Strava; steepest hills in Galway/Clare.

breanach78

I love hills. It takes something to go up them at a nice speed and I am lucky enought to to fairly light so i guess that hepls a LOT!

Also IMO a lot of it is in ones head, carry some speed into it and your half way most minor drags. Dread it and your gone already. Any one can cycle down hill, up is the issue!

And not to sound like a tosser, I hate the down hills! I have no confidence on them, I am last down, nearly always.

Any way, I digress, where are the steep long drags in Galway Clare?

Longest I can find is the Burren wall in Meggagh near Carron co Clare. 12.9% over 0.6k.

So for the hill junks, any suggestions? . . . .

Beasty

Moved from Cycling Adverts

breanach78

Beasty wrote: »

Moved from Cycling Adverts

Doh, of course. Sorry!

Plastik

breanach78 wrote: »

Any one can cycle down hill, up is the issue!

And not to sound like a tosser, I hate the down hills! I have no confidence on them, I am last down, nearly always.

Evidently not, then.

breanach78

Plastik wrote: »

Evidently not, then.

Funny, I guess I derserve that one!

at1withmyself

Which others do you know, such as pollagh, the cork screw etc???

victorcarrera

Doolin to Doonagore is a good test and was listed as Cat 1 on this years Rás.

breanach78

at1withmyself wrote: »

Which others do you know, such as pollagh, the cork screw etc???

1.5k at 6%.

Deagol

Try the wall on Gallows hill. Haven't got complete Strava readings as I only got half way up it before the heart attack set in.

According to Google Earth though, it rises (from the crossroads) about 140 metres in about 1006 metres, so average grade of ~13.5%.

One section is so steep, my 39/28 ratio was almost not enough :eek:

breanach78

victorcarrera wrote: »

Doolin to Doonagore is a good test and was listed as Cat 1 on this years Rás.

Ya 1.1k at 8.5%. Tour de Burren took in in a few years back. Never would have thought it to be a cat 1 tho.

breanach78

Deagol wrote: »

Try the wall on Gallows hill. Haven't got complete Strava readings as I only got half way up it before the heart attack set in.

According to Google Earth though, it rises (from the crossroads) about 140 metres in about 1006 metres, so average grade of ~13.5%.

One section is so steep, my 39/28 ratio was almost not enough :eek:

Cool, where about is that one?

Deagol

Presuming you have google earth...

Starts at GPS 52 43 28.13N, 8 44 21.70 W. Heads South / South east on the road and you'll see the rapid rise of the elevation

Tried it for the first time the other evening on a whim. Think I need some more training to have any chance of making it

victorcarrera

breanach78 wrote: »

Ya 1.1k at 8.5%. Tour de Burren took in in a few years back. Never would have thought it to be a cat 1 tho.

Cat 1 because it was climbed after 144Km of racing.

You can spend most of your spin climbing around the burren. There are lots of good climbs around there if you plan a series of different ones over the burren and back to include (Cliffs of Moher south), Ballyvaughan to Corkscrew, Corker Hill Carron, And the road that passes Aillwee cave etc.

breanach78

Deagol wrote: »

Presuming you have google earth...

Starts at GPS 52 43 28.13N, 8 44 21.70 W. Heads South / South east on the road and you'll see the rapid rise of the elevation

Tried it for the first time the other evening on a whim. Think I need some more training to have any chance of making it

Wow according to strava it 0.6k at 25%. Could that be correct? On strava it's called Cratloe wood climb.
If it is correct that's a monster. Patricks hill in cork city is 0.2k @ 16.5%

breanach78

victorcarrera wrote: »

Cat 1 because it was climbed after 144Km of racing.

You can spend most of your spin climbing around the burren. There are lots of good climbs around there if you plan a series of different ones over the burren and back to include (Cliffs of Moher south), Ballyvaughan to Corkscrew, Corker Hill Carron, And the road that passes Aillwee cave etc.

True tour de Burren 2014 takes in 3 big hills before the cork screw within the first half of the 100k. Not going to easy.

Deagol

breanach78 wrote: »

Wow according to strava it 0.6k at 25%. Could that be correct? On strava it's called Cratloe wood climb.
If it is correct that's a monster. Patricks hill in cork city is 0.2k @ 16.5%

Cratloe Wood climb is the 'main' road. That number is complete rubbish IMO, that's steep but nothing close to 24%. I suspect that was measured with a GPS altitude and they are notoriously inaccurate.

If you look to the north of it, you should see another segment labelled 'The Wall'. Listed as 13.1%, but I measured one section at 18% (using a barometric device I should add)!

I definitely don't think you'll be disapointed if you give it a go

Vinz Mesrine

Deagol wrote: »

Cratloe Wood climb is the 'main' road. That number is complete rubbish IMO, that's steep but nothing close to 24%. I suspect that was measured with a GPS altitude and they are notoriously inaccurate.

If you look to the north of it, you should see another segment labelled 'The Wall'. Listed as 13.1%, but I measured one section at 18% (using a barometric device I should add)!

I definitely don't think you'll be disapointed if you give it a go

Is that at the top of the main road and leads down into S-M-B?

Edit: just checked on Strava. That's the one I was thinking of immediately on reading this thread. It's an insane hill, I'm afraid to drive it sometimes.

breanach78

Deagol wrote: »

Cratloe Wood climb is the 'main' road. That number is complete rubbish IMO, that's steep but nothing close to 24%. I suspect that was measured with a GPS altitude and they are notoriously inaccurate.

If you look to the north of it, you should see another segment labelled 'The Wall'. Listed as 13.1%, but I measured one section at 18% (using a barometric device I should add)!

I definitely don't think you'll be disapointed if you give it a go

Thanks. Just like the Burren wall. 16.5%. I have noticed the strava gets some of the gradients completely worng.

I will check it out. Any place titled the wall is going to be tough.

Deagol

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Is that at the top of the main road and leads down into S-M-B?

Yea, narrow road with grass in the middle in places. Not much fun to descend. Better to keep going up to the top of Gallows and down the other side.

Deagol

breanach78 wrote: »

Thanks. Just like the Burren wall. 16.5%. I have noticed the strava gets some of the gradients completely worng.

I will check it out. Any place titled the wall is going to be tough.

I just took a better look at the segment on Strava and I think it's completely wrong.

Says the starting point is 119metres, my garmin 800 showed it as 55metres and that's backed up by google earth. Though saying that, the elevation difference looks about right.

Anyway, let us know how you got on

Vinz Mesrine

Deagol wrote: »

Yea, narrow road with grass in the middle in places. Not much fun to descend. Better to keep going up to the top of Gallows and down the other side.

Yeah that's the one. I'm just starting off cycling but I'm aiming to do gallows hill and down into moyross within the month.

breanach78

Just went up it on street view on my phone, that looks tough.

Deagol

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

Yeah that's the one. I'm just starting off cycling but I'm aiming to do gallows hill and down into moyross within the month.

Never gone down into Moyross, always have turned left at the T junction and gone back into SMB. Is the descent into Moyross fast?

Deagol

breanach78 wrote: »

Just went up it on street view on my phone, that looks tough.

Advise I've heard is not to bother doing it in the wet, you'll just spin the back wheel on the steepest sections :eek:

breanach78

Deagol wrote: »

Advise I've heard is not to bother doing it in the wet, you'll just spin the back wheel on the steepest sections :eek:

Ya the Burren wall is like that too. And crossing the grass is not much fun either.

Vinz Mesrine

Deagol wrote: »

Never gone down into Moyross, always have turned left at the T junction and gone back into SMB. Is the descent into Moyross fast?

I've only ever driven down it.

thesimpsons

descent into Moyross is fast and has a bad surface and a sharp bend or two, I hate it but some love it!! I prefer to cycle up that way and descend straight down into SMB. think that the Moyross way up is easier - its just a long 6km (i think) drag. going up the main way (past the playground) has a few steep ramps, levels off and then ramps again. I suppose its whatever you prefer. Haven't even tried the Wall - just looking at it frightens me and definitely not something to try in the wet or as a descent. many have tried - few have finished

XtotheZ

raced basically every hill in Clare in the JT. Imho, Castle hill was the only thing near steep that did any real damage and that was about 18%.

brownian

The beside the castle in Doolin is short and nasty.

the Climb up Cregg hill outside Letterfrack is a reasonable challenge, and a lovely spin too.

LennoxR

When I lived in Galway, the climbs I did regularly were; go up the Oughterard road, turn left at Moycullen and go over the hills to Spiddal. http://app.strava.com/segments/moycullen-climb-2841571

For a shorter loop more or less on the same terrain turn off earlier and go across to Barna. http://app.strava.com/segments/clifden-rd-climb-to-peak-on-barna-road-906797

Then for the longest loop, about 80 km do the same route up to Oughterard, climb and across to Costelloe an back to Galway. http://www.strava.com/activities/123256906

Also if you go out to Rahoon and take the Letteragh road there are lots of shot but quite steep hills before you drop back onto the Moycullen road. (Can't find any strava links)

None of these climbs are all that steep or long but they're the best ones I know of near Galway city.

dastardly00

LennoxR wrote: »

Also if you go out to Rahoon and take the Letteragh road there are lots of shot but quite steep hills before you drop back onto the Moycullen road. (Can't find any strava links)

Here's a Strava link to the toughest of those hills.

dastardly00

And here is another hill in Moycullen, Galway. From Galway city, go straight through the village, and take a left turn. It will bring you on to the road between Moycullen and Spiddal.

Strava says it's 2.1km long at 5%. There's a section in the middle that is flat, so the max gradient of this hill is a good bit higher than 5%.

LennoxR

dastardly00 wrote: »

Here's a Strava link to the toughest of those hills.

No that's not the one I mean. If you head out through Rahoon go right past the Westside Shopping Centre and up the hill past Cnoic an Oir there are a series of short but very steep ramps.

The climb there is actually your descent at the end on the route I'm talking about.

dastardly00

LennoxR wrote: »

No that's not the one I mean. If you head out through Rahoon go right past the Westside Shopping Centre and up the hill past Cnoic an Oir there are a series of short but very steep ramps.

The climb there is actually your descent at the end on the route I'm talking about.

Ah yeah I know where you are on about now.

Micilin Muc

Just west of Galway City there are a few steep hills, but not long enough by far for a category climb.

Tonabrocky Hill (col du mast): 5% (17m climb over 300m)

Knockarasser (Cnoc ar Easair): 5% (25m climb over 400m).

Then there's Moycullen hill which is a Cat 4 (Moycullen to Gortyloughlin Climb). This is 5% (88m over 1.8km).

harringtonp

victorcarrera wrote: »

Doolin to Doonagore is a good test and was listed as Cat 1 on this years Rás.

To make it longer cross the main cliffs/lisdoon road and head up to the mast (ras turned left on main road).

Bugsy2000

There's one out past Abbeyknockmoy, goes by various names, I know it as Farmers Hill / Ryehill but it's up on Strava as Chapel Road Climb Part 1. From Galway cycle through Abbey & turn right when you get to the church. Thats the start of the climb.

Chapel Road Hill Part 1
On Strava it's down as 50m climb over 1.3km but the climb actually keeps going for another 200m distance & 20m climbing. The Strava segment stops before the top of the hill.

Close by to that hill is;

Corrafaireen Hill
Short & sweet. 6%. 44m climb over 800m.

There's also a few Cat 4's out around Derrybrien between Loughrea & Gort.

Cat 4's

Esroh

Head out to Cornamona .Turn down by the Post Office and take the 1st Right. Climb to the Telephone Tower.
If your out on the Croi Cycle on Sunday week you turn right before the bridge and then 1st right. Once past the tower take the next right and you drop back to the main road 1km Cong side of Cornamona. It will spice it all up.
Ill find a strava link.

mossym

did gallows from cratloe into SMB on sunday, missed the wall, next time.

no talk of hills in clare complete without a mention of kilbane pass

http://www.strava.com/segments/768844

thesimpsons

is that Piper's Hill ?

mossym

god no, pipers is nothing compared to that. kilbane pass ges between Kilbane and gauranboy(hills above killaloe). it's a small grass in the middle road, but it's a serious climb.

pipers i wouldn;t classify as anything tough, as long as we're tlaking about the same hill, it's the one jsut past the ul activity center, up to the left past the pipers pub? it's done twice on the boru triathlon?

Deagol

mossym wrote: »

no talk of hills in clare complete without a mention of kilbane pass

http://www.strava.com/segments/768844

Was going to mention that one, but as I've only ever driven up it I thought it might be a bit cheeky

Must give it a go sometime.

breanach78

Thanks guys. Definitely going to check some of those out.
I Think I would love the one near Cratloe and the one near kilaloe, sounds right up my street!

Also to mention my local one again near Carron, 0.6k at 13%. Hard, really hard. Changed to a standard crank recently and really noctied it on that one!

Happy climbing.