THE toughest climb you ever rode and how did you fare ?

seadog12

Ride up Slack Hill on the way to work occasionally - good climb which I'd do far more often if it wasn't for the traffic going up at 70mph and giving no room

Peddle Up!

Peddle Up! wrote:

One close to me, Bushcombe Lane . It starts off reasonably enough, then bites yer bum (and legs). Has me off every time.

Doh! Wrong link. Bushcombe Lane

kev77

I have completed:

The devils staircase
Constitution hill
The trough of bowland
Jubilee tower
Cross of greet

All difficult in there own right and also in different weathers

Safcstuie

Rosedale Chimmney is not a climb, its a tarmac wall hit it after 70 miles, 34x23 felt like 58x11,

Bollihope out of Stanhope, is another killer.

prb007

Ticked off;
Devil's Staircase
Devil's Elbow
Cat & Fiddle
Bwlch&Rhigos
Col du Tourmalet,
Hautacam.

Not bad for a 40-something, just the right side of 16st!

Still on wish list;
Col du Galibier
Alpe d'Huez
Stelvio

...hopefully before I'm 50!

pcanh

Safcstuie wrote:

Rosedale Chimmney is not a climb, its a tarmac wall hit it after 70 miles, 34x23 felt like 58x11,

Bollihope out of Stanhope, is another killer.

Yeah i ve been up rosedale after the first cattle grid its stupidly steep, its like looking up at the roof top, 39x29 had to stop, legs were like jelly, after 2 half hours to get there!! weakkk.

pcanh

For me banach na ba west coast of apple cross scotland. 6 mile of, long narrow road that was the easy side!! also blakey bank yorkshire farndale east, out of church houses, 27% near middle, had to stop twice to catch my breath then struggle to get going, 39x29 like 39x12!!!

thegibdog

Mow Cop is the hardest climb I've done, I nearly ground to a halt on the 25% section. Might give it another go soon and resurrect the Mow Cop Challenge thread, hopefully I will have progressed since then!

oldhairylegs

Did this route up around Shining Tor near Macclesfield a little while ago.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/115373467#

The drop down into the Goyt valley to Errwood Reservoir has a bonkers descent - managed 55 mph until I bottled it!

The climb out the other side towards Lamaload Reservoir is ridiculous though. I have never ridden anything as steep and my Garmin seemed to be unable to cope! Over 30% for what felt like ages. :shock:

the_spooks

Wonder if someone can tell the the name of the hills just after Stanhope cafe towards Alston, I can remember going downhill and then turning left then going up a hill or 2 or 3 then finally arriving in Alston. These were as I had said previously in this thread the end for my legs but curious where I was lol

thegibdog

oldhairylegs wrote:

Over 30% for what felt like ages. :shock:

I think your Garmin must have been playing up, was it when you were going through the wooded section? It's a tough climb but it doesn't get up to 30%.

Crispybug

Climbing out of Clermont Ferrand earlier this year was utterly horrible, just went on and on and on at a seemingly riduclous gradient. I'm a big guy (look like a rugby player, built like rugby player, am a rugby player!) and on a lot of uphills I tend to hit the granny ring but on this one I went into the lowest gear very quickly ........and stayed there!!!! I know that technically I was riding the Puy de Dome but unfortunately the last four kilometres (i.e. The important, historic bit!) was closed for a railway being built up there. I really really wanted to do the volcano part but in all honesty it would've probably killed me.
So next year, the road will be opened for cyclists again I won't be playing rugby anymore (Doctor absolutely insisted that I stop on account of my shoulder) so I'm currently trying to lose weight and next year I'm going to give it a good go and try and beat the bastard!!

friso

I have done quite a few UK climbs and no one comes close to Hardnott (towards Wrynose)

I am expierienced cyclist and i can not ever see myself being able to get up in one go

Mow Cop is steep but short

Winnats is hard but doable if you pace yourself at the bottom up until the right hand turn

Whinlatter is a nice climb with the first few bends qute tough

Some of the toughest climbs i have ever riden are in north Cornwall along the west coast roads

Riding from Bude to and through Boscastle is really tough with 25% clims one after another but with an amazing view of the coast line, well worth doing

mattsccm

Rosedale gets it for me, especially as the only warmup I had was to freewheel gingerly down from the top to the village and then ride back up. Bugger on a 28/25.

Butterd2

Having just returned from my Dolomite/Alps tour I have several new contenders but for shear relentless grind the Hoctor pass at the top of the Grossglockner does it. You start at 600 meters in Lienz and climb to 2500 meters with long sections well over 10% and the air is starting to get thin near the top.

JustinLeeAtkinson

potters1863 wrote:

Driven up a hill today that must be a bit of a tough climb on a bike?

Between Bakewell and Matlock you go through a place called Rowsley, turn left and then right and you end up on Chesterfield Rd.

Took me a while in first gear to get up the climb and around the bends in my car.

Think it would be too much for me on my bike?

Wahey, I was hoping someone would mention Rowsley Bar/Chesterfield Road. 28 teeth next time I attempt that. Steepness after steepness and then crazy hairpins... Nuff said.

hammerite

JustinLeeAtkinson wrote:

potters1863 wrote:

Driven up a hill today that must be a bit of a tough climb on a bike?

Between Bakewell and Matlock you go through a place called Rowsley, turn left and then right and you end up on Chesterfield Rd.

Took me a while in first gear to get up the climb and around the bends in my car.

Think it would be too much for me on my bike?

Wahey, I was hoping someone would mention Rowsley Bar/Chesterfield Road. 28 teeth next time I attempt that. Steepness after steepness and then crazy hairpins... Nuff said.

Based on this discussion I decided to go and ride this at the weekend. The OH was visiting her sister up there so I stuck the bike in the back of the car for the journey up there and headed out for a few miles.

Proper hard climb that was! I was in 34x28 and still having to stand full weight on the pedals to keep moving. My eyes were stinging from sweat rolling into them! Not sure it helped that I raced CX the day before though.

On top of Rowsley/Chesterfield Road I also added in Bank Road and Riber. It was my slowest road ride for a while, you can't even take advantage of the downhills as the roads are too narrow, windy or have cars parked.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/739725

jbwilliamz

The 10 days in the Himalayas -> www.yak-attack.co.uk

The hardest climbing I have ever done. Also, a special mention to Femes in Lanzarote...nearly passed out at the top. The heat/gradient was unbearable!

I had to have a lie down next to the pedestrian crossing at the top.

KnightOfTheLongTights

just back from 1,400k tour across south of France.

The Tourmalet was tough, as was Soulor / Aubisque, and Ventoux, but for some reason the one that really got me was Luz Ardiden (probably cos it came on the third day after Toourmalet and Aubisque...).

KnightOfTheLongTights

and top marks to the Gorges de l'Ardeche for punishing gradients and relentless up-and-down ....

Gypsum_Fantastic

No one mentioned Park Rash yet?


Starts by the white van, goes up to the very top right. higher res picture here

Possibly not the hardest climb in the world but with the 'tubs (from the climbers side) and Fleet Moss in the legs it's certainly a toughy

CambsNewbie

I know it's not much compared to some of you guys, but I'm still new to this and only cycled from home as a base, but Everton hill in bedfordshire it pretty step to me. I think it averages out at 14% but seems steeper in places. And there's a long gradual build up to it.

Proud to say it's only defeated me once, and that was when I had been doing heavy squats in the gym the day before and my legs were fkd before I even went out!

hammerite

CambsNewbie wrote:

I know it's not much compared to some of you guys, but I'm still new to this and only cycled from home as a base, but Everton hill in bedfordshire it pretty step to me. I think it averages out at 14% but seems steeper in places. And there's a long gradual build up to it.

Proud to say it's only defeated me once, and that was when I had been doing heavy square in the gym the day before and my legs were fkd before I even went out!

I can't remember having been up that, but I do know it exists (I think it even has a chevron on an OS map, which is unusual for round here). We usually head south down towards Sharpenhoe, Sundon and Dunstable if we want hills.

yenrod

I recall years back doing a fair bit of riding in Lake district & cant remember any of the climbs...

Though I love N.Wales the pass of llanberis is a true love of mine even tho its L-O-N-G..i like longer climbs than short steep jobs...

I once done Snowdon once & went ok on that though its pretty easy to get overwhelmed with that...youve really gotta take it easy on that as its 4-5mls long uphill: you dont get that type of inclination in this country!

Mossrider

JustinLeeAtkinson wrote:

potters1863 wrote:

Driven up a hill today that must be a bit of a tough climb on a bike?

Between Bakewell and Matlock you go through a place called Rowsley, turn left and then right and you end up on Chesterfield Rd.

Took me a while in first gear to get up the climb and around the bends in my car.

Think it would be too much for me on my bike?

Wahey, I was hoping someone would mention Rowsley Bar/Chesterfield Road. 28 teeth next time I attempt that. Steepness after steepness and then crazy hairpins... Nuff said.

Yep, remember going up that in my Dad's1960's triumph as a kid every weekend on the way to my Grandmother's - must clock it next time I'm visiting the family. Has any one mentioned Strines, South to North (particularly Ewden Beck). Not too bad in itself but following from holme Moss and Snake it's a toughie. For a single climb my money's on Coffin Road N Yorks or Winnatts - particularly in traffic!

sfichele

For me the two hardest climbs I ever did were Hardnott Pass and the Col de la Colombière.

Managed to do Hardnott entirely without getting off which I'm pretty chuffed about. The crazy thing is I passed a guy who had fallen off his motorcycle. He was shocked that a push bike had overtaken him. Dont worry my girlfriend helped him up! I hadn't even realised he was there as I was concentrating so hard.

I did the Colombiere in 37 degree heat which almost killed me. I ran out of water on the last 5 km which is a constant 10% and totally exposed to the sun. By the time I'd got to the top I was a gibbering wreck.

silverpigeon

To the summit of Mt Tamalpais in California in May whilst on holiday. The ride back to San Francisco along Highway 1 was pretty knackering too.

Bloody worth it though

JustinLeeAtkinson

hammerite wrote:

JustinLeeAtkinson wrote:

potters1863 wrote:

Driven up a hill today that must be a bit of a tough climb on a bike?

Between Bakewell and Matlock you go through a place called Rowsley, turn left and then right and you end up on Chesterfield Rd.

Took me a while in first gear to get up the climb and around the bends in my car.

Think it would be too much for me on my bike?

Wahey, I was hoping someone would mention Rowsley Bar/Chesterfield Road. 28 teeth next time I attempt that. Steepness after steepness and then crazy hairpins... Nuff said.

Based on this discussion I decided to go and ride this at the weekend. The OH was visiting her sister up there so I stuck the bike in the back of the car for the journey up there and headed out for a few miles.

Proper hard climb that was! I was in 34x28 and still having to stand full weight on the pedals to keep moving. My eyes were stinging from sweat rolling into them! Not sure it helped that I raced CX the day before though.

On top of Rowsley/Chesterfield Road I also added in Bank Road and Riber. It was my slowest road ride for a while, you can't even take advantage of the downhills as the roads are too narrow, windy or have cars parked.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/739725

Well done, I was in 34/25 when I tried it, stopped at the flat part opposite some houses as there were cars and a refuse lorry, and then just could not clip back in to ascend the rest of it. I did Riber ok which I thought was much easier than Rowsley Bar. However Simon Warren's 100 climbs book has it the other way round.

robklancs

Here is a few pics of the struggle in. The lakes. And cows mouth in the trough of bowland.

Look towards the top right of the photo and you can see the road, its taken from maybe 3/4 of the way up with many horrendous 20% sections already done. The 2nd pic is taken looking back down to ambleside, the climb starts near the lake. After this I went and ran up hellvelyn, well I say ran, more like crawled.





This is the cows mouth, short but steep! 20%

KnightOfTheLongTights

I really don't enjoy riding in the Lakes - it's not good cycling country, in my opinion.

Poor roads, overly steep gradients, always lookng out for sheep. Descending off things like Honister is a nightmare, just not enjoyable at all.