The 100 Best UK Climbs not featured in Warren's books

Ted Mason

Dorset Boy wrote:

Here's mine:
https://www.strava.com/segments/18789516

208) Woolland ascent of Bulbarrow -
1.9 kms, 8% average but goes up in ramps with the steepest pitches touching 25%.

I think that this is the hardest climb up Bulbarrow it's a tough one

Dorset_Boy

Ted Mason wrote:

I like this one. It's not the steepest or longest by a long way but, if you put your back into it you'll crack a sweat plus the view from the top is outstanding

209) Whiteways hill, Dorset 2.1 km long, 6% average 120 m gain

https://www.strava.com/segments/12396563

Been down it but not up it. Agree about the view, but watch out for low flying army shells! :shock: :shock: :shock:

murvis1er

78 in England, 7 in Scotland

w00dster

210) Penmachno. About 320 metres of ascent. But it feels like a straight line, so you can see it going up and up and up. Very few cars use the road, I've done the climb a few times and not had any traffic to share the hill with, only sheep.
Views are really nice, especially in the winter months with snow on the peaks. Over the course of the segment linked below the first two miles are gentle rolling terrain, then it gets steep for about 1.5 miles, not really going below 5% but often in the teens and going up to 24%. There's a cattle grid about three quarters of the way up, once you pass that you know you are over the most difficult part and can relax again.
Its not the most difficult climb or the longest, but I just love the solitude of it. In the wetter months there are waterfalls which you can see and hear, and that's just about it. When I'm there I tend to do the climb early on a Sunday morning, bliss.

https://www.strava.com/segments/5716465

First.Aspect

Murvis1er wrote:

78 in England, 7 in Scotland

I once visited Iceland. Looking for a remote hotel in the west fjords I simply couldn't find the turn off. Head out of the town and its just past a small hill the guy said. I went up this mountain pass with a number of switchbacks. And down and up again.

Then called the guy.

Keep on going, he said, that's a small hill in Iceland.

Do you see what I'm driving at?

kirkee

Milton Coombe hill 20% straight up tarmac ramp a quality few hundred meters or so. Got overtaken by a shire horse once that trotted up with ease. Not easy on a bike though. One of the many hills that are located around the Tavy valley S W Devon. The decent is fun, a full on lock in or get speed wobble affair that demands a hope for the best attitude regards to cars pulling out of the lane at the base!
Its stats may not be high in number but the sight of the sheer perfect ramp that confronts the rider makes it mention worthy imo.

ugo.santalucia

w00dster wrote:

210) Penmachno. About 320 metres of ascent. But it feels like a straight line, so you can see it going up and up and up. Very few cars use the road, I've done the climb a few times and not had any traffic to share the hill with, only sheep.
Views are really nice, especially in the winter months with snow on the peaks. Over the course of the segment linked below the first two miles are gentle rolling terrain, then it gets steep for about 1.5 miles, not really going below 5% but often in the teens and going up to 24%. There's a cattle grid about three quarters of the way up, once you pass that you know you are over the most difficult part and can relax again.
Its not the most difficult climb or the longest, but I just love the solitude of it. In the wetter months there are waterfalls which you can see and hear, and that's just about it. When I'm there I tend to do the climb early on a Sunday morning, bliss.

https://www.strava.com/segments/5716465

Ha... Cwm Penmachno... ouch ouch... :shock: :shock:

joe_totale-2

kirkee wrote:

Milton Coombe hill 20% straight up tarmac ramp a quality few hundred meters or so. Got overtaken by a shire horse once that trotted up with ease. Not easy on a bike though. One of the many hills that are located around the Tavy valley S W Devon. The decent is fun, a full on lock in or get speed wobble affair that demands a hope for the best attitude regards to cars pulling out of the lane at the base!
Its stats may not be high in number but the sight of the sheer perfect ramp that confronts the rider makes it mention worthy imo.

Hence why it's known locally as The Ski Jump!

Now I've moved to the South East nothing much compares to the South West. Simon Warren has already covered the decent ones in Kent and Surrey, the ones which didn't make it like Brasted or Vigo wouldn't rate higher than a 5.

kirkee

Joe Totale wrote:

kirkee wrote:

Milton Coombe hill 20% straight up tarmac ramp a quality few hundred meters or so. Got overtaken by a shire horse once that trotted up with ease. Not easy on a bike though. One of the many hills that are located around the Tavy valley S W Devon. The decent is fun, a full on lock in or get speed wobble affair that demands a hope for the best attitude regards to cars pulling out of the lane at the base!
Its stats may not be high in number but the sight of the sheer perfect ramp that confronts the rider makes it mention worthy imo.

Hence why it's known locally as The Ski Jump!

Now I've moved to the South East nothing much compares to the South West. Simon Warren has already covered the decent ones in Kent and Surrey, the ones which didn't make it like Brasted or Vigo wouldn't rate higher than a 5.

Haha thats the perfect descriptive name for it, probably had enough snow on it aswell last winter!

handful

ugo.santalucia wrote:

OK, I start, to follow up copy the list and add your own in sequential order... only hills you have climbed

01) The old Horseshoe pass 1.5 km at 13% 10/10
02) New Road from Draycott 2.0 km at 10.5% 9/10
03) Sudeley Hill from Winchcombe 2.5 km at 8.5% 7/10

Good shout at no 2 Ugo, New Road is a killer, referred to by us locals as Draycott Steep. 25% in parts. I often point people in that direction when they express disappointment about the lack of challenge with Cheddar Gorge which although stunning is only tough for a short section near the bottom where it ramps up to around 16%. That and Crowcombe are the toughest in these parts and maybe Porlock although there's generally too much traffic for me on Porlock!

thegreatdivide

To throw another spanner in the works, a lot of the climbs being posted in here are already ridden and ranked in:
Cycling Climbs Of Scotland
Cycling Climbs Of Wales
Cycling Climbs Of Yorkshire
Cycling Climbs Of Midlands
Cycling Climbs Of South East England (shortest one of the lot)
Cycling Climbs Of South West England

First.Aspect

thegreatdivide wrote:

To throw another spanner in the works, a lot of the climbs being posted in here are already ridden and ranked in:
Cycling Climbs Of Scotland
Cycling Climbs Of Wales
Cycling Climbs Of Yorkshire
Cycling Climbs Of Midlands
Cycling Climbs Of South East England (shortest one of the lot)
Cycling Climbs Of South West England

They are all already on OS maps as well. Lets end this pointless exercise in curation right now.

haydenm

w00dster wrote:

210) Penmachno. About 320 metres of ascent. But it feels like a straight line, so you can see it going up and up and up. Very few cars use the road, I've done the climb a few times and not had any traffic to share the hill with, only sheep.
Views are really nice, especially in the winter months with snow on the peaks. Over the course of the segment linked below the first two miles are gentle rolling terrain, then it gets steep for about 1.5 miles, not really going below 5% but often in the teens and going up to 24%. There's a cattle grid about three quarters of the way up, once you pass that you know you are over the most difficult part and can relax again.
Its not the most difficult climb or the longest, but I just love the solitude of it. In the wetter months there are waterfalls which you can see and hear, and that's just about it. When I'm there I tend to do the climb early on a Sunday morning, bliss.

https://www.strava.com/segments/5716465

The first climb on the mtb trail there was my biggest climb on strava for a long time. It's a killer. Really nice spot though

Escher303

gingerflash1975 wrote:

Bazillions of them in the Yorkshire Dales. Whenever I see that list I'm always surprised at how few are in the Dales.

I'd suggest, to start, The Fleak (also known as Fleak Moss), Park Rash, Coal Road, Grinton Moor, Lamps Moss, and Lofthouse (Trapping Hill).

Of course Buttertubs and Fleet Moss have opposite sides, which have their own charms/horrors.

Park Rash, the Coal Road (as Garsdale Head), Lofthouse (as Trapping Hill) and Lamps Moss are all in the books and Greets Moss is in instead of its neighbour Grinton Moor.

ugo.santalucia

thegreatdivide wrote:

To throw another spanner in the works, a lot of the climbs being posted in here are already ridden and ranked in:
Cycling Climbs Of Scotland
Cycling Climbs Of Wales
Cycling Climbs Of Yorkshire
Cycling Climbs Of Midlands
Cycling Climbs Of South East England (shortest one of the lot)
Cycling Climbs Of South West England

Yeah, he milked it, but nobody bought those books, hence they never existed

svetty

Church Lane climb up onto the moor above Pateley Bridge - definitely the hardest of the climbs out of the town.

ugo.santalucia

Svetty wrote:

Church Lane climb up onto the moor above Pateley Bridge - definitely the hardest of the climbs out of the town.

Name it and shame it then... I think we are at 210

N0bodyOfTheGoat

211 Speltham Hill, Hambledon... It might only be ~155 feet of climbing over ~0.3 miles, but it is seriously steep, the segment https://www.strava.com/segments/15463417 must have dodgy gradient data (but at least unlike others, it follows the road), because I'm pretty sure it hits ~25%+ and is the steepest I've experienced so far!

212 Lynch Lane (and then up Old Winchester Hill Lane), West Meon... Another short and very sharp incline, but you can use this one as a harsh start to cat4 climbs that go to OWHL junction or the tarmac summit a little further on, again ~20% but not reflected in the segment data https://www.strava.com/segments/17707573 . It's a shame OWHL is in such bad condition, it's been incredibly potholed this summer, otherwise I would do this cat4 far more often. That start is such a leg burner if you ramp up the power, because those metabolites will catch up with you on the easier gradient of OWHL. ~383 feet over ~1.97 miles makes it sound far easier than it really is with that nasty start.

213 Harvesting Lane, East Meon... Not sure this one should be here now, as the thread rules have changed to all Warren's books. It's all very easy to begin with, but you need to be very careful when you let your power bazooka go off, because it ramps up viciously in the final ~0.6 miles to ~10% average to climb to climb ~391 feet over ~1.5 miles https://www.strava.com/segments/1562691

214 Bell Hill, Petersfield... Turning into Warren Lane makes it the longest and biggest amount of climbing for a categorised climb (cat3) in mainland Hampshire, ~574 feet over ~3.3 miles https://www.strava.com/segments/7723919 , without having to negotiate a gate (as is necessary to climb further from Butser ancient farms to Butser Hill summit). Bit of a ~15% kick around the switchbacks.

215 Dell Road (Copsewood Rd leads into), Midanbury... Hidden in plain sight, almost parallel to a moderately popular Woodmill lane climb, it took me ~9 months to discover this beauty. ~0.3 miles of ~5% levels off, even gently descends for ~30 metres and then you hit the wall that peaks at ~20% https://www.strava.com/segments/2558982 . Not a bad training hill when the weather is foul up in the South Downs over winter. ~170 feet over ~0.53 miles for the segment summit https://www.strava.com/segments/17038625

216 White Way, Exton... Another which I think is in Warren's SE climb book, but not is top100. Steepest average gradient cat4 I know of in the South Downs west of South Harting's trio, ~412 feet over ~1.56 miles. With a choice of a short or long route at its base, both routes start quite easy, a bit like Harvesting Lane, but when you reach the right bend at ~0.6 miles it ramps up. Towards the top, things ease up a bit, before a final short steep section that can really hurt if you've done the whole climb hard. https://www.strava.com/segments/13369508

I'll stop now, my hill climbing is limited to mainland Hampshire and The Mendips so far, gutted I ran out of time and only descended Draycott Steep on way to Cheddar Gorge.

DeVlaeminck

NitrousOxide wrote:

211 Speltham Hill, Hambledon
212 Lynch Lane (and then up Old Winchester Hill Lane), West Meon
213 Harvesting Lane, East Meon
214 Bell Hill, Petersfield
215 Dell Road (Copsewood Rd leads into), Midanbury
216 White Way, Exton

I'll stop now, my hill climbing is limited to mainland Hampshire and The Mendips so far, gutted I ran out of time and only descended Draycott Steep on way to Cheddar Gorge.

217 Via Gellia - Cromford to Pikehall - a strong rider could big ring it if pressing on but it's long and while most is through trees the top section has some great views as it rolls between fields high in the White Peak.
218 Froggatt Edge - a steeper but shorter (though not short) version of the Via starting in trees and emerging onto the moors above Sheffield - with a tail wind a great flattering descent too as you can really hammer down it without needing great skills - with a headwind not quite steep enough.

joe_totale-2

219 - Hexworthy to Combestone Tor - Just round the corner from Dartmeet, this is 2 climbs in 1, given the book includes Rundlestone that seems fine.
The Strava Segment doesn't tell the whole story, two steep climbs and a descent no one wanted along with cattle grids to contend with and sheep and ponies blocking the road. 7/10

https://www.strava.com/segments/3963254

davep1

220) Bignor Hill, Sussex. 1.18 km at 12%, 137 m of elevation gain. 200m approx over 20%...

ugo.santalucia

DaveP1 wrote:

220) Bignor Hill, Sussex. 1.18 km at 12%, 137 m of elevation gain. 200m approx over 20%...

Mentioned earlier?

davep1

ugo.santalucia wrote:

DaveP1 wrote:

220) Bignor Hill, Sussex. 1.18 km at 12%, 137 m of elevation gain. 200m approx over 20%...

Mentioned earlier?

Yes, but not in the correct format

Pross

221) Mynydd Llangors, Powys 3km 182m elevation 6% average 14% max 6/10
222) The British, Torfaen 1.95km 208m elevation 10.6% average pretty consistent but short sections around 20% 8/10
223) Wentwood from Usk, Monmouthshire 3.3km 270m elevation 8.2% average 20% max 8/10

webboo

224)Gillamore Bank North Yorkshire 1.25K 11% according to the road sign going up but 20% according to the sign going down 4/10.

ugo.santalucia

Webboo wrote:

224)Gillamore Bank North Yorkshire 1.25K 11% according to the road sign going up but 20% according to the sign going down 4/10.

Bit stingy with your mark... sounds reasonably hard

webboo

That’s because when hills like Hanging Grimston and Thrussendale road only get 4 and 5 out of 10 in the Yorkshire book and they are 16% and 20%. One wouldn’t want to start giving away soft touches.

Pross

225) Sugar Loaf, Abergavenny Monmouthshire 900m, 152m elevation, average gradient 16.9%, max 30% rating 9/10

This is a beast, unfortunately it is a dead end as it only leads to a car park on Mynydd Llanwenarth that lazy people park in to climb the Sugar Loaf. It's also quite narrow so difficult if a car comes down as you are going up. It is pretty much dead straight, starting steep and getting steeper as you cross the cattle grid half way up before a final hairpin just before the top that hits 30%. I used to try to ride it on my road bike when I was a skinny, relatively fit cyclist in my late teens / early 20s but with a bottom gear of 42x21 just couldn't quite make it. I did ride it regularly on a mountain bike though. Would like to go back to that weight and fitness and try with modern gear ratios.

You can add 400m to the length and 30m of elevation if you come from the A40 and do the short approach climb.

svetty

Webboo wrote:

224)Gillamore Bank North Yorkshire 1.25K 11% according to the road sign going up but 20% according to the sign going down 4/10.

It's not really long enough nor hard enough tbf.
Settrington Bank is harder but again it doesn't really qualify as being grievous enough IMO.

webboo

Svetty wrote:

Webboo wrote:

224)Gillamore Bank North Yorkshire 1.25K 11% according to the road sign going up but 20% according to the sign going down 4/10.

It's not really long enough nor hard enough tbf.
Settrington Bank is harder but again it doesn't really qualify as being grievous enough IMO.

I put on because the signs are a laugh. There are lots of short but grim hills in the Wolds , Howardian and North York Moors. Theres a couple out of Bransby and the caravan route avoiding Sutton Bank through Ampleforth makes you question what sort of fool rides a bike up here never mind drives a caravan.