Has anyone experience of climbing Bury Hill?

sampras38

I will be visiting the South Coast in a few weeks near Arundel, and there is a pretty vicous looking hill nearby called Bury Hill. Has anyone climbed it...what's it like?

It's about 3km long, but 1km is supposed to be at 20% gradient. I'm relatively new to climbing and thought I'd give it a go as practice for the Wales Dragon ride in June, and the Jeox Plan in the French alps in July.

Is it really has bad as it looks?

Thanks in advance

liversedge

20% ? 'fraid not. I'd hazard a guess at between 5 and 8% at a pinch maxxing out at 10%. Horrid road - poor condition / bumpy and cars doing 60mph+ along the A29 just a few feet away.

There is a much quieter route up from the east but its not worth a trip for, it does have a little steep section but not much.

Sorry to be so negative.

liversedge

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

Thanks for the reply. I've arranged to do the Surrey Hills a couple of times recently, with a couple of club riders, but for one reason or another they got cancelled. I'm sure I'll end up doing them in the next month or so. The route we had plotted was similar to yours, starting at Box hill.

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

20% ? 'fraid not. I'd hazard a guess at between 5 and 8% at a pinch maxxing out at 10%. Horrid road - poor condition / bumpy and cars doing 60mph+ along the A29 just a few feet away.

There is a much quieter route up from the east but its not worth a trip for, it does have a little steep section but not much.

Sorry to be so negative.

Really..I'd read it was around 20% in parts. Oh well, I've already plotted a 50 mile course which included Bury Hill, so I'll still do it.

cheers

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

I'd heard the Dragon hills weren't that bad, just go on for a long time. I guess we'll see come June. I'm also doing the Jeox Plan and Cole Du Columbiere in july so it'll be good practice..;-)

liversedge

sampras38 wrote:

liversedge wrote:

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

Thanks for the reply. I've arranged to do the Surrey Hills a couple of times recently, with a couple of club riders, but for one reason or another they got cancelled. I'm sure I'll end up doing them in the next month or so. The route we had plotted was similar to yours, starting at Box hill.

Enjoy Horseblock Hollow (at the top of Barhatch Lane) and White Downs. I recommend sprinting up them :-)

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

Did the Surrey Hills on Sunday and two in particular were pretty nasty at 16 and 18%. Enjoyed it though and could quite get into this climbing lark. May even go back in a couple of weeks to have anothe go.

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

sampras38 wrote:

liversedge wrote:

Come down to the Surrey Hills and you can find of 5, 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20% climbs - but nowhere near as long as you'll taste on the Dragon ride.

I've posted a pretty tasty tour of the hills route on my blog.

Thanks for the reply. I've arranged to do the Surrey Hills a couple of times recently, with a couple of club riders, but for one reason or another they got cancelled. I'm sure I'll end up doing them in the next month or so. The route we had plotted was similar to yours, starting at Box hill.

Enjoy Horseblock Hollow (at the top of Barhatch Lane) and White Downs. I recommend sprinting up them :-)

What's the gradiant on Horseblock Hollow?

I'd heard White Downs is 21% in places and we may try it in a fortnight or so. Is it pretty much the hardest climb in that region, or are there worse ones?

liversedge

Horseblock Hollow (or you can call it Barhatch Lane) tops out at 21% near the top whilst White Downs tops out at 16%

Personally I really dislike Coldharbour lane from Dorking, but maybe thats cause whenever I get there I'm knackered out

sampras38

liversedge wrote:

Horseblock Hollow (or you can call it Barhatch Lane) tops out at 21% near the top whilst White Downs tops out at 16%

Personally I really dislike Coldharbour lane from Dorking, but maybe thats cause whenever I get there I'm knackered out

We did Anstie Lane, Coldharbour, Dorking. That was pretty nasty, especially as we'd been sprinting before the climb. Definately shouldn't have done that..;-)

Takis61

Agree with the earlier comments, it is not 20% but it is still steep in sections - to make it more of a challenge, go up it, along the ridge, down the hill to Arundel, round the roundabout & go back up agin. Then back up Bury Hill.
And if you get bored, there is Houghton Hill down to Amberley Chalk Pits.
Good work out !

sampras38

Takis61 wrote:

Agree with the earlier comments, it is not 20% but it is still steep in sections - to make it more of a challenge, go up it, along the ridge, down the hill to Arundel, round the roundabout & go back up agin. Then back up Bury Hill.
And if you get bored, there is Houghton Hill down to Amberley Chalk Pits.
Good work out !

Bury Hill's now booked for the easter weekend so we'll see.

Guyzie

What Takis61 said, just be careful as the A29 up Bury Hill is a bit of a race track. Also the route up from Arundel back to Whiteways car park (top of Bury) can be a little dangerous (note flowers placed at the side of the road!) although it is a good test.
My best time up there is 10 min 45 sec. I doubt that's very good, but it'll give you something to go for:-)
From the top again you can take the A29 West down to Slindon.
Nice ride up through the village and beyond out to Eartham and beyond... not sure how far you want to go? I really like the ride up from Charleston to the top of Goodwood.
Also, coming back from Slindon to Whiteways you can hang a left and go back up the hill via Madehurst for a quieter road.
I used all these climbs (ok slopes) as training for the North Cornwall Tor last year... wasn't enough, but I guess it all helped:-)
Cheers,
Guy

sampras38

Guyzie wrote:

What Takis61 said, just be careful as the A29 up Bury Hill is a bit of a race track. Also the route up from Arundel back to Whiteways car park (top of Bury) can be a little dangerous (note flowers placed at the side of the road!) although it is a good test.
My best time up there is 10 min 45 sec. I doubt that's very good, but it'll give you something to go for:-)
From the top again you can take the A29 West down to Slindon.
Nice ride up through the village and beyond out to Eartham and beyond... not sure how far you want to go? I really like the ride up from Charleston to the top of Goodwood.
Also, coming back from Slindon to Whiteways you can hang a left and go back up the hill via Madehurst for a quieter road.
I used all these climbs (ok slopes) as training for the North Cornwall Tor last year... wasn't enough, but I guess it all helped:-)
Cheers,
Guy

Thanks for the tips Guy. I'm starting at Littlehampton and just wanted to do a 40-50 miler with Bury Hill included. I have plotted a fairly simple route on my Garmin and it works out at 48 miles. I had planned on going up Bury Hill, then going through to Northchapel on the A283, turning round and back up Bury Hill and home. I don't really know the area that well so will be reliant on the Garmin most of the time. i'm not desperate to do too much climbing that weekend, but just enough to feel I've used my legs a bit..;-)