Ireland's steepest hill

Dolani

Just came across this thread on the high hills thingy. 17th Oct, I took a spin out of Tralee towards Dingle. Took the Annascaul road at Camp and took next left. Was using a map and this showed a road running to Aughlis over Caherconree. I should have paid attention to the colours on the map. I felt it was mush harder than Slieve Maan in the W200. It just got steeper and steeper!! A great descent and a nice run into Castlemaine before the spin back along the side-road off the N70 over the shoulder of Slieve Mish Mountains back to Tralee. Great to get out of Leinster from time to time.

Doc Savage

heres a climb for you..Rostrevor ,County Down..
http://www.epicmtb.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=386&c=newimages

blorg

Doc Savage wrote: »

heres a climb for you..Rostrevor ,County Down..
http://www.epicmtb.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=386&c=newimages

I think I see some walking in that photo ?

Doc Savage

heres one i took earlier .. the people walking were on single ring freeride machines..
http://epicmtb.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=385&c=2

blorg

Ha OK. Was this recent? Looks very icy.

Doc Savage

last weekend the 30th November Sunday..and that was the middle bit..we had to ride up the tarmac from Kilbroney lower car park, up to the top car park, then up that beast then up a savage singletrack climb to the top of the Mountain above Rostrevor..savage, absolutely savage..
but for pure savagery on the road, did anybody mention the road up from Glenmalure where the Shay Elliot goes up...or go from Bray Dart station to the top of Kippure, not the steepest Climb, but certainly a savage one..
or the short savage one up from Kennedys shop in Stepaside..
Or killiney from the Dart station or Howth from any direction...
if you are a mountainbiker you'll just find them !!

blorg

Have managed all of those ones, including up from Stepaside that way on the fixie (that was tough) Kippure has a pretty steep bit to start and worse at the end- but so far for me St Patrick's Hill would have to be the worst I reckon (including worse than "emty & membrane's triple challenge hill".)

paddy's hill

paddy's hill for sure. There is also a 20% on Loughcrew in Meath, not where the ras crossed this year (Patrickstown) but about mile west of there. It is 600m long and at 150m to go it is savage. Also Drungoff in wicklow 2.9km at 8.5%. But if you compare any climb in Ireland to Alps or Pyrenees they are very easy. How about Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA, 12km at 12% average, now that has to sting a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_2BJIwbDqc

Clink link for HD.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=m_2BJIwbDqc&eurl=http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055398859&page=5

hunnymonster

I live at the top of the Cobh "hill" I don't think it's quite as steep as Patricks hill but it does go on a lot longer with more twists to bother you. That said, I love it, unless I'm on my way home from 200+ km as was happening during the summer.

riparooo

Was in Connemara at the weekend and spotted a road to a hill (297 metres) on a detailed map at the hotel.

So off I went. The road turns off the N59 just west of letterfrack and for the first five kilometres its brings you up about 100 metres in elevation.

The last kilometre is incredible. Its steep steep steep. From my data it read that the last 950 metres rose from 111 metres to 297 metres.

The descent was impossible as it was raining and any time i breaked I just skidded. So I was forced to walk down by foot.

Its a road to service a TV mast and its in pretty poor condition but the views are incredible and it was a lot of fun.

Anyone else know where I am talking about, below is a link to the area, the road is marked as ending before the hill on this but it doesn't it rises up to the peak at the right of Lough Auna

http://goo.gl/maps/TKBj

lennymc

187 metres climb in 950 metres is about 5.25-1 or 22% if my maths is correct. Thats a nice hill.

piston

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

There is a street in the Waterside area of Derry City which must be in the top 10. I don't know it's name and I don't cycle but in a car it's 1st gear with the foot to the floor to maintain a steady fairly slow pace!

Moore Street, leading off Spencer Road most probably.

Seve OB

the devils elbow near johnny foxes, now that is steep!

kincsem

I was in Westport, Co Mayo earlier in the year. There is a hill called Tober Hill (near Quay Street) that impressed me (I drove up it.) On bikeroutetoaster is is 270 metres long, and that is up the hill and down again, but bikeroutetoaster gives 1m ascent.
Can anyone on here map it on something like bikeroutetoaster and get a gradient?

hardCopy

kincsem wrote: »

I was in Westport, Co Mayo earlier in the year. There is a hill called Tober Hill (near Quay Street) that impressed me (I drove up it.) On bikeroutetoaster is is 270 metres long, and that is up the hill and down again, but bikeroutetoaster gives 1m ascent.
Can anyone on here map it on something like bikeroutetoaster and get a gradient?

I think I know where you mean, I've only ever come down it though

There are a couple of access points to the Westport Cycle Track that really don't look right on a family type cycle route. No idea of gradient but they're bloody awful, although quite short.

Captain Havoc

Nine Stones to the mast of Mt. Leinster.

iverjohnston

There's a hill outside Buncrana on the back road to Clonmanny, I don't have the figures, but its the toughest I ever attempted! Nigel in Cavan

Popoutman

How about the access road to the transmitters on Minaun, on Achill Island?
The average gradient is c. 11% with ~320m ascent in 2.95km from the T-junction at its end . This includes a few hundred metres of descent as well, and some fairly flat bits.

There is on section on it just uphill from the little overtake/pass spot 1km up, where I could not manage to continue climbing directly up on my ReignX1, estimation from my gps suggests a steepest section of greater than 1 in 5 or 20% for about 100m, with local spots of over 25%.
Took me about 45 min to climb the 3km on the all-mountain rig, but just under 3 min to descend the lot. 83kphmax on the bike computer, 60kph average.

Here's the vid of the way down - apologies for the crappy camera with cmos sensor on handlebar mount. The steepest section is just before the two vans are parked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXyj_bYaeE

iverjohnston

Wow, great video, I was bricking it in case someone opened the van door! Nigel in Cavan

mitosis

That one up to Slieve League in Donegal. Never encountered a worse one.

SerialComplaint

Popoutman wrote: »

Here's the vid of the way down - apologies for the crappy camera with cmos sensor on handlebar mount. The steepest section is just before the two vans are parked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpXyj_bYaeE

Stunning scenery - must have been a lovely spin.

kincsem

That Minaun descent is just falling off a hill. :pac:

smacl

On for the top ten list is the climb up to barley lake which put manners on me a few years back. 14.5% average for 1.6k, but with a number of much steeper bits.

One that I haven't tried, but will do next time I've hybrid out in Wicklow, is the back road to Shay Elliot, which according to the OS maps is cul de sac leading onto a fire road that takes you out at the top by the memorial. IMO, would need MTB, cross bike, or anything with tyres that could take a coilte track. Anyone tried this?

Hmmzis

smacl wrote: »

On for the top ten list is the climb up to barley lake which put manners on me a few years back. 14.5% average for 1.6k, but with a number of much steeper bits.

One that I haven't tried, but will do next time I've hybrid out in Wicklow, is the back road to Shay Elliot, which according to the OS maps is cul de sac leading onto a fire road that takes you out at the top by the memorial. IMO, would need MTB, cross bike, or anything with tyres that could take a coilte track. Anyone tried this?

That looks awesome. Next time I'm out on the mtb I'll try that one. Just wondering if the 22 ring at the front will get any use on it.

Hermy

I know that road - just down from Glenmalure Lodge - really steep right from the start!

Popoutman

kincsem wrote: »

That Minaun descent is just falling off a hill. :pac:

May be one way of looking at it, but at least I cycled up it to go down it :P
(and I have the very slow GPS log to prove it..)

Mint Sauce

The Horse Show Road up to Truskmore in Sligo is preety steep, and long.

ROK ON

Glengariff Forest climb in Co. Cork. 1.8km @13.3%.

Mullaghanish RTE mast, Ballyvorney Co Cork
3.3km at 11%, which is after a 2.5km climb at 7% just to get there.

jimzy

Like captain havoc said, the climb from the nine stones to the mast at mt leinster must be up there, it's a real b!tch:

2.6km @ 13.4% average grade

3 or 4 sections that kick above 20%

http://app.strava.com/segments/700788

MickeyTake

What about Maum hill beside Croagh Patrick near Westport? How does that compare to some of the hills mentioned here?