Col Du Sally Gap

Budawanny

Anyone know Sally gap is getting close to passable on the old rothar ?
cheers

Sunsets On Tuesday

Budawanny wrote: »

Anyone know Sally gap is getting close to passable on the old rothar ?
cheers

AA roadwatch said today;

WICKLOW: The Sally Gap remains impassable due to snow.

Might be okay for the weekend. Hopefully we've seen the last of it now.

Macy0161

The road hadn't cleared from Original Beast/ Storm Emma before last weekend's snow, so I'd say this weekend could be optimistic. Whilst the roads are clear (albeit some that would now make Arenberg look a smooth road) around Roundwood, there's still snow in the shaded corners of ditches/ road sides etc.

irishrover99

Due to roadworks, snow and body parts, the sally gap and the roads leading to it have been closed a lot during the last year

Budawanny

Sunsets On Tuesday wrote: »

AA roadwatch said today;

WICKLOW: The Sally Gap remains impassable due to snow.

Might be okay for the weekend. Hopefully we've seen the last of it now.

thanks for that, ya time to stretch the legs and hit the hills now.

Budawanny

Macy0161 wrote: »

The road hadn't cleared from Original Beast/ Storm Emma before last weekend's snow, so I'd say this weekend could be optimistic. Whilst the roads are clear (albeit some that would now make Arenberg look a smooth road) around Roundwood, there's still snow in the shaded corners of ditches/ road sides etc.

thanks for that. maybe another week or two so if the snow stays away.
more feckin laps over howth hill so :-)

Budawanny

irishrover99 wrote: »

Due to roadworks, snow and body parts, the sally gap and the roads leading to it have been closed a lot during the last year

very true

neris

Budawanny wrote: »

thanks for that. maybe another week or two so if the snow stays away.
more feckin laps over howth hill so :-)

north county dublin and meath is nice and lump, may not be as long climbs as wicklow but better then laps of howth

Macy0161

Wicklow Gap is open as far as I know - it's generally a priority route for clearing/ gritting because of Turlough Hill. I'd say nearly all roads are clear at this stage, with the Sally Gap the exception.

I would caution against the condition of some of the roads though - as I said earlier, even some low level ones around Roundwood are very cut up after the snow and clearing (the filter beds around to the village heading south very bad for example), as well as some deep and wide potholes.

Budawanny

neris wrote: »

north county dublin and meath is nice and lump, may not be as long climbs as wicklow but better then laps of howth

Id be interested in trying it out but ive never cycling around there at all.
Im a bit scared of it from a traffic point of view..
would you have a strava route by any chance?
or a few way points.

thanks.

Budawanny

Macy0161 wrote: »

Wicklow Gap is open as far as I know - it's generally a priority route for clearing/ gritting because of Turlough Hill. I'd say nearly all roads are clear at this stage, with the Sally Gap the exception.

I would caution against the condition of some of the roads though - as I said earlier, even some low level ones around Roundwood are very cut up after the snow and clearing (the filter beds around to the village heading south very bad for example), as well as some deep and wide potholes.

Thanks for That.

mr spuckler

I was thinking of heading up that direction this weekend so will keep an eye here to see if there any updates on the road condition. from my close-up view in recent days (cycle path at Clontarf) it seems that there is a lot less snow on the mountains today than even a couple of days ago.

rxchxy

Certain areas of the Sally Gap are fine. Glencullen, Tibradden, View point, Featherbeds and glencree are all ok. Last Friday we could make it from Enniskerry to Roundwood but from there up to where Vikings is filmed there was still heavy enough snow and ice. From Lough Tay through to other side of Lough Bre wasn't great either, made for a very nervy descent. Ended up walking about 5km of it with the bike to make it out the other side.

There was heavy rain and combined with the run off from the mountain a lot of the snow drifts were melted. It's been a bit warmer the last few days so hoping to get out again this weekend

ILIKEFOOD

Budawanny wrote: »

Id be interested in trying it out but ive never cycling around there at all.
Im a bit scared of it from a traffic point of view..
would you have a strava route by any chance?
or a few way points.

thanks.

if you have a look at the Blanch Wheelies facebook page there's a good few posts about different meath and NCD with routes with route marked out on ridewithgps, traffic is fine on these

Ray Bloody Purchase

What's the best route, starting in Firhouse/Tallght, to do a loop up there? I'm a beginner/intermediate. I do a 24km round trip every day to work, so i'd be relatively fit. I don't really fancy a vertical climb however.

Looking to branch out at the weekends and do a 40 to 50km spin.

Budawanny

rxchxy wrote: »

Certain areas of the Sally Gap are fine. Glencullen, Tibradden, View point, Featherbeds and glencree are all ok. Last Friday we could make it from Enniskerry to Roundwood but from there up to where Vikings is filmed there was still heavy enough snow and ice. From Lough Tay through to other side of Lough Bre wasn't great either, made for a very nervy descent. Ended up walking about 5km of it with the bike to make it out the other side.

There was heavy rain and combined with the run off from the mountain a lot of the snow drifts were melted. It's been a bit warmer the last few days so hoping to get out again this weekend

Super info. Thanks for that .

Budawanny

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

if you have a look at the Blanch Wheelies facebook page there's a good few posts about different meath and NCD with routes with route marked out on ridewithgps, traffic is fine on these

Will do . Thanks.

Budawanny

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

What's the best route, starting in Firhouse/Tallght, to do a loop up there? I'm a beginner/intermediate. I do a 24km round trip every day to work, so i'd be relatively fit. I don't really fancy a vertical climb however.

Looking to branch out at the weekends and do a 40 to 50km spin.

I’m not best placed to answer as I love the hills. So I’d head up stocking lane or cruagh road to viewing point , feather beds , sally gap and then head down the Liffey valley via the coronation plantation. A super spin but a bit climbey. Not walls, but a bit climbey.

The Noble Nudge

Clear from Kilbride side heading up to Sally Gap yesterday......A sign resting against cones just beyond Kippure gates so I am told....think the sign said no cars allowed just bikes....Very strange loud howls heard too....but cant remember the finer points of the story I overheard.
The approach roads are also in ****e(new potholes, a lot of gravel and debris)
Bí Ullamh...

rxchxy

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

What's the best route, starting in Firhouse/Tallght, to do a loop up there? I'm a beginner/intermediate. I do a 24km round trip every day to work, so i'd be relatively fit. I don't really fancy a vertical climb however.

Looking to branch out at the weekends and do a 40 to 50km spin.

Maybe cruagh road to viewpoint to the featherbeds, but rather than going straight out to the Sally gap go left down to the German cemetery through glencree. From here you have option of going straight on through enniskerry village through to kilternan into stepaside and back to firhouse. Or before you hit enniskerry village take the left which will bring you up to the devils elbow and to glencullen where you can go left down to Tibradden or right down to kilternan.

Nothing too bad there in terms of climbs. Worst would definitely be the devils elbow, it's steep but short

Ray Bloody Purchase

Budawanny wrote: »

I’m not best placed to answer as I love the hills. So I’d head up stocking lane or cruagh road to viewing point , feather beds , sally gap and then head down the Liffey valley via the coronation plantation. A super spin but a bit climbey. Not walls, but a bit climbey.

rxchxy wrote: »

Maybe cruagh road to viewpoint to the featherbeds, but rather than going straight out to the Sally gap go left down to the German cemetery through glencree. From here you have option of going straight on through enniskerry village through to kilternan into stepaside and back to firhouse. Or before you hit enniskerry village take the left which will bring you up to the devils elbow and to glencullen where you can go left down to Tibradden or right down to kilternan.

Nothing too bad there in terms of climbs. Worst would definitely be the devils elbow, it's steep but short

Thanks guys, that's great.

68 lost souls

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

What's the best route, starting in Firhouse/Tallght, to do a loop up there? I'm a beginner/intermediate. I do a 24km round trip every day to work, so i'd be relatively fit. I don't really fancy a vertical climb however.

Looking to branch out at the weekends and do a 40 to 50km spin.

Head to the top of stocking avenue where the roundabout at the quakers is or if you come up the oldcourt road to the lidl take the right turn to head up to take up Gunny hill. From wither of those points head to the Hellfire club and keep climbing to view point. (The road at the viewing point was still closed yesterday morning).

Military road then past glencree will lead you to the gap

68 lost souls

Here is a course from the Old Mil https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17710911

If you want a longer loop take the military road further on to Larragh and back through Roundwood

Ray Bloody Purchase

68 lost souls wrote: »

Here is a course from the Old Mil https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17710911

If you want a longer loop take the military road further on to Larragh and back through Roundwood

That's bloody excellent. From the elevation it looks like it's tough at the start and isn't too bad then after that

Thanks a million.

We've only moved up to Dublin in the last two years, so I'm not familiar with the runs.

Much appreciated.

68 lost souls

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

That's bloody excellent. From the elevation it looks like it's tough at the start and isn't too bad then after that

Thanks a million.

We've only moved up to Dublin in the last two years, so I'm not familiar with the runs.

Much appreciated.

You can cut off a small bit of the climb at the start if you like by taking the R113 as I mentioned just after the lidl on old court road and before hunterswood but the route I made out takes in the boards hill climb challenge which is from the roundabout at the stocking lane/avenue to the viewing point.

I did this route last summer and really enjoyed it. If you want more climbing later on in the route as some one mentioned you can take the turn in enniskerry towards Kilmolin and take bridge road to the devils elbow up to Glencullen and back the R116 through tibraden or the Ballyedmonduff road down towards the M50 flyover towards Marley Park.

Ray Bloody Purchase

68 lost souls wrote: »

You can cut off a small bit of the climb at the start if you like by taking the R113 as I mentioned just after the lidl on old court road and before hunterswood but the route I made out takes in the boards hill climb challenge which is from the roundabout at the stocking lane/avenue to the viewing point.

I did this route last summer and really enjoyed it. If you want more climbing later on in the route as some one mentioned you can take the turn in enniskerry towards Kilmolin and take bridge road to the devils elbow up to Glencullen and back the R116 through tibraden or the Ballyedmonduff road down towards the M50 flyover towards Marley Park.

I know that climb from Stocking Lane. I think i may give it a while before i do that i think!

Paul_Mc1988

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote:

I know that climb from Stocking Lane. I think i may give it a while before i do that i think!

I failed on that climb last year after been cycling only 3 months took it in this year and was handy enough. Trick is to just get some more manageable ones in first.

I started with heading from tallagh towards blessington and turned off before blessington to sallys gap from that direction. Hills are more gradual and forgiving from that direction.. then decend stocking lane side

mr spuckler

did anyone head up that general direction today by any chance?

Johnny Jukebox

mr spuckler wrote: »

did anyone head up that general direction today by any chance?

Rode over the gap today from the Glencree side. It was clear except for 2 short drifts across the road where I had to walk the bike across.

There was a white van stuck in the first drift, looked like he'd be there a while...

Budawanny

Johnny Jukebox wrote: »

Rode over the gap today from the Glencree side. It was clear except for 2 short drifts across the road where I had to walk the bike across.

There was a white van stuck in the first drift, looked like he'd be there a while...

Thanks for that

mr spuckler

Johnny Jukebox wrote: »

Rode over the gap today from the Glencree side. It was clear except for 2 short drifts across the road where I had to walk the bike across.

There was a white van stuck in the first drift, looked like he'd be there a while...

nice one, I'll give it a go this morning so. I'll be climbing from Manor Kilbride and descending to Glencree, will update here early afternoon on whether it's any better today.