Hairpin Climbs UK

thegreatdivide

Brian B wrote:

thegreatdivide wrote:

The climb from Kenmore up from Loch Tay has quite a few switchbacks - 5 proper and a slight 6th with an 8.2% average at 3.2 miles long. Current KOM is just under 10mph and the guy that holds it is a demon.

http://www.strava.com/segments/kenmore-615848

I’ve not had the chance to do it yet (excuses, excuses).

That climb is Glen Quaich mentioned earlier! Hard from both sides but Tay side is the hardest - Kudos to the guy with the KOM time on Strava as even fresh that climb is rock hard for that sort of speed.

I do this climb after a long and hard day in the saddle when I up that neck of the woods. Usually hit this climb on my way back to the car with130miles already bagged(having already done the other side after only 20miles into my route much earlier in the day) and my average speed is way down and just grind my way up and glad for the slight break half way. After the switchbacks there is a never ending series of false summits which take you high up on the hill with the most stunning 360° views - anybody who watched Cameron McNeish new Borders to Cape Wrath route would have seen the green mountain rescue hut featured quite a lot and he commented how good the views from here are.

Met a group on a guided tour last year after topping this climb who had came up from the Amulree side and one of the blokes on tour said to me you have just came up the easier side and if you want to be real climber you have do the hard side like he had done. However as fate would have it I knew one of the guys through sportives who was on holiday who knew my love for epic days in the saddle asked me where I had been that day as it was well late into the afternoon. When I explained where I had been the tour guide said I had done the his whole long weekend tour in one day and gave me a wink when aforementioned bloke went silent

Nice!

Here's a video of the climb from the Amulree side - that looks tough! But the descent looks great :-) Pity he doesn't film the hairpins of the side I was on about though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVQzJ5ee0oo

This is deffo going on the spring ride list. I worked out a route from Dundee and back but [cough] never got round to doing it.

Brian B

Great video and you even see the green mountain rescue hut. Makes me itch to be back up there as I know both sides of this climb really well but the view from the top is worth all the effort.

rollemynot

Brian B wrote:

Great video and you even see the green mountain rescue hut. Makes me itch to be back up there as I know both sides of this climb really well but the view from the top is worth all the effort.

I always think why can't the etape caledonia try and incorporate one of these climbs, it will sort out all the people claiming the EC is one of the easiest events

marylogic

The road from Nethybridgeto Tomintoul has a splendid dip at Bridge of Brownwith 2 hairpins going down and 2 climbing back up with a gradient on the inside of the hairpin of 20%. You can carry on to the Lecht from there which has a further 20% ramp and a great cafe stop at the top.

I got as far as this last year but didn't complete the plan to descend the other side of the Lecht then climb back up - it has a really prolonged 20% section which I'm hoping to manage this year.

Brian B

Nethybridge and the Lecht more of my favourite climbs Lecht is really tough and I think its the 3rd hardest climb in Scotland or equal to Glendaruil(or however you spell it).

thecrofter

My three candidates are the Bealach, Mam Ratigan and the climb out of Kenmore. All three have already been mentioned, but if your after hairpins and tough climbs then they get my vote. I've done the Bealach about half a dozen times, the first one when I was about fourteen, it just goes on for ever. I manage the climb from Tornapress in under 50 mins without a siezure, but I'm King of the Mountain on the descent in to Applecross :shock: . Mam Ratigan is like a Mezzo-Bealach with some fantastic views, last time I was up there my water bottle had frozen by the time I got to the summit. If you got the ferry(only in summer) over to Skye you could do a circular route with another tough climb up from Kylerea. I came across the climb out of Kenmore to Amulree by accident last Sept. without a doubt the hardest climb I've done, probably because I was not expecting it to be so hard. It's difficult because there are so many bends and it's mainly in amongst trees so you can't see how far you've got to go.

A couple that I've not done yet that I fancy giving a go are the climb over Ben Lawers to Glen Lyon and the road up to the ski station in the Cairngorms, I've just remembered another, a small climb but the road from Trinafour over the top to Dalnaspidal (on the A9) has some hairpins near the start.

Brian B

Crofter the road from Loch Tay to Glen Lyon is a great climb and has two switch backs where you can see right over the Loch! Its the harder side but for me I like to come up the other side out of Glen Lyon as its a much longer climb and good alpine training but the scenery and the road along the dam is awesome - you need to do it

The road up to the ski station in the cairngorms is good one and I did a few years back in a sportive where the HQ was at the top. Cannot remember the name of the sportive now.

For a really big day on the bike park at the top of the Ratigan and drop down the hard side and head along the main road and take the road to Lochcarron. Then over the Bealach round the coast, Lochcarron and back up the Ratigan for a finale! Totally hard day out and the road out of Lochcarron is sapping after the hard coast route and more so the steep hill after the tunnel at the railway.

Silly Old Hector

Brian B wrote:

Crofter the road from Loch Tay to Glen Lyon is a great climb and has two switch backs where you can see right over the Loch! Its the harder side but for me I like to come up the other side out of Glen Lyon as its a much longer climb and good alpine training but the scenery and the road along the dam is awesome - you need to do it

The road up to the ski station in the cairngorms is good one and I did a few years back in a sportive where the HQ was at the top. Cannot remember the name of the sportive now.

For a really big day on the bike park at the top of the Ratigan and drop down the hard side and head along the main road and take the road to Lochcarron. Then over the Bealach round the coast, Lochcarron and back up the Ratigan for a finale! Totally hard day out and the road out of Lochcarron is sapping after the hard coast route and more so the steep hill after the tunnel at the railway.

I've done the Loch Tay climb on the mountain bike a couple of years ago and nearly died, but I'm a little fitter now. Tried the same on an offroad trail alongside last Aug - great fun both ways.

The sportive on Cairngorm is :

http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/?page_id=22

marylogic

What I really like about Cairngorm and the Lecht are the ski stations at the top. It gives a wee bit of the feel of a european climb (although not nearly as long to be fair).

If you cycle to the top of Cairngorm they offer you a free ride on the funicular railway.

I'm lucky enough to have a road with a hairpin near my house so when I was out in the snow recently I kidded myself on that I was doing an Alpine stage! (I find it helps with the motivation )