High Above Hay Sportive - highest road in Wales!

Ride the High Above Hay Sportive, Sunday April 27th, and nail a thrilling descent (yeah, you've got to climb to the top first!) from Gospel Pass, the highest paved road in Wales.

High Above Hay is part of Hay Bike Fest, running April 25-27, with a packed programme of across road, leisure and MTB, as well as events for kids and an expo/festival hub in the grounds of Hay Castle.

Full programme, sportive and guided ride booking and local info at http://www.haycycling.org. Get on it!

Bikefestflyer_zps19cf0d6f.jpg

Comments

  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,645
    What are the distances and what are the prices?
    Several other sportives use Gospel Pass, I'll come if you can let me know why this one's worth it.
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    Oooh, I checked this one out a couple of days ago. £24 for 60miler, £28 for 100 I believe. Not too bad for a sportive but the Gospel Pass audax was £7ish last weekend.
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    edited March 2014
    and £4 if you ride it as the Cambrian 2A permanent Audax :)
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    I did it for free once!
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    I did it for free once!
    fortunately living nearby I`ve managed it for free several times :):)
  • A fantastic event that heads over Gospel Pass is the Gospel Pass 200 starting from near Tewkesbury. I entered this event a couple of years ago. The route was varied and interesting albeit with plenty of climbs. http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-459/
  • booktownman
    booktownman Posts: 151
    The sportive is part of a wider programme of events across the Hay Bike Fest weekend.

    Hay Bike Fest is still in its infancy - we had the first one last year - but we're building on its success and hope to broaden the appeal year on year.

    Thanks for the interest - hopefully we'll see some of you there! Check out the programme for the full list of events over the weekend: www.haycycling.org
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    A fantastic event that heads over Gospel Pass is the Gospel Pass 200 starting from near Tewkesbury. I entered this event a couple of years ago. The route was varied and interesting albeit with plenty of climbs. http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-459/

    Yes looks good but will probably be recovering from Snow roads @ Kirriemuir week before and thinking MC1k http://www.millecymru.com/route/ a fortnight later .....which is scarey scarey
  • booktownman
    booktownman Posts: 151
    Enter the Facebook comp to win two free places on the High Above Hay sportive worth £56.

    http://on.fb.me/1mIB1hC

    Seven days left to enter - we'll announce the winner on April 15th.

    Good luck!
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    I always thought the highest road was over Bwlch y Groes near Bala.

    But I just had a faff with the gps map things and it seems that the Hay Buff/ Gospel Pass road goes a few metres further heavenward!
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    vorsprung wrote:
    I always thought the highest road was over Bwlch y Groes near Bala.

    But I just had a faff with the gps map things and it seems that the Hay Buff/ Gospel Pass road goes a few metres further heavenward!

    It is high there, it is a iconic climb, though hardly epic. It seems to be hays's attempt to get the cyclists in since abergavenny has it's week of speed or what not.
  • hangeron
    hangeron Posts: 127
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    I did it for free once!

    So did I - it was by far my most spectacular navigation error on a two day Prestatyn to Cardiff Bay trip.

    I wasn't popular.

    Just as we got to the top there was a hailstorm

    FFS
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    hangeron wrote:
    Ron Stuart wrote:
    I did it for free once!

    So did I - it was by far my most spectacular navigation error on a two day Prestatyn to Cardiff Bay trip.

    I wasn't popular.

    Just as we got to the top there was a hailstorm

    FFS

    My first time over the pass was after reading a ride by Steve Thomas in Cycling+. A hot day and clouds of those won't bugger off flies as I was ascending...... Good ride though all the same. :D
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    The first time I went over gospel pass (during the Gospel Pass 150 audax in 2006)

    6epwvruv_thu_mar__2_16_05_09_2006.jpg

    All the other roads were clear. 2 foot of snow up there