan with Jess tucked in behind we set off, all three of us understandably apprehensive of what lies ahead. Pass the clock tower, and things step up a notch, with a straight 16% ramp taking you (via a flatter terrace section) onto the climb proper. The UK's Hardest Cycling Climbs By Region - pedalsure.com Eventually you'll bend around to the left and the battered, rugged road levels for good. 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. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. 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. It covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), and has 37 miles (60 km) of coastline.The park is governed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, which is made up of local government and Welsh representatives, and its main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth. 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. Mauna Kea, 2. 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. . Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. Unlike national parks in other countries, Snowdonia (and other such parks in Britain) are made up of both public and private lands under central planning authority. It does not include the hills to the south of Maentwrog. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. The Top 5 Steepest Cycling Climbs in the UK - Laka Another climb with a fair bit of ascent to even get to the start. You'll be counting each and every pedal rev as you slowly push your way up the scree-littered road to the summit. 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. 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. The views? After all that has preceded it, the finale a set of four hairpin bends may be all too much, but fear not. The Hardest Climbs - The Steepest Roads in the World - Bicycling Al Jaadah Pass, 3. Before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road, this was the main road between Gilwern and Brynmawr. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. With summer temperatures routinely. An altitude gain of 620ft in just a mile gives a clue about what kind of climb this is. Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! Climbing for fun requires a particular type of sadism. 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. 37 beautiful and challenging climbs in South Wales every - WalesOnline Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). In fact the Welsh flag has an imposing Dragon on it. If the Tumble is the famous and successful son, the Tyla is his awkward, challenging older brother. If someone built it we will damn well try and ride it, even if it means falling on our ass because. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. If you want the privilege of having ridden the highest paved road in Wales, you'll need to earn it. A short flat section ramps up hard, then almost levels before ramping hard again. Having left the steep streets of Upper Brynamman behind, the road dissects the open mountainside, tussock-covered hillsides on both flanks. Holding a straight line is becoming all but impossible and the effort needed is simply unsustainable. Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure! They are good people out here that enjoy a way of life much slower and unfamiliar to most others I think. Abercynafon Our first relentless climb is Abercynafon, found between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. 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 steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. 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. The second bend here is so steep on the inside that it forces you far right, so take care. How steep? Britain's top 10 toughest cycle climbs - the Guardian -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . 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). 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. The Tour of Britain tackled the climb in 2010, when Swiss Michael Albasini attacked up it to take a solo win in Swansea. 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. 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. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. 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. The road levels slightly but the. It's not quite the Alps, but it's a close as it gets in South Wales. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. 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. Also known as Hellfire Pass, Bwich-Y-Groes is the highest paved road in Wales. 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. I did warn him how bad it was but he was like, yeah, its just another hill. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure. From this page you may navigate to the top 10 most difficult bicycling climbs in Wales. The first 10km climbs 800m to a small Visitor Centre, via ever steepening slopes and long 12 - 15% ramps. 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. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (SIMON WARREN). I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. 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. Start opposite the old red telephone box, past the numerous warning signs, across the cattle grid then bend slightly left. 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. When I first tackled Hardknott Pass in the Lake District I assumed nothing could ever beat that, but then a few years after I discovered the road up to Abdon Burf in the Shropshire Hills and my perception of torture was changed. Views and scenery during the middle of the climb. Bwlch y Groes is rich in history and strong on inspiring, if not breathtaking, scenery. Moel Arthur - 220m - 10 to 20% - 2.2km #88. Ranking list VIDEO: Snowboarder Climbs Tree To Evade Angry Moose. 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. It's short, steep and fairly hostile all the way to the final left corner that brings you out Caerphilly Mountain's famous snack bar. Saw signs of a moose, unstrapped and started walking down the trail and saw her about 100ft up the trail. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (FIETS INDEX), This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. By the time the open mountain top is reached, things are much more benign. If there's a more brutal stretch of road anywhere in South Wales than Llanguicke Road, then it's definitely best avoided. You have to pace yourself because as the road progresses you hit a series of bends, coupled with a 30% gradient. Llangynidr Mountain is very much a climb of two halves. After around 50 metres the second bend arrives where on the corner there is a slight leveling, Dan immediately heads to the shallower part of the corner here to catch a few seconds respite. TOP 3 MOST EPIC BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (SIMON WARREN), Cycling the incomparable Stwlan Dam, Wales. . 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. The maximum gradient is 13%. 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. Cape Epic. The route is found in Abersychan, Torfaen, where its lower slopes begin on the A4043 and then after a mile turn left and youll begin to climb through a breathtaking gorge. Mauna Kea: Cycling the Hardest Climb in the World It is really tough to crown just one climb in Wales as a favorite after riding so many over our few weeks of riding in June 2022. and climbs through roadside fields. Best cycling climbs Europe: Top 10 hardest routes - Red Bull This is largely due to its length of 9.32km. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. 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. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? 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. Top 7 cycling climbs in North Wales and Snowdonia 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 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. The UK's Hardest Cycling Climbs By Region - Pedalsure At this point, the climb would get significantly worse!