Join the road up from Thornhill and things get a little easier before the final wall up to the main road. With summer temperatures routinely. Llangynidr Mountain is very much a climb of two halves. Where: Between Ystrad Mynach and Merthyr Tydfil. 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. (If you're cyclist in North, Mid or West Wales, we'll be preparing similar articles for your area - and there's a form at the bottom to send your suggestions). 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. In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. You start your ascent from the beautiful Corgarff castle and straight away you hit 20% slopes rough, relentlessly steep and twisting a little. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. 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. 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. Grid ref: SO 403 918 (OS 137)Length 0.96kmHeight gain 163mApprox climb time 7 mins, You're spoilt for choice when it comes to climbing Cleeve Hill. This climb is along the southeastern edge of Snowdonia National Park (established 1951 - third national park in Britain after Peak District and Lake District). Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. Saw signs of a moose, unstrapped and started walking down the trail and saw her about 100ft up the trail. Or should we be asking, how accurate? 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. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. . I snapped my chain not once but twice in my attempt to conquer this vicious stretch of tarmac. Scanuppia Follow the base of the ridge until you reach Asterton then turn right past the post box and head up. Repeatedly, you'll think you're through the worst - only to be hit again with the next step of the staircase. This featureoriginally appeared in the September 23 print edition of Cycling Weekly magazine,on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, priced 3.25. Only two miles, but one of those climbs that feels like it goes on forever. These days, cyclists have it pretty much to themselves, save for the odd bit of local traffic. The Hardest Climbs - The Steepest Roads in the World - Bicycling It starts steep from the village of Clydach and beats you up for a whole mile before easing just a touch. Now climbing steeply, this slither of rough road clinging precariously to the mountainside bends hard right to deliver you into a true wilderness. In Wales cyclists can find 74 interesting climbs between 5 and 550 meters above sea level. Arguably, though, he is best known as the author of Cycling Climbs series of books. 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. You can also subscribe to the magazine, save on the cover price and get it delivered every Thursday. Through Gayle, the road flat, hugging the river, soon rises sharply for a short 17% lung-opener. I can now hear Jess approaching from behind, her 34 x 32 slightly more suited to the venue than my 34 x 28, judging by her colourful language I assume I am in her way. [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. 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. The sense of achievement? Maximum gradient: 16%. 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. From this page you may navigate to the top 10 most difficult bicycling climbs in Wales. Afon Ddu from Trefriw is the toughest ascent with a difficulty score of 621. It starts from the village of Porlock and climbs an average of 10% gradient towards the top of Exmoor. Where: Between Talybont-on-Usk and Pontsticill. 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. Best Hill Climbs in the US | Bicycling 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 . 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. Ultra endurance cycling events: World's 10 toughest - Red Bull 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. Are you tough enough? | Ten of the UK's steepes How steep? Where Leaving the A593 just south of Skelwith Bridge head west to Little Langdale. Where Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head north east towards Aber-Cywarch. 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. . Bwlch y Groes (SW #91), 3. Passo Stelvio, Italy. Hardest cycle climbs: 6 of the world's toughest hills - Red Bull This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (SpeedTrackTails). It is in the Aran Mountains near the south east edge of Snowdonia (The Guardian - Britains top 10 toughest cycle climbs). By the time you reach the clock tower in Pricetown, you'll have been climbing fairly constantly since Bryncethin. Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head into the Afon Dyfi Valley. The climb up here out of Ferndale is pretty tasty too. Where: Heading north out of Cymmer in the Afan Valley. The climb begins as we pass a set of old farm buildings on the left. 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. #3 HARDEST WELSH CLIMB -BWLCH PENBARRA TO JUBILEE TOWER, Cycling Bwlch Penbarras to Jubilee Tower, Wales. Top 100 #86. The Tumble (SW #97), 8. If you want the privilege of having ridden the highest paved road in Wales, you'll need to earn it. Now on Station Road, take the third left after crossing the rail line on to Bushcombe Lane between the two 25% signs. We begin this climb in the midst of lush pastureland. This climb has one very steep segment near the beginning of the climb: a full half-mile at 16.5%. See where the steepest portions of the climb are located by gradient group. Approaching 20%, you crawl through harsh, boulder-littered scenery, a massive slog to the briefest of levels where the classification of the road changes public cars are allowed no further. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. 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. Simon ranked Bwlch y Groes as the fourth hardest climb in Wales (7 UK) and second most epic in Wales (after Stwlan Dam). This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. Leaving Rosedale Abbey, a sign warns you of the one-in-three yes, one-in-three gradient to come. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? . Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. Height gain 286m The base of the climb is on the first right out of the village next to a farm gate. 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. At the end of this long stretch, as we reach bend four of four. I dare not look up and in a situation like this it is best not to concentrate on the finish but just live in the moment, trying to stay on two wheels, preserving forward momentum. This is one of the toughest bits of road anywhere in the UK and, through the next left-hand bend, it touches 30% at the apex. The 1.9 mile route is memorable for its scary hairpin climb. The second bend here is so steep on the inside that it forces you far right, so take care. Turn away from the village of Knock and begin opposite a farm gate. Follow the road alongside the river to Llanymawddwy, pass through and begin the climb across the Pont y Pennant. 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. 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. Afon Ddu, 7. Llano de las Animas, 7. Youll enjoy unobstructed views of the canyon as you pass Wales mascot - Sheep! The views? My veins are ready to explode as I push and pull through each agonising revolution of the pedals. 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. Stay up to date with the latest developments. 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. The average gradient of the climb is 2.9% and the maximum gradient is 13%. When you reach the open mountaintop (after 3.4 miles), the views will take your breath away. We rank this monster as the #3 most difficult in Britain via the Fiets index - #2 in Wales! Before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road, this was the main road between Gilwern and Brynmawr. Who knows. After leaving the village, you're into open moorland but don't expect a gradient in single figures. 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. What follows is a brief levelling out but you can't put off what lies ahead for long. The gradient on the inside of the bend is estimated to be somewhere in excess of 30%, and while you'd be daft to try riding over that bit, the outside isn't exactly a piece of cake either. Its quite a strange effort needed to try and get the KOM, he explains. The route hugs the side of the steeply sided valley, following the contours of the hillside as it heads towards the summit. This climb is ranked #3 on PJAMMs FIETS formula-based difficulty index, as well as the UK Top Hardest Climbs list provided to us by Simon Warrenbefore our second trip to document the UKs top climbs in 2022 -- thus, its The Real Deal! Moel Arthur - 220m - 10 to 20% - 2.2km #88. Two miles up a main road at between 4% and 6% might sound easy, but that just depends on how fast you're going. Babusar Pass, 4. 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. 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. You have 50 climbs on your lists, if you want to add more you can do so with climbfinder+. Electric Mountain, 5. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. Bryn Du is a very steep climb in Aberdare, up Maerdy Mountain. 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. This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. 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. Region: South West Length: 3.1km Average gradient: 10% Elevation: 321m . Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy, The radar station of top of Great Dun Fell. Where To find Hardknott Pass leave the A595 and head east towards Eskdale. Where: Heading north-west out of Pontardawe. Watch a gorgeous open up before your eyes as you tackle this country road that rises straight out of Pontardawe. Also known as Hellfire Pass, Bwich-Y-Groes is the highest paved road in Wales. No part of it is easy, but it's the first of two hairpins that makes it notorious. He wasn't wrong. 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. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. 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 did warn him how bad it was but he was like, yeah, its just another hill. Sign up with your email address to receive offers, news and updates. TOP 3 HARDEST BIKE CLIMBS IN WALES (FIETS INDEX), This extraordinary climb is in the northwestern section of Wales in the Snowdonia mountain region. 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. It is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. Where: South of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. 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. 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 . South Wales needs no introduction. The best advice for anyone heading uphill out of Aberdare - don't put yourself in the red too early. ranks this as the hardest climb in Wales and he will get no argument from us on that front! This leaves us with a wealth of material describing the setting and condition of the road nearly a 100 years ago (, Named Hellfire Pass by the English but better known by its Welsh name, Bwlch-Y-Groes.