We've collected 37 of the hardest, most beautiful, steepest, highest and longest climbs in South Wales. Since that . Constant variations in gradient make finding a rhythm a tough task and there are significant stretches in excess of 10%. 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. We relied heavily on Simon Warrens Top UK Climbs Series in ranking and documenting UK bike climbs (. ) 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. I'd waited a long time to ride this road, initially put off by its "private" status. 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. The bike climbs we have documented are in the slideshow above. Between the narrow road, the rutted surface and the severity of the slope, this is one seriously tough climb. Finish at the car park at the top of the climb. If you were measuring the steepest, hardest, highest or longest climbs in South Wales, this wouldn't be anywhere near it. 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!! The early parts of this mountain road rarely drop below 10% as the route winds its way up through the trees. 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. Learn More ALL TRIPS It is an incredible climb both ways but the road from Tornapress, heading north-west, is just awesome. The second bend here is so steep on the inside that it forces you far right, so take care. 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. Receive a selection of the most beautiful climbs we've added. 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. Hit the opening 12% slope too hard and you're finished - because it's followed by a sequence of bends with gradients rising above 30%. 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. But had this happened before I hit the deck or after? 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. 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! This climb was renowned throughout the 1970s and 80s as the most challenging climb used in the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race (Wikipedia). 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. We have had the great fortune of documenting the most epic and hardest climbs in Wales in both 2018 and 2022. Photograph: Paul White/Alamy, Scotch mist hanging over Bealach na Ba. Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our. Apagua, 5. WOW - enough said! Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Ffordd Penllech in Harlech is the UK's steepest road (Pic: Stephen Elwyn Roddick, via Wiki Commons) Jenkin Road was the final climb of stage two of this year's Tour de France (Pic: Marc, via. The famous hairpin means you've broken the back of it, and by the time you're onto the tree-lined final straight, you'll virtually be able to taste the ice cream from the van in the layby at the summit. Babusar Pass, 4. The landscape is rough, its easy to see how the area gets pounded with rain and freezing temps most of the year. List of - 100 Climbs Total climbing: 21,293m over 322.75km. At this point, the climb would get significantly worse! Wales has some gorgeous road bike climbs, and Bwlch y Groes is surely one of them! But as the road heads into the trees, it rears up sharply, and doesn't drop below 12% until the very top. Dan is still chatting away but Ive fallen silent - there is no space to fit words in-between breaths. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy. I have purchased and relied heavily on several of these books in deciding what climbs to include on the PJAMM Website for the UK. Bwlch Penbarras from Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, The Road to Hell from Denbigh via Nantglyn, Llanberis Pass / Pen-y-Pass from Nant Peris. Riding alongside Dan with Jess tucked in behind we set off, all three of us understandably apprehensive of what lies ahead. She got all aggressive so we turned around and chilled for 20, walked back up the trail and she was still there . >>> Subscriptions deals forCycling Weeklymagazine. 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. 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. If you survive the absolute wall out of Pontypridd along Graigwen Road, you'll be treated to one of the most beautiful routes in this part of South Wales as the road follows a ridge high above Taff Valley to the historic church of Llanwonno. He wasn't wrong. 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. 2. . As Eryri (see above), this area has a unique place in Welsh history, tradition and culture. 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. The road to get to this climb is brutally narrow with thick shrubs blocking the views ahead. 1. 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. It starts from the village of Porlock and climbs an average of 10% gradient towards the top of Exmoor. Where: Heading north out of Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley. - they are the Gold Standard for cycling climbing in the UK. Ride 1.8 miles gaining 916 at 10% average grade. Simon Warren has published many books on cycling climbing in the UK (e.g. The Tyla rounds The Blorenge Mountain from Gilwern, and its an incredibly challenging climb, mainly because of its steep lower slopes. 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). But, I like to think its a Sheep in Dragons clothing. Ride two miles gaining 1,329 at 12.5% average grade. Having left the steep streets of Upper Brynamman behind, the road dissects the open mountainside, tussock-covered hillsides on both flanks. 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. With a maximum gradient of 22% and an average gradient of 8.1% youre afforded great views of Aberdare the higher you climb. One for the power climbers. And don't even think about putting a foot down - you'll never get started again. 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. There's something evil lurking in the woods at the top of this climb in rural Monmouthshire. Just keep going, then head down the terrifying descent. Two miles up a main road at between 4% and 6% might sound easy, but that just depends on how fast you're going. 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. . The Guardian - Britains top 10 toughest cycle climbs, Rate climbs, post comments and share your experiences on any of our climb pages, Create bucket lists of climbs & mark the dates you complete them, Weather data for all climbs - Start & Finish, Upload photos to your member page to customize your PJAMM Cycling experience, Utilize all of our interactive tools - Profile & Routes in Area. 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. You will, however, be able to reacquaint your backside with the saddle for the final push to summit on the approach to the gliding club.Where To reach the base turn north away from the A489 at Plowden. If someone built it we will damn well try and ride it, even if it means falling on our ass because. This is the highest paved road and hardest bike climb in Wales. Something went wrong, please try again later. Grid Ref: NY 231 014 (OS96). South Wales needs no introduction. By the time the open mountain top is reached, things are much more benign. [Summarized above under Fiets Top 10 Hardest]. The sense of achievement? Have you tackled the toughest climb in your region? 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. Here are some of the UK's other toughest ascents. Approaching from either direction you see the radar station's "golf ball" glowing like a beacon on the top of the ridge. Ride only 600 meters but at a stunning 21.3% average grade. 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. The steep, consistent gradient hovers around 15% all the way, making it one of the most challenging climbs in South Wales. The full climb might be 2.4km, but that doesn't even nearly tell the full story. Bwlch Penbarra to Jubilee Tower, 4. It is in the Aran Mountains near the south east edge of Snowdonia (. How many have you ridden? Factoring in a pretty torrid road surface too means reaching the top of this wall is an achievement few will ever accomplish. Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. Only two miles, but one of those climbs that feels like it goes on forever. World Cycle Tours, Nutterswood Cottage, Nutters Wood, Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PZ, United Kingdom. Baran Road is arguably the most beautiful of all the tough climbs were listing here. And yet once you get to the top, you'll realise you enjoyed every second. A headwind, on the other hand, and it can be a real grind. Favourite cycling climbs in North Wales 1 - Pen-y-Pass aka Llanberis Pass Pen Y Pass Profile. On the opposite side of the Blorenge to the more famous Tumble, Rhiwr Road makes that famous climb look like child's play. 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. . The Tyla rounds the Blorenge from Gilwern, Heading into the trees on the Wentwood Ridge climb just where it starts to get really steep. Banking right, the surface breaks up and 20% soon turns into 25%. Still, that's the least of your worries as you pass a 25% sign. 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. 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. Okay - sheep is not the official mascot. 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. Round the end of Loch Kishorn and follow the signs to Applecross, up and over Bealach-na-Ba. Almost imperceptibly, the gradient rises up until you'll suddenly feel like you're pedaling through treacle - probably just before the turn-off for Fforest Fawr. -- Climbs taken from 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (8.99, . We rank this monster as #2 most difficult in UK via the Fiets index. Cyclist and spectators make their way up The Tumble Abergavenny. Is it the suffering? From the junction with Station Road, exit the village past the first 25% sign then the road bends left at a second 25% warning as if you need reminding, it's going to be hard. The maximum gradient is 13%. First built in 2nd century by the Romans, the pass is unbelievably tough from both directions. 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. 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. The views? Simon and Dan get to grips with Pythagoras Theorem. The first 200-yard segment averages 15%, so be sure to warm up. In many ways, the quintessential Welsh mountain road - wild, remote, desolate and endearingly featureless. We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. The beautiful landscape of the Brecon Beacons. Below is a list of Simons choices for Wales Top 10 Hardest and Top 10 Most Epic. View PJAMM Cycling's collection of the highest ranked climbs in Wales. Or should we be asking, how accurate? The English name for the area derives from Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 ft (1,085 m). 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. It only takes 1 minute and it's completely free. This is a list of all 200 climbs feature in 100 Greatest cycling climbs and also the sequel He was in north Wales pinching some of my best KOMs so I thought he deserved some punishment. Enter the first of two sets of brutal switchbacks and wrench body and bike through the 25% corners. The first 10km climbs 800m to a small Visitor Centre, via ever steepening slopes and long 12 - 15% ramps. Scanuppia Stick with it, as eventually the one-in-three does turn into a relatively gentle one-in-six, allowing you to build a little momentum to drag your bike up on to the moor. 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. Leave the A470 at Dinas Mawddwy and head into the Afon Dyfi Valley. If you want the privilege of having ridden the highest paved road in Wales, you'll need to earn it. Please check your inbox to complete the sign-up process and ensure you receive emails and offers from us in the future. At the end of this long stretch, as we reach bend four of four. 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. A straight line of unflinching steepness of such monotony that it regularly feels like you're going nowhere. A mix of all three? 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. 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. 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. Afon Ddu, 7. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK. 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. 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. You have to pace yourself because as the road progresses you hit a series of bends, coupled with a 30% gradient. The Gospel Pass is situated in Wales. It's not quite the Alps, but it's a close as it gets in South Wales. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, 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 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.