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Cycling the Connor Pass

  • 06-01-2010 5:18pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭


    hey,

    Myself and a couple of mates are trying to decide which on somewhere to go on a cycling holiday for Easter. i am mad keen to do Dingle peninsula. Is the Connor Pass a hard climb, approaching from Tralee.

    There will be some people who do not cycle all that often and may not be on great bikes.

    Cheers


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭CheGuedara


    Hi Coldpaw,

    My club hosts the Conor Pass challenge and it's our primary hill for climb training.

    To put it simply, it's not the steepest hill in the country but it is LONG (~4.5km of real climbing, gaining 360m height all in all) - it is Irelands highest mountain pass you must remember. It does require a level of fitness to cover it but there are one or two good spots to pause on the ascent and on top there is a large viewing area suitable for a breather or regrouping.

    Both the Conor Pass climb and the Slea Head circuit are spectacular on a fine day but in inclement weather the challenge is made twice as hard so it's wise to consider that also.You can do the lot in one go (we'll be hosting that sportive route too) but if you're dealing with novices and individuals with poor fitness you may want to break it into 3 -4 days too (maybe Tralee - Castlegregory, Castlegregory - Dingle, Dingle - Slea Head, Dingle - Tralee).

    Also on the descent into Dingle from the Pass please exercise caution/common sense - it is possible to reach speeds upto and past 80kph and if you hit a catseye or get the corners wrong it's a long ambo drive back to Tralee general!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    CheGuedara wrote: »
    To put it simply, it's not the steepest hill in the country but it is LONG (~4.5km of real climbing, gaining 360m height all in all) - it is Irelands highest mountain pass you must remember.
    It's a bit of a local myth that it is the highest, it is nowhere near. It's not even the highest in Kerry!

    That is not to say, of course, that it is not difficult.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭CheGuedara


    blorg wrote: »
    It's a bit of a local myth that it is the highest, it is nowhere near. It's not even the highest in Kerry!

    Well don't leave me wander in the wilderness of my ignorance too long! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,702 ✭✭✭Home:Ballyhoura


    CheGuedara wrote: »
    4.5km of real climbing, gaining 360m height

    That puts it at an average of 8% gradient using those figures? Does this sound correct to ye, pretty decent climb in all fairness if that is so ! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    CheGuedara wrote: »
    Well don't leave me wander in the wilderness of my ignorance too long! :D
    I'm going on the Climb by Bike account which puts the Conor Pass at 410m, so correct me if that is wrong.

    Several passes in Wicklow are higher, Sally Gap is 500m (the road towards Dublin actually rises to 520m and I believe is the highest public road in Ireland) and the Wicklow Gap is 480m. That is just to take two. There are plenty of others at similar altitudes but not all would be passes.

    The Priest's Leap between Kerry and Cork is 462m by my Garmin and on the Cork side at least it goes right down to 16m being very much one continual climb. The Kerry side is far steeper and more difficult but arguably only really gets going around 58m.

    This is of course not to question that the Conor Pass is a difficult climb, it is starting basically at sea level while Sally and Wicklow Gaps for example "start" at some altitude already. I haven't done it in many years, I _think_ I went over it around 10 years ago though.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭CheGuedara


    @ home:ballyhoura - 8% sounds about right for an average I suspect, though it does have sections and kickers up and around the 10% region as well. Also my figures are a little ways onto the hill (the soft bottom part doesn't count)

    @ blorg - 410 sounds about right also. Must be an awful lot of misinformed people out there. For what would appear to be a staggering difference in heights it's amazing that the Sally Gap isn't widely noted for being the highest pass. Is there a distinction or definition of 'mountain pass' that it falls short on? This needs to be settled or I'm going to have to phone Ray Darcy on Friday morning....

    And as often as I've gone over it I'm afraid it never seems to get easier - it's probably just as you remember the Conor Pass from a decade ago


  • Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭lescol


    I climbed the Conor Pass for the first time last year on the Conor Pass Challenge. It's in Kerry, land of the best scenery, worst roads and highest climbs. It's nice, long and steady no brutal bits like Ballaghasheen or Coomanaspig. The descent into Dingle produces an ear to ear grin, loved its sweeping bends.

    I'd love to do the Conor Pass-Slea Head sportive, post up the date.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    I did the Conor Pass on a 10 Speed racer as a teen a few times , watch out for sheep running out in front of you. :eek:

    Found it easier climbing on the Dingle side, I think the gradient is less steep.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 17 dolanator


    i did slea head when i was 14 was on a **** rental bike and i got on just fine,would love to try the conor pass someday


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    CheGuedara wrote: »
    @ blorg - 410 sounds about right also. Must be an awful lot of misinformed people out there. For what would appear to be a staggering difference in heights it's amazing that the Sally Gap isn't widely noted for being the highest pass. Is there a distinction or definition of 'mountain pass' that it falls short on? This needs to be settled or I'm going to have to phone Ray Darcy on Friday morning....

    I thought it was widely noted as being the highest public road in the country -the kerrymen are just in on the plot :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 789 ✭✭✭damoz


    Went up it from Dingle side - nice steady climb. When i got to the top though it was raining sideways and a gale force wind... the descent on the other side was interesting to say the least... water flowing across the road, sheep....overtook 2 cars full of tourists... . Memorable tho.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,901 ✭✭✭lukester


    Connor Pass is a nice climb- but anyone here done the climb from Camp across towards Inch? Haven't cycled it myself, but there's an almost vertical section near the top.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭ROK ON


    It may bd because Sally aint a pass per se. It is plateau. Wicklow gap, conor pass etc are all classical mountain passes. Just my tuppence worth.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,565 ✭✭✭thebouldwhacker


    Perhaps its the longest, sea level to top?

    Besides that measuring in at 410... could The Conor Pass be the forums mascot climb???


  • Registered Users Posts: 984 ✭✭✭rflynnr


    lukester wrote: »
    Connor Pass is a nice climb- but anyone here done the climb from Camp across towards Inch? Haven't cycled it myself, but there's an almost vertical section near the top.

    Myself and Forza Milo did this back in August. It's well worth doing and allows you do a tour of the Dingle peninsula without having to go on the main Tralee- Dingle road.

    I know exactly what you mean about the near vertical section. I climbed it in 39-27 and at the end I was going so slowly I thought I was simply going to keel over. In fact I started laughing at the absurdity of its steepness.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    ROK ON wrote: »
    It may bd because Sally aint a pass per se. It is plateau. Wicklow gap, conor pass etc are all classical mountain passes. Just my tuppence worth.
    Sally Gap is a pass by any sensible definition, e.g. the saddle between higher peaks. It's even called a "gap" which is just another word for a pass. Even if it is somehow discounted (apart from Kippure the other "peaks" are not that prominent) Wicklow Gap is certainly a pass and it is also substantially higher. Priest's Leap from the Cork side is basically from sea level (16m) and longer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,901 ✭✭✭lukester


    rflynnr wrote: »
    Myself and Forza Milo did this back in August. It's well worth doing and allows you do a tour of the Dingle peninsula without having to go on the main Tralee- Dingle road.

    I know exactly what you mean about the near vertical section. I climbed it in 39-27 and at the end I was going so slowly I thought I was simply going to keel over. In fact I started laughing at the absurdity of its steepness.

    Sounds epic. Next time I will bring the bike down; I was being teased by my other half for whimpering at all the climbs and great roads I was missing out on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭lescol




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,901 ✭✭✭lukester


    lescol wrote: »

    Google concurs also. I suspect the definition of pass is the issue here.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    lukester wrote: »
    Google concurs also. I suspect the definition of pass is the issue here.
    "Common knowledge" can just be repeated by many sources until it takes on the essence of truthiness... I had a look on Google and couldn't find anyone actually justifying it being the highest pass, just the repeated assertion that it was.

    It could be the highest according to some definition on aesthetic grounds, after all both Sally and Wicklow Gaps are quite "open" while the Conor Pass looks more dramatic... There are several other roads in Wicklow that are higher and technically passes, the road commonly referred to as "Slieve Maan" for example is over the saddle between two peaks and is also 480m.

    It would be difficult to see also how the Priest's Leap would not be considered a "pass."

    Maybe the Conor Pass is the highest pass with the word "pass" in its name... while Sally Gap is merely the highest "gap" :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    Strange that really... I guess it could come down to the definition of a 'pass', but by any reckoning, Sally Gap is a higher road (altitude wise) than the Conor Pass


  • Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭lescol


    These are the closest I could find to a direct comparison:-

    http://www.challenge-big.eu/list/64-.htm# Sally Gap

    http://www.challenge-big.eu/list/57.htm Conor Pass


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,901 ✭✭✭lukester


    blorg wrote: »
    "Common knowledge" can just be repeated

    Agree entirely. I was kind of making the point, albeit vaguely, indeed poorly, that it had somehow become a given that it was the highest pass, without anything to back that up.

    I get the impression that pass is being loosely used for roads that have very narrow sections, as well as sheep and dramatic views. And of course having the highest pass in Ireland can't hurt tourism.

    It is a stunning pass, nonetheless.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,901 ✭✭✭lukester


    lescol wrote: »
    These are the closest I could find to a direct comparison:-

    http://www.challenge-big.eu/list/64-.htm# Sally Gap

    http://www.challenge-big.eu/list/57.htm Conor Pass

    Sally Gap gets more Europoints on those charts. I think that implies a lower incidence of GAA attire on its slopes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,565 ✭✭✭thebouldwhacker


    I'd carefull here lads, if Jackie Healy Rae hears about this he'll be out with shovels!!!


    jackie_healy-rae_sermon0212_display.jpg
    YOU SHALL NOT PASS


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭CheGuedara


    Wow, this thread's taken off pretty well!
    lescol wrote: »
    I climbed the Conor Pass for the first time last year on the Conor Pass Challenge. It's in Kerry, land of the best scenery, worst roads and highest climbs. It's nice, long and steady no brutal bits like Ballaghasheen or Coomanaspig. The descent into Dingle produces an ear to ear grin, loved its sweeping bends.

    I'd love to do the Conor Pass-Slea Head sportive, post up the date.

    Glad you enjoyed it lescol - we've the date of the 18th of September and we'll have both the Conor Pass Challenge and what we're naming the Blasket Blast on the same day. We're getting a much bigger set of venues too so we'll be able to cater for much greater numbers if they decide to take part.
    I did the Conor Pass on a 10 Speed racer as a teen a few times , watch out for sheep running out in front of you. :eek:

    Found it easier climbing on the Dingle side, I think the gradient is less steep.

    Definitely easier from the Dingle side - it's like a turbo trainer gradient being almost constant once the climb begins. Great for training @ cadence/tempo!
    lukester wrote: »
    Connor Pass is a nice climb- but anyone here done the climb from Camp across towards Inch? Haven't cycled it myself, but there's an almost vertical section near the top.

    Done that a few times - a complete ball breaker near the top!! Could do with a defibrillator in the saddle bag! We'd considered running a cycle over it before but the descent down to Inch is just not very safe (something a bit like the descent off Mahon Falls for those of you that have done the Sean Kelly 160)
    lescol wrote: »

    That's it - the email's gone into Ray Darcy, he'll fix it for us!


  • Registered Users Posts: 648 ✭✭✭lescol


    I'd carefull here lads, if Jackie Healy Rae hears about this he'll be out with shovels!!!


    jackie_healy-rae_sermon0212_display.jpg
    YOU SHALL NOT PASS

    Ray Darcy....no. This is yer man. Fill in the pot holes to bring the road surface up enough to beat Sally Gap, it will be in his brown envelope, signed by Brian Cowan:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,565 ✭✭✭thebouldwhacker


    CheGuedara wrote: »
    That's it - the email's gone into Ray Darcy, he'll fix it for us!

    Noooooooo


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,030 ✭✭✭CheGuedara


    Yeessss!

    I want a proper answer damn it!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭ROK ON


    Let's just agree that ConorPass is indeed a worthy climb for any cyclist.
    The highest pass in Kerry is Priest Leap followed by Conorpass followed by Borlin Valley.
    I would go as far to say there are not many climbs in Ireland that have length and gradient. Those that do seem to be
    Mt Leinster
    Slieve Maan
    Priest Leap
    Mullaghanish
    Conor Pass

    Length to mean 5km if climbing, gradient to mean an average of at least 6%.

    What is laughable is the size of climbs.
    In this months ProCycling mag a climb is reviewed. The climb is 17% averaged over 1,7km. But you have to climb 850m just to get to this climb.


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