Toughest Climb in Ireland?

Raam · 02-09-2008 8:04pm

michaelm wrote: »

Are you sure? - there are markings on the road for the Tour of Ireland (only appeared in early May) and they have nothing to do with last week's race as it was going in the other direction.

Maybe we did the one you mentioned also. It was all a bit of a blur

You can get details on the route here...
http://www.tourofireland.eu/theRoute.htm
Stage 3 is the one.

EH · 02-09-2008 8:43pm

The toughest I've tackled is from the 9 stones to the mast on Mount Leinster. Its then 2-3km of pure pain. See below for information

climbbybike.com - Mount Leinster

Eoin

02-09-2008 9:16pm

The toughest climbs I've found are the Glengesh Pass in Donegal and one short nasty climb just outside Portmagee.I needed about 5 breaks on the Portmagee one

Basically because the lowest gear on my touring bike would be about 1-6 on my mtb (as I assume is the case with most road bikes.) I just about managed the Glengesh Pass although it was incredibly tough and the only reason I managed it was because of the low geared mtb I was on.The bigger climbs I've done were nice and gradual.I found Coomakista(sp?),the Healy Pass and the Gap of Dunloe were fairly nice.It's the shorter incredibly steep ones that finish me off.

michaelm wrote:

In my own area (North Tipp) the hardest climb is believed to be what is locally known as "Step" - this is located just outside the village of Silvermines about 6 miles from Nenagh. This is where Paul Kimmage, when making a lone break in one of the Nissan Classics , famously got off his bike and was about to abandon but for the encouragement of a few locals who helped him on his way. This year it was looked at as part of the TOI route but they regarded the descent on the other side as too dangerous.

Whereabouts is the Step?I don't live too far from that area and would love to give it a go

raam wrote:

Maybe we did the one you mentioned also. It was all a bit of a blur
You can get details on the route here...
http://www.tourofireland.eu/theRoute.htm
Stage 3 is the one.

Keeper Hill would be fireroad all the way to the top so looking at the map ye went up the shoulder of Cooneen Hill(I think.)

Raam · 02-09-2008 9:17pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The toughest climbs I've found are the Glengesh Pass in Donegal and one short nasty climb just outside Portmagee.I needed about 5 breaks on the Portmagee one Basically because the lowest gear on my touring bike would be about 1-6 on my mtb

I've done that climb at Portmagee. It's a right little stinker.

Raam · 02-09-2008 9:22pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Keeper Hill would be fireroad all the way to the top so looking at the map ye went up the shoulder of Cooneen Hill(I think.)

Pretty sure we did Keeper Hill. It's listed here:
http://www.tourofireland.eu/images/maps/stage3.xls (line 87)

02-09-2008 9:25pm

The bad thing is I tackled it first thing in the morning full of energy with a full irish breakfast in me and I still failed miserably!Plus I still had to cycle to Sneem that day by way of Coomakista Pass and another 300m+ climb before Ballinskelligs.It's the first cycle where I've actually ended with more energy than I started with!

EDIT:Actually you're right,looking at the google earth file it seems ye did go up the side of it,not the highest point though.Looking at the profile the highest point reached was 1350ft. The top of Keeper Hill would be approx. 2050ft.The climb is marked as a grey track on the OS map,I'm surprised that route was included in an official race!

cantalach · 02-09-2008 11:26pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Whereabouts is the Step?I don't live too far from that area and would love to give it a go

Head south from Silvermines village - see partial GPS trace below.

LDB · 03-09-2008 9:29am

Raam wrote: »

I've done that climb at Portmagee. It's a right little stinker.

+1 for that. its my most difficult yet.

03-09-2008 11:29pm

Thanks for that cantalach.I'll give it a lash next time I'm out that way.

Signal_ rabbit · 04-09-2008 2:04pm

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Anyone else find it worrying that they are looking at this list thinking "I've got to try that"??

I was just thinking the same, with I know it's gonna hurt but it's got to be done!

Izoard · 04-09-2008 2:35pm

Anyone tackled the climb to Kippure?

Surely competing with Mt.Leinster for Ireland's answer to Mt.Ventoux, complete with TV transmitter.

Highlights:

* 3.4km on a dodgy road (not including the climb to the base, which will involve any of the Sally Gap approaches)
* Last 1km at a crazy %
* Summitting at 760m, which must be a candidated for highest paved road in Ireland?.

TinyExplosions · 04-09-2008 2:36pm

Izoard wrote: »

Anyone tackled the climb to Kippure?

A few here have... Emty, Blorg and Raam for sure

Raam · 04-09-2008 2:38pm

Izoard wrote: »

Anyone tackled the climb to Kippure?

Surely competing with Mt.Leinster for Ireland's answer to Mt.Ventoux, complete with TV transmitter.

Highlights:

* 3.4km on a dodgy road (not including the climb to the base, which will involve any of the Sally Gap approaches)
* Last 1km at a crazy %
* Summitting at 760m, which must be a candidated for highest paved road in Ireland?.

I did it with Blorg one day. The road surface isn't great.

CheGuedara · 08-09-2008 4:03pm

Hi there,
I'm new to Boards.ie but just said I'd contribute my bit!

I'm from Kerry so the Connor Pass gets posted as a reg' training run, and it does put the mountain into the legs but I've gotta say the Mahon Falls climb on the Sean Kelly tour is pretty stiff work.

We've a hill called Maum near Castleisland thats near enough to Seskin too but definitely they're some of the toughest I've done. Any thoughts that we'd all the tough climbs are now safely put away....

Anyone do the climb through the Glean of Aherlow (it's on the the Trip to Tipp 200km route)? That's gotta be up there in the tough climb list.

TinyExplosions · 08-09-2008 4:31pm

Izoard wrote: »

Anyone tackled the climb to Kippure?

Me and Tom did it yesterday, and man it's a toughie alright!

csb1989 · 09-09-2008 12:10am

No Mayo men on here?! I recently cycled around Achill island, and I made a detour up to a radio tower ontop of a hill. It was a dead end road, but in 2.8km it gained 331m of altitude - average gradient of over 11%. To make things worse, there was a short downhill section in the middle, so the average gradient for the first 1.9km is almost 15%. And worse still, seeing as its at a high altitude right out in the Atlantic, you've got a gale force head/cross-wind to contend with. Definitly the hardest climb I've ever done. Never have I had to resort to zig-zagging or prolonged periods out of the saddle, but that day I was a master of both, as I hauled myself up 20% section after 20% section. Fantastic sense of achievement once you get to the top tho, especially with the amazing views (if you can stand up long enough to savour them!) Before having attempted this, I used to think my local climb near Castlebar (Windy Gap) was hard, but that only goes up to a maximum gradient of 15%, and is only 2km long, so if thats hard, the climb on Achill would have to be equated to trying to climb mt Everest with only one leg.. naked.. or something like that! :P

cantalach · 09-09-2008 12:17am

csb1989 wrote: »

No Mayo men on here?! I recently cycled around Achill island, and I made a detour up to a radio tower ontop of a hill. It was a dead end road, but in 2.8km it gained 331m of altitude - average gradient of over 11%. To make things worse, there was a short downhill section in the middle, so the average gradient for the first 1.9km is almost 15%. And worse still, seeing as its at a high altitude right out in the Atlantic, you've got a gale force head/cross-wind to contend with. Definitly the hardest climb I've ever done. Never have I had to resort to zig-zagging or prolonged periods out of the saddle, but that day I was a master of both, as I hauled myself up 20% section after 20% section. Fantastic sense of achievement once you get to the top tho, especially with the amazing views (if you can stand up long enough to savour them!) Before having attempted this, I used to think my local climb near Castlebar (Windy Gap) was hard, but that only goes up to a maximum gradient of 15%, and is only 2km long, so if thats hard, the climb on Achill would have to be equated to trying to climb mt Everest with only one leg.. naked.. or something like that! :P

Sounds great! Any chance you could pinpoint where it is, so that I can give it a go next time I'm up there?

Signal_ rabbit · 09-09-2008 10:35am

cantalach wrote: »

So all this talk on another thread about the Connor Pass vs Sally Gap got my wondering...what's the toughest climb in Ireland?

For me, it's the Priest's Leap which is located right here, roughly 8 km NE of Glengarriff as-the-crow-flies. Depending on where you regard as the start, it goes from roughly 50 m to 465 m over about 5 km. This works out at just over 8% which doesn't seem too bad. But what these comforting numbers disguise is that most of the elevation gain is in a series of savage steps. You even go downhill for a while halfway which is psychologically horrible. The steepness is all the more challenging because it's just a narrow boreen, with plenty of gravel, potholes and rivulets of water, all of which add up to minimal traction - particularly problematic as you're out of the saddle a lot of the time.

I drove this at the weekend to check it out and it scared the ****e out of me when in the car! The surface is very poor and me thinks i might get a few punctures. Very steep route, might have to dig the mountain bike out for this one.

cantalach · 09-09-2008 11:17am

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

I drove this at the weekend to check it out and it scared the ****e out of me when in the car! The surface is very poor and me thinks i might get a few punctures. Very steep route, might have to dig the mountain bike out for this one.

Wimp!

You have a point though about the surfaces. The problem isn't so much puncturing though. In the few times I've been up it in a large group, with tyres in varying states of repair, not one of us punctured. The real issue with the poor surface is that because you have to stand on some of the really steep bits it's very easy to lose traction. Last time I was up there, I completely lost traction, had to put a foot down, and then had to walk 50-60 m until the gradient eased enough to be able to clip in and get going again.

BaBiT · 11-09-2008 1:05pm

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried/heard of the Goats Path climb in Kilcrohane, West Cork?...Back in the earlier incarnation of my cycling career, 1986 to be precise, I tried climbing this and had to give up and to this day its the only climb I've ever had to turn around on...I started cycling again in 2006 and have been considering taking a trip down there sometime to see if its as tough as I remember..

showry · 11-09-2008 1:22pm

BaBiT wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried/heard of the Goats Path climb in Kilcrohane, West Cork?...Back in the earlier incarnation of my cycling career, 1986 to be precise, I tried climbing this and had to give up and to this day its the only climb I've ever had to turn around on...I started cycling again in 2006 and have been considering taking a trip down there sometime to see if its as tough as I remember..

I was down there for a week in the summer and there was some pretty tough climbing alright.
I'm not sure if any of these were the goat's path,
There's a road out the back of Kilcrohane with a few hairpins that brings you over the mountain to the Bantry bay side (there's a grotto at the top), not too long but very steep - almost felt like kissing the granny ring (oo er) at the top.
There's another nasty one on the way back over from the other side which brings you into Ahakista.
My one gripe was the state of some of the roads marked as part of the cycle route, some of the downhills were pretty scary - lots of gravel and potholes but not much gravel in potholes.

Edit: Actually is the goat's path the one that brings you to the send of the sheep's head itself?

BaBiT · 11-09-2008 1:37pm

Yep, thats the Goats Path, I remember the grotto at the top...Think I might take a trip down there some time soon for another go...22 years later and slightly (AHEM!!) heavier

csb1989 · 11-09-2008 5:17pm

Sounds great! Any chance you could pinpoint where it is, so that I can give it a go next time I'm up there?

If you've just crossed the bridge onto Achill sound, continue on the R319 for 4.5kms, then take a left and continue for 1.4kms.

Then take a right onto a road which you can see going upwards. I think its signposted as a viewpoint aswell, but you will know it when you see it because you can see it going up the hill.

Hope this helps and enjoy :P

cantalach · 11-09-2008 10:51pm

csb1989 wrote: »

If you've just crossed the bridge onto Achill sound, continue on the R319 for 4.5kms, then take a left and continue for 1.4kms.

Then take a right onto a road which you can see going upwards. I think its signposted as a viewpoint aswell, but you will know it when you see it because you can see it going up the hill.

Thanks, I see it now. After that final right the road isn't marked on Google Maps but it's clearly visible if you switch to satellite view. The ridge that you end up on seems to be called Minaun Heights. I've plotted out the first 1.9 km on mapmyride and it looks like a stinker of a climb alright. Check out how close together those contours are!

Fion_McCool · 11-09-2008 10:59pm

Yes it sounds like the Minaun heights all right...with this view over Keel Beach and Achill Head to the west ?

It's used a lot by the hang gliding community.

scottreynolds · 12-09-2008 10:33am

Walking up the steps of the church -- and up to the altar -- The effect of this one doesn't just last the evening ut a lifetime

tomc · 12-09-2008 3:08pm

Surely the mahon falls or Seskin hill must feature more prominently in this list?

TomC

stopped_clock · 13-09-2008 1:30am

csb1989 wrote: »

If you've just crossed the bridge onto Achill sound, continue on the R319 for 4.5kms, then take a left and continue for 1.4kms.

Then take a right onto a road which you can see going upwards. I think its signposted as a viewpoint aswell, but you will know it when you see it because you can see it going up the hill.

Hope this helps and enjoy :P

Ooh, I'm going to have a crack at that too!

fignon03 · 01-07-2009 1:15am

cantalach wrote: »

Sounds great! Any chance you could pinpoint where it is, so that I can give it a go next time I'm up there?

its on google earth

fignon03 · 01-07-2009 1:24am

This is called glenisland booster station, you take the belmullet road leaving castlebar but head off at glenisland church towards the windy gap, ive done it ina car but ist more for MTB as the approach raods are gravel

Toughest Climb in Ireland?

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