Just curious..........

Morrisseeee

.........but has anyone done this climb ?



It starts off just before Clogheen (Tipp) and goes up to 450m in 6km travelled. Note: my altimeter quotes 473m in 5.9km travelled, and that looks better to me ahem . But I tried it the other day and its a very good climb, I had driven the route a few months ago and took a pic from near the top.



It starts off tame enough, maybe 4/5% but then as you go up through the forest section it starts to hit 8/9% and stays there for 3km or so, then eases slightly towards the top. The surface is good (very smooth thru forest) until you hit about 700m to go, where it gets gravelly/loose (with some potholes). The day I tried it, the forest section was like a riding thru a giant freezer, walls of frost to my right and left. This is the nicest section though as its quiet and no wind factor. I took my time all the way up, just spinning in my 34-26 (when the gradient hit in) and did it in about 13km/h. My computer says: 408m ascent, 5.9km travelled, avg 7%, in 27mins. But there's a 3.3km section of 8.7%, and this is the killer. The one thing about a long-ish climb like this is : well..........its 'long', ie. pushing yourself close to the max for 6km, it gets very 'mental', "will I quit?" "I can't" "sure I'm nearly at the top" "fcek no, I can't take any more" etc etc
I descended the other side, but I can assure ye that it's 'not' advisable, the surface is bad and you would need a mountain bike for comfort.

Full route:



6km climb: Note: ignore spikes in ascent near the top, I stopped for a photo and then zig-zagged getting back in the toe-clips, doh!



3.3km section:



Pic from Goooogle maps, in sunnier times, thru the forest section:



I reckon Steve65 would 'love' this climb, I'd recommend doing it a few times

thebouldwhacker

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Jubus! how long did it take you!:P

seve65

morrissee, yes you posted this as part of a killer route before, and it is on my todo list. Problem is I am not getting out early enough in the day to cycle up from Glanmire and get some of those rides in south of clogheen on the way back. Other to do is the mullaghanish mast, a route around the south cork hills doing a kind of a spokes of the wheel pattern on the map, and priests leap.

karlmyson

Seve, you may be interested then in cantalach's De Ronde van Cork (slightly modded from ver 1.0 by cantalach himself) to include an additional hill. We rode it the weekend before last. 1,427m of climbing in 67km, 13 lovely hills. Enjoy

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/159473

seve65

karlmyson wrote: »

Seve, you may be interested then in cantalach's De Ronde van Cork (slightly modded from ver 1.0 by cantalach himself) to include an additional hill. We rode it the weekend before last. 1,427m of climbing in 67km, 13 lovely hills. Enjoy

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/159473

thats the one just stick 3 more spokes in that pattern

karlmyson

Good stuff. Let us know how you get on and if you've that modded route plotted I'd be grateful for a link.

Take De Ronde, add on a similar Glounthaune/Glanmire-based hillfest and link in the classic ToI 17km city hills finishing loop and you have a killer 150-160km route in the classic mould and never too far from home.

Morrisseeee

thebouldwhacker

Jubus! how long did it take you!

Sorry, did I say, 13km/h, I meant 13weeks, well.........it was a loooong climb !!

seve65

and it is on my todo list

I presume you don't have a car, ie. you could come as far as Fermoy & then do a loop (approx 3 hours), let me know if you are planning on doing it some time, I might tag along if I'm free.

seve65

karlmyson wrote: »

Seve, you may be interested then in cantalach's De Ronde van Cork (slightly modded from ver 1.0 by cantalach himself) to include an additional hill. We rode it the weekend before last. 1,427m of climbing in 67km, 13 lovely hills. Enjoy

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/159473

that De Ronde van cork ride is a great ride, as its very tough and lots to see. I would recommend to all. Roads are pretty good too. You would want to have a good idea of when to turn though.

I was mentally and physically starting to wane coming up church hill @ passage west. Had just briefly stopped for a quick choc bar and energy drink in monkstown as was starting to get the shakes. I need to get a bit more serious about my eat, sleep and drink habits.

To compound it, i turned right (left haha) at the junction at upper rochestown and down monastery road in the wrong direction.

I had stopped at the upper rochestown junction and looked at the printout of Cantalachs route (one of many times), and had sheepishly said to a couple of passing cyclists that I was ok And of course I made the wrong choice.

much to my horror I found myself back at the 3 way split of the road in Monkstown, oh no

So, chickened out and went round the coast road to make sure I didnt take a wrong turn again. But of course, I took another wrong turn at Rochestown and went up mount oval through the housing estates curtesy of a footpath.

Great days riding, just over 100k by the time I got home and a lot of up&down climbing.

That Castle Farm hill is a savage little hill, with 2-3 bits @ over 20% gradient .

Will sleep sound tonight, and chill tomorrow. Saw on another thread somebody saying they were going for a short 100K....no such thing in my book

Plastik

Wow, that De Ronde van Cork route looks like it would tough on the thighs! Might have to downgrade (or upgrade ) from the standard double to a compact for that. Must give it a go in a while once the cycling legs come back!

With regard to the OP, I've done that hill alright, but in a shakedown of a GroupN Evo a few years back!

seve65

THree sections with 20% gradients:

.

.


.

falladeen

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Jubus! how long did it take you!:P

done it in a rally car magic at 100 mph !

seve65

Morrisseeee wrote: »

thebouldwhacker

Sorry, did I say, 13km/h, I meant 13weeks, well.........it was a loooong climb !!

seve65

I presume you don't have a car, ie. you could come as far as Fermoy & then do a loop (approx 3 hours), let me know if you are planning on doing it some time, I might tag along if I'm free.

will be doing it tomorrow, leaving Clogheen at about 11 and trying to do a loop back round up via the vee. That route has a cat 2 and a cat 4 according to mapmyride , loads of potential for going the wrong way so I will take my old clonker raleigh sort of mtb bike in case the terrain is very rough, so I will be fairly slow.

thebouldwhacker

seve65 wrote: »

will be doing it tomorrow, leaving Clogheen at about 11 and trying to do a loop back round up via the vee. That route has a cat 2 and a cat 4 according to mapmyride , loads of potential for going the wrong way so I will take my old clonker raleigh sort of mtb bike because of its mtb gearing, so I will be fairly slow.

fyp:p

Morrisseeee

Best of luck with it, I would have tagged along but I'm working till 8pm tonite, so take the 2nd left after Clogheen, it's all uphill after that !!, once you cross the top stay on this road untill you come to a cross-roads (after Doon) and head left (downhill) to the Araglin road, take a left & then a right (after about 300m) and head up that really steep cimb I mentioned in 'Ireland's toughest climb' thread (or something like that), this brings you down to Ballyduff, it's then straight over to Lismore then and a nice easy climb (drag) up to the Vee, the descent to Clogheen after that is a nice way to unwind.
It's a long spin on an MTB tho :pac:

seve65

A very good and tough climb from Clogheen it was too - a cat 2. I contemplated using the granny ring but managed to stick with the middle ring (as when I get back on the road bike, there will be no ancestor to help me). The road surface up was brilliant until the last few metres. I would highly reccommend anybody to go up and perhaps come back down the same way. Down the other side was more suited to a mtb, although you could do it on a road bike but not your sunday best

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/28502876

This is definitely going to be a training hill climb for me, up and down this one more than once and it will be a success. MMR has total route at 2503 feet climbed, ride with gps has 3656 feet

Also on route a cat 3 and a cat 4. And I just had to take in Morrissees vertiginous hill at Kingston Bridge as I could see it ahead of me beckoning me to climb, a shortish stupidly steep hill, and with hairpins as steep if not steeper than Patricks hill or Temple Hill (Ballincollig). Doubled back to take in the shortest circuit back to Clogheen via the Vee. I could only get back down to Kingston Bridge with the brakes almost full on, and with the back wheel slipping on the gravel on the road. The vee was a nice steady long climb, actually rougher surface than the earlier cat 2 dirt track climb despite being a national road. Sme pics:::

Heading for the hills (behind the clouds!)


At the top (near KnockShanahullion), no views all mist


looking back down to kingston bridge:

traffic jam on the vee:


The final descent:

Morrisseeee

Great report Steve. I new you'd enjoy it .

but managed to stick with the middle ring

Fair play, some suffering so, what were you using on the back?
BTW who defines it as a Cat2, it must surely be close to a Cat1 ?! It would be a great test for a Hill Climb championship.

And I just had to take in Morrissees vertiginous hill at Kingston Bridge

Thats unreal isn't it, my altimeter says 55m climbed in 300m travelled (18.3%), ie. just before the farm, & those hairpins peak at 30%.

seve65

34 on front, 24 on the back

mapmyride says cat 2

just realised i need to go up that hill 9 times to simulate etape. And i thought 2 or 3 time would be a big achievement.

another ride on a similar route plus another cat 2 and the vee*2.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/28507870
dont know what the roads would be like on the other cat 2.

seve65

I just checked, and the climb up the side of knockshannahullion is tougher than mahon falls from mahon bridge. Its about 7-8% steeper on average for the same distance

seve65

Morrisseeee wrote: »

.........but has anyone done this climb ?



I reckon Seve65 would 'love' this climb, I'd recommend doing it a few times

You do, do you how about

• 7 times
• 2800m of climbing in 80k travelled :D.
• 0 cars in the first three hours of cycling.
• Half a dozen walkers.
• 3 mountain bikers.
• One other road biker who snapped his chain.
• One box of frusili bars.
• Stunning scenery.
• 2 litres of water.
• Average 20C.
• Gradient up to 14% max.
• Mostly between 7-11 gradient on the business end of the climb.
• One fall off the bike turning round:o
• Great going up. Dangerous coming down.
• No problems with anatomy:)
• the toughest long&steep but not overly steep climb in munster (so excluding priests leap & mullaganish)

PS notice on your osi link near the top of knockshannahullion: flemmingstown...what 'town', whoever lived up there sure had an exposed spot.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/226171

seve65

Some pics. Surveying the scene:


Half way up, looking back:

The other side (then turn back!):


On the way down (5th):

cunavalos

You do, do you how about

• 7 times
• 2800m of climbing in 80k travelled .
• 0 cars in the first three hours of cycling.
• Half a dozen walkers.
• 3 mountain bikers.
• One other road biker who snapped his chain.
• One box of frusili bars.
• Stunning scenery.
• 2 litres of water.
• Average 20C.
• Gradient up to 14% max.
• Mostly between 7-11 gradient on the business end of the climb.
• One fall off the bike turning round
• Great going up. Dangerous coming down.
• No problems with anatomy
• the toughest long&steep but not overly steep climb in munster (so excluding priests leap & mullaganish)

Its a small world. That was me with snapped chain near the top. Fair play to you for stopping to check if i was ok. Managed to bodge the chain to enable me to get home.

seve65

cunavalos wrote: »

Its a small world. That was me with snapped chain near the top. Fair play to you for stopping to check if i was ok. Managed to bodge the chain to enable me to get home.

no problem, I had been debating recently whether to carry a chain tool and spare link.....you are the second person I have met recently to snap a chain. Maybe I will, that saddle bag gets heavier everytime I look at it:mad:

seve65

Went back up the road next to Knockshanahullion today.
http://app.strava.com/rides/758805#11226220

Just for those interested the top half has been re-tarmaced (slightly gritty), and there isnt a pot hole in sight or a dodgy camfer at the side.

It is now a fantastic descent back down, it was good before but had a few more hairy spots. A highly recommended cat 2 climb which goes unnoticed compared to the next door cat 3 Vee climb.

Not sure if the other side (south) has been re-tarmaced as well, as that side was definitely in need of it.