Slieve Blooms

pointer28

Hi all,

I try to get down to the Slieve Blooms every now and again for a bit of climbing and I always do the same route, Clonaslee, The Cut, The Wolftrap, Kinnitty.

I heard somewhere that there is a 3rd substantial climb in the Slieve Blooms and I'm wondering if anyone can point my in the right direction.

Many Thanks

Scall4life

I cycle quite a bit in the Slieve Blooms so know most of the climbs.

The 3rd climb you refer to is Glendine. Its probably the steepest climb of all but the road surface is not good from the Offaly side. From the Laois side the road is well surfaced and very steep. Linky shows the location.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1687109

There's another couple of nice climbs that will test you.
The first being the Ridge of Cappard. Its a dead end climb but quiet short and steep.
http://app.strava.com/segments/1888841

Also you can climb the Wolftrap via another road which is steep. The Slieve Bloom Challenge Cycle normally descends this way. http://app.strava.com/segments/1344961
This segment is the descent but gives an idea of the climb back up.

Hope this helps.

pointer28

Scall4life wrote: »

I cycle quite a bit in the Slieve Blooms so know most of the climbs.

The 3rd climb you refer to is Glendine. Its probably the steepest climb of all but the road surface is not good from the Offaly side. From the Laois side the road is well surfaced and very steep. Linky shows the location.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1687109

So, if I'm looking at the map right, after descending The Cut, instead of turning right for The Wolftrapat the T junction, I should turn left and then turn right for Lissenhall, then descend into Kinnitty. How bad is the surface as I'm a very nervous descender and would rather tackle a bad surface slowly going uphill than at speed going downhill.

stevemac

when you get to the t-junction, go right till you get to the church/school (can't remember which it is), then go left here till you hit a t junction, then right, and then shortly after its on your right. Its signposted Glendine West. I've driven it, and the surface on the offaly side just after the summit is poor, and its poor on a twisty bit.

(think thats the one ye're on about)

Scall4life

As stevemac says you can turn right at the T-Junction then take a left in the village of Killinure opposite the church. At the end of this road take a right and keep on this road for about 2.5kms. The road to Glendine is then on your right. It was signposted the last time I was up there. You should see Glendine Old Road if I remember correctly.
Its about 6-7km to the top once you turn onto the road.
Watch the descent on the other side though. Road is really bad on some of the corners. A lot of loose gravel make it slippy as.

pointer28

Thanks for the help guys.

I have a truly horrendous route planned for the future sometime.

I'm thinking of starting from Kinnitty Castle, then a 16km warm up spin before hitting The Cut, followed by Glendine, turn right into Kinnitty and then up The Wolftrap from the Offaly side and then back up The Cut in the opposite direction before heading back to Kinnitty Castle for the same enormous plate of pasta I got the last day.

I really am an evil bar steward.

Rovi

Here's the approach to the junction:


...the signpost:


...and the view from the junction:


Enjoy

pointer28

Thanks Rovi,

Although I think I detect some sense of evilness in that last smiley. :eek: