Longest Climbs Eng, Scot, Wal??

rob39

Hi all looking for the longest road climbs in England, Scotland, Wales. Already got the highest climbs Great Dun Fell, Lowther Hill and Gospel Pass just want the longest continuous climbs for a unique charity challenge.

pblakeney

Bealach Na Ba?

mrdsgs

Cragg Vale

Moonbiker

How bout this for Wales:

7.72 miles

https://www.strava.com/segments/1162518

Its not nice with a headwind :twisted:

tonysj

mrdsgs wrote:

Cragg Vale

Yep, Cragg Vale. 5.5 mile of continuous gradient but its not steep or difficult really.

Moonbiker

Have a look here:

https://www.climbbybike.com/climbs_selection.asp?Mountainname=&Region=&CatID=255&Departure=&Ordering=Length&Orderby=Down

Moonbiker

Go do Cowlyd

Hardest climb in UK i reckon.

https://www.climbbybike.com/most_diffic ... inID=12024

The ones ranked harder aren't tarmac

pblakeney

Moonbiker wrote:

Have a look here:

https://www.climbbybike.com/climbs_selection.asp?Mountainname=&Region=&CatID=255&Departure=&Ordering=Length&Orderby=Down

Surprised at how many of those I have done.
Simply proves that length isn't everything.

mike1-2

No shout for Great Dun Fell yet? Highest road in England unless I’m mistaken?

mike1-2

Nope, didn’t read the original post. What an idiot.

MiddleRinger

This isn't steep or super long, but it's probably the longest continual "uphill" in the area:

https://www.strava.com/segments/673271

Just outside of Henley On Thames. Makes for a steady yet solid effort with a kicker before the summit.

bompington

Moonbiker wrote:

Go do Cowlyd

Hardest climb in UK i reckon.

https://www.climbbybike.com/most_diffic ... inID=12024

The ones ranked harder aren't tarmac

They aren't just "not tarmac" - here's two of them: Goat Fell in the background and Cir Mhor (say "keer vore") in the foreground.

And if you've got those, and Scafell, then I'm not sure why the Ben isn't on the list, especially its north face, which would surely score a few difficulty points...

I think someone's taking the mick... you'll also notice Challacombe hill in Devon on the list, which I can remember from childhood holidays, and I'm fairly sure that it doesn't start 87m below sea level: and I'm fascinated how the Thames manages to flow the 50m uphill from Henley to the sea.

TLDR: goodness only knows what weird criteria climbbybike are using, and there are some really ropey altitude figures around.

- that Cowlyd climb does look like a beast though!

mrb123

Hartside is about 5 miles I think.

thegreatdivide

The OP is looking for the longest climbs, not the highest and hardest, so one of the longest in Scotland is Glen Coe at 8.4 miles (13.5km). Not a huge average gradient but there are few kicks on the way up.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

So just to clarify, any incline that levels off or starts going downhill any point is only measured between the longest points where the road keeps going uphill?

So, for example, "Bell Hill to the top" https://www.strava.com/segments/1239654 has a whole host of issues, because of how it undulates up to ~786 feet?

And they don't need to be categorised climbs, that average at least 3%?

thegreatdivide

The Cairnwell Pass is 5 miles long (8.5km) and 4% average, but the last mile or so is at 12%. It’s also the highest public road in the UK (A93).

drlodge

MrB123 wrote:

Hartside is about 5 miles I think.

Great Dun Fell followed by Hartside with a stop at the café at the top is a great little ride. Just make sure to stop just after the café so you record the strava segment :?

davebradswmb

drlodge wrote:

Just make sure to stop just after the café so you record the strava segment :?

OT I know, but the same applies to the Tourmelet from the La Mongie side :x

mrb123

drlodge wrote:

MrB123 wrote:

Hartside is about 5 miles I think.

Great Dun Fell followed by Hartside with a stop at the café at the top is a great little ride. Just make sure to stop just after the café so you record the strava segment :?

The cafe burnt down over the winter so not such a great stop any more!


If you continue on after Hartside and do Killhope Cross and Chapel Fell you make it a superb circuit that takes in the highest road in the country together with the joint highest public roads in England. The route is sometimes referred to as the Big Four.

fuel2000

Clee hill, near Ludlow and Tenbury. You can extend it a little further by going past the radar station at the top. https://www.strava.com/segments/4613564

webboo

Blakey Ridge ( North York’s) from the A170 to where it starts to go down hill to Danby is about 8 and half miles. There is a couple of bits where it descends or levels but it overall it is still keeps ascending.

matt_n-2

Out of Chepstow, up Tutshill it climbs all the way to St Briavels, 7.4 miles, total ascent 1017ft, max altitude 781ft.

On the other side of the Wye Valley you can climb out from Monmouth on the B4293, peaks at Devauden, 9.3 miles, 1217ft ascent, max altitube 833ft.

matt_n-2

This one links a few roads but I've ridden the route and it really does feel like you're climbing for as long as the plot suggests.

Out of Neath take the B4287 to Cimla, then join the A4107 to Cymer, keep going through Abergwynfi then summit the Blwch. 15 miles, total ascent 2516ft, max altitude 1742ft.

ugo.santalucia

Moonbiker wrote:

Go do Cowlyd

Hardest climb in UK i reckon.

https://www.climbbybike.com/most_diffic ... inID=12024

The ones ranked harder aren't tarmac

Currently not tarmac... not sure if they will lay new tarmac or not

https://www.strava.com/activities/1792358095

mrb123

The Yad Moss climb up and out of Teesdale is around 10 miles. There are a couple of very brief downhill bits so it may not qualify for this list but it's certainly uphill the vast majority of the way.

https://veloviewer.com/segment/8194814

Ben6899

NCN1 from Innerleithen north, on the B709/B7007 is ~12miles to the highest point. There's a downhill intermission before the B709/B7007 turn off so that might preclude it?

Either way, I enjoyed it: https://goo.gl/maps/zCzBGSxiaiS2

DeVlaeminck

Cromford to Pikehall the Via Gellia is about 7.5 miles and apart from a few very short sections where it levels off or descends a few feet it's pretty much a continuous climb. It's not a hard climb by any means but for length it's up there with most of those other uk climbs mentioned.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Hambledon (from near Hambledon/Fareham Rds junction) to Butser Hill summit via Hogs Lodge lane is ~7.8 miles, with a few short descents on the way, ~940 feet gain with ~621 feet altitude difference.

But we still have not had the "rules" clarified for this search, the results will be very different if a distance measure stops when a road stops ascending in any shape or form.

craigus89

Not as long as some that have been mentioned but Porlock toll road in Somerset/North Devon is probably as alpine-esque as it gets in the UK. 4.1 miles at a VERY steady 5.5% gradient.

https://www.strava.com/segments/894936

pblakeney

NitrousOxide wrote:

But we still have not had the "rules" clarified for this search, the results will be very different if a distance measure stops when a road stops ascending in any shape or form.

The OP hasn't returned to the forum since posting the original question.
Make up your own rules.

svetty

Webboo wrote:

Blakey Ridge ( North York’s) from the A170 to where it starts to go down hill to Danby is about 8 and half miles. There is a couple of bits where it descends or levels but it overall it is still keeps ascending.

True although the short descents before Hutton-le Hole are big enough that you do get a proper chance to recover. Agree that the continuous climb from there to the crest at the Rosedale turn is a long one certainly. I seldom use that road as the traffic is often considerable and fast-moving. Blakey Bank is a much better way up