Mamore Gap, Co. Donegal. An easier side?

mathie

Anyone ever done the Mamaore Gap?
Is it easier (I know I'll probably be coughing my lungs up when i get a glance of it let alone start it) from the North or South?
Is it in any way doable for someone who just enjoys a couple of spins a week?
Thanks

spoke2cun

It is 'do-able' as long as you do it at your own pace. There's a sportive coming up in the next week or two that goes over the gap. Good luck to everyone who takes it on.

Wishbone Ash

It's a brutal climb regardless of which direction. I'd consider it the toughest I've ever done. From the north the gradient varies and there are more bends on the way up. From the south it's straight with a fairly constant gradient. There's a clip on YouTube of the Ras going up from the northern side in 2012.

mathie

Thanks
I heard the gradient is at parts near thirty degrees from the south!
Is any less from the north?

ford2600

http://www.strava.com/segments/700540?filter=overall

http://www.strava.com/segments/876936?filter=overall

Raam

I've raced it in the hill climb champs from the twisty side. Some steep ramps. The other side is also steep but just straight up.

darkvalley

ford2600 wrote: »

http://www.strava.com/segments/700540?filter=overall

http://www.strava.com/segments/876936?filter=overall

According to that first one there is a section at around 1.7km that is 194.1%!!

killalanerr

Ha ..i see i have a time on the first segment ,list puts me just out side the top 30 in the middle of the ras guys but they hit it after 100k some men, it is a hard one but ride within yourself and you will be fine,a word of warning you will need your brakes in top shape for the decent ...not for the faint harted

Wishbone Ash

killalanerr wrote: »

....a word of warning you will need your brakes in top shape for the decent ...not for the faint harted

Kohler makes it look so easy! (Descent of northern side).

Iwernia

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Kohler makes it look so easy! (Descent of northern side).

I see he turns at the bottom to climb it from the North side.
An elderly gent from a neighbouring town once said "sure you wouldn't cycle the whole way out there without doing 4 or 5 times"

Good luck to them, once a year is enough.

mathie

Well I gave it a shot in the end.

I'd a 30km spin over to it from our holiday residence and the whole way over I was feeling nervous.
As we'd arrived up at the start of the week my father-in-law told me a story of the time he drove around behind the Ras when it went nearby and they went over Mamore Gap. He said that some of the cyclists had to dismount and walk. I assumed this was due to some dodgy bikes or poor gears (I think it was the 80s).

So after hearing all that I was determined not to put my foot down until I got to the top.

I came to the crossroads at the bottom of the twisty / north side and took a few photos (looking at the selfie I took I can see the fear in my eyes). Due to the trees and the incline you only get to see the first few meters of the climb so I think that made me even more nervous.

I'd read about people who'd done the south side where they said to stay in the saddle for as long as possible. So off I shot like granny in black molasses.

With the "stay in the saddle" rule in my head and then swiftly out, I dropped to the lowest gear after about twenty seconds and stood up. "****, I'm gone already". I'm pretty sure I heard the trees laugh at me at this point. The first ramp was long and steep but I somehow managed to get up it. I was breathing so loud I was concious of it. Then came the bends.

A series of three of four steep ramps that had the reward of a bit of flat at the end of each. It was like a slow bicycle race when I completed each part. My lungs were burning. I could feel every revolution and most of me was crying out to stop.

Then a bit of downhill. What? "This IS doable" I thought before Mamore slapped me in the face with a long uphill that looked easy but still took it's toll. Before I knew it I was up to the grotto. A couple of cars gave me space to pass and I'm not sure if that helped or not. I'd to pretend like it wasn't killing me as I passed them.

As I attacked the last part I was spitting words and saliva and incredibly close to stopping. The last 30 yards were a killer. Not that they were steep just that the whole thing had taken its toll.

I made it up with a final push and then just circled around a few times. I didn't have the energy to unclip.

A kind Austrian family took some photos of me and asked if I was a professional. I convinced myself that they weren't joking.

It took me a few days to recover.
Never again.
Until next year.

PauloConn

I still have nightmares about it.....
Did the Inishowen 100 and The Gap was the last climb before hitting Buncrana so we'd done about 90miles by this point. Think i got up to the 2nd tunr in the road and the legs seized up. Just fell of the bike and cursed the heavens.
But it was ace coming down the south side, had the momentum to get all the way home