This featureoriginally appeared in the September 23 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine,on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, priced 3.25. Youll enjoy unobstructed views of the canyon as you pass Wales mascot - Sheep! Whether it's the pine trees, the hairpin close to the top, or the meadows at the summit, but there always seems something slightly alpine about this little climb at the top of the Rhondda - even though it's less than a mile long. Im now trapped on a two foot wide strip of rippled 30 per cent concrete fighting for survival. 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. 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. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. It is in the Aran Mountains near the south east edge of Snowdonia (The Guardian - Britains top 10 toughest cycle climbs). The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. "Take it easy now or you'll never make it." The scenery gets more barren as you climb, dispensing with the trees and dry stone walls of the lower stretches and opening out into a classic Brecon Beacons landscape at the summit. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. This climb is along the southeastern edge of Snowdonia National Park (established 1951 - third national park in Britain after Peak District and Lake District). Plus detailed bike, kit and accessory reviews from the experts. 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. Believe the hype. South Africa's Cape Epic is the only MTB stage race classed as 'hors categorie' (beyond category) by the UCI, and upon looking at the eight days of riding . 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. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. El Torneado, and 10. Once the gradient kicks in it just gets steeper and steeper, 20% past the last of the houses, then the fun really starts. Gwent The toughest climb in south Wales Where Heading west on the A465 from . The road levels slightly but the. This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). Bedlinog 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. You start your ascent from the beautiful Corgarff castle and straight away you hit 20% slopes rough, relentlessly steep and twisting a little. Named after the huge old ironworks that once dominated this hillside above Pontypool, there's little to suggest the majesty of this climb's top section when you turn onto its lower slopes off the A4043 through Abersychan. Bealach na B is the one most talked about, as one of few category 1 road climbs in the United Kingdom. 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). Bwlch Penbarra (SW #88), 9. . Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. The Floor is Lava is nothing compared to this road. Arguably, though, he is best known as the author of Cycling Climbs series of books. 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. Scanuppia This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). 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. I did warn him how bad it was but he was like, yeah, its just another hill. Its found as you head north-west out of Pontardawe. Height gain 286m In a way. The climb is tough right away, then gets tougher still as you bend right into what is a small taste of things to come. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. The hardest, most difficult and challenging cycling climbs in Wales are, in order of difficulty, 1. 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. 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. It's that steep much of the way. 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. 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. 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. Electric Mountain, 5. Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-Y-Groes. Repeatedly, you'll think you're through the worst - only to be hit again with the next step of the staircase. Or should we be asking, how accurate? Ranking list The views? You have to take each and every opportunity to recover when it is presented, no matter how slight he says. Favourite cycling climbs in North Wales 1 - Pen-y-Pass aka Llanberis Pass Pen Y Pass Profile. 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. After a few slight rises the road surface improves dramatically and stretches far into the distance, taking the shortest route over the featureless ridge. Where Head north into the mountains from Ballater on the A939. Bwlch Penbarra to Jubilee Tower, 4. The lodge helpfully is a decent cafe stop too as it happens. The climb goes up a ridge to a small parking lot, where we saw two other cyclists. Climbs have an average length of 4.2km and 248 meters of total ascent. One for the power climbers. This climb has a maximum gradient of 24% and an average gradient of 6.5%. The best advice for anyone heading uphill out of Aberdare - don't put yourself in the red too early. 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. My bike is creaking. . 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. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 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. 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! Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. First built in 2nd century by the Romans, the pass is unbelievably tough from both directions. Its from here that this road separates itself from its peers, and its from here that everyone will be pushed to their limits. The photos in the collage at the top of this page are of PJAMMs Top 10 Hardest per the Fiets Index. 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. 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. View epic images taken along the climbing route. Penbarra ( Bwlch Pen barras / Bwlch Penbarras / Old Bwlch) - 258m - 11 to 25% - 2.3km #89. By the end of this section, you'll have ridden c.84km from the coast and will have climbed 2,800m from sea level. My puny cycling arms are shaking like a frightened kitten. There is no dress rehearsal for this stretch of road, this is one take and one take only. Pass through the large orange gates used to close the road in winter proof, if you hadn't twigged already, that you're heading into serious country. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. He wasn't wrong. 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. After an age on the opening steep gradient the road banks right to plateau before a brief downhill. Gradients of around 30% are generally only found on the inside of tight bends. Only two miles, but one of those climbs that feels like it goes on forever. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). Baran Road is arguably the most beautiful of all the tough climbs were listing here. On our climb, we encountered a car and had to back up nearly a kilometer to find a place where they could pass. 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 . The distinctive remnants of an ancient quarry indicate the summit. It's all a bit of an optical illusion though. -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . It then all but levels off as you pass various farm buildings, where the surface is broken and covered with the mud and debris from passing tractor tyres. F. J. Rounding the corner I spot our photographer Andy ahead and see he isnt in position. Pozza San Glisente (Dos dell'Asino), 8. The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the Glyderau, the Carneddau and the Moel Siabod group. 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. Where Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head north east towards Aber-Cywarch. The makeup of land ownership at Snowdonia is as follows (Wikipedia - Snowdonia National Park). 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's short, steep and fairly hostile all the way to the final left corner that brings you out Caerphilly Mountain's famous snack bar. And don't even think about putting a foot down - you'll never get started again. Afon Ddu starts abruptly from the main road and youll need just one gear, the lowest you can fit on your bike. If you want to share something you need to create an account. Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. The king of climbs and arguably the hardest road in the land, the legendary Hardknott Pass is an amazing sliver of tarmac. Where: Heading north out of Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley. 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. Click on "Climb Page" to jump to the detail page for that particular bike climb. 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. 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. If any more proof was needed, this road takes no prisoners., it is utterly savage but thats what we love, right? The Shelf - 262m - 5 to 15% - 5.1km #87. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. Below, we detail 10 of the toughest climbs in the UK, and provide links to the Strava segments to help you plan your routes. Bwlch y Groes means Pass of the Cross.. 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. South Wales needs no introduction. Stunning and rugged, the Black Mountain (and you) are open to the elements. This climb isn't for the faint-hearted. The road to get to this climb is brutally narrow with thick shrubs blocking the views ahead. The Rhigos is an altogether different proposition from the south, getting straighter rather than more meandering as it climbs. 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. Deep in the dark heart of Wales, climbing nut Simon Warren thinks he has discovered Britain's steepest hill. | 26 regions. 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. BA1 1UA. The early parts of this mountain road rarely drop below 10% as the route winds its way up through the trees. 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. By the time that respite comes, you've climbed nearly 800ft. How many have you ridden? Photograph: John Morrison/Alamy, Warning sign near the Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire Photograph: Mark Sunderland/Alamy, Remote pass Bwlch y Groes, Wales Photograph: Keith Morris/Alamy, The road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul, Aberdeenshire. This brutal, bucket list climb invites you to tackle an incredible 48 hairpin bends between Prato and the mountain's summit. 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. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. 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. In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. Weve been crawling skyward for about two minutes, covering just 250m of tarmac as we round bend three. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. 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. With a maximum gradient of 22% and an average gradient of 8.1% youre afforded great views of Aberdare the higher you climb. You'll find the top, most difficult, epic, scenic, hardest, challenging, extreme, inspiring, bucket list bike climbs located in Wales. This is the story of how he found it and just how painful it is to ride. #3 HARDEST WELSH CLIMB -BWLCH PENBARRA TO JUBILEE TOWER, Cycling Bwlch Penbarras to Jubilee Tower, Wales. . The Harlech Hell Climb event was held on the excruciating climb on Sunday (August 11), with riders tackling the 330 metre climb, which averages 17 per cent and reaches a maximum gradient of 37.45 . I snapped my chain not once but twice in my attempt to conquer this vicious stretch of tarmac. Baniamr Aquabah Pass, 6. 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 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. Wrong. We relied heavily on Simon Warrens Top UK Climbs Series in ranking and documenting UK bike climbs (https://www.100climbs.co.uk/books) - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. Follow the base of the ridge until you reach Asterton then turn right past the post box and head up. Id evaluated the merits of all contenders from Yorkshire's Rosedale Chimney to Ffordd Penllech via Bushcombe Lane and Vale Street but then came that bigger fish, then came a new vision of hell: Afon Ddu, AKA the Baby Zoncolan. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Factoring in a pretty torrid road surface too means reaching the top of this wall is an achievement few will ever accomplish. Banking right, the surface breaks up and 20% soon turns into 25%. When we reached this last hairpin though his jaw hit the floor, he recalls. In Welsh, the area is named Eryri. Begin the climb across the bridge at Cock Bridge just past Corgarff Castle. How many have you suffered on your way up? Youll see the Foel Y Gordd formation as you enter the canyon area. 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. This climb is simply a monster with several stretches in the red zone - above 16%, including one massive stretch at 20% for 200 yards. 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.