Ireland's steepest hill

Jimbob1977 · 16-08-2013 06:44PM

I`m no cycling expert, but i recently came across a monstrous hill near castleisland in Kerry.

It`s between crag cave and the n21 in a townland called glounsharoon.

Google says its category one and used in An Ras sometimes

g0g · 16-08-2013 06:51PM

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I`m no cycling expert, but i recently came across a monstrous hill near castleisland in Kerry.

It`s between crag cave and the n21 in a townland called glounsharoon.

Google says its category one and used in An Ras sometimes

Cat 4 on Strava

wendell borton · 16-08-2013 08:43PM

The maum is also a good climb in castleisland.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/118868

cyclocross! · 16-08-2013 09:02PM

Not sure if someone mentioned it already but there was a hill on a race in Carlow years ago when I was racing junior I think it was called The Butts! Fairly serious hill by my recollection.

Hmmzis · 16-08-2013 09:11PM

cyclocross! wrote: »

Not sure if someone mentioned it already but there was a hill on a race in Carlow years ago when I was racing junior I think it was called The Butts! Fairly serious hill by my recollection.

Would that be the Des Hanlon Memorial race?

The hills there are not that bad on their own but the pace you have to go over them to stay with the pack is just mental. And there are a good few of them one after another.

a148pro · 16-08-2013 09:12PM

That minaun thing in achill broke me at the weekend. Didn't help that I had a lunch of wine and crab meat in advance.

I also got a blow out on the way down, didn't think it would be possible to get one in Ireland. Of the hills mentioned on the thread here i've done cruagh and kippure loads and neither of them are anywhere near as steep as minaun. I do remember getting wheel spin on something out near powerscourt before though.

Darkglasses · 16-08-2013 10:41PM

a148pro wrote: »

That minaun thing in achill broke me at the weekend. Didn't help that I had a lunch of wine and crab meat in advance.

I also got a blow out on the way down, didn't think it would be possible to get one in Ireland. Of the hills mentioned on the thread here i've done cruagh and kippure loads and neither of them are anywhere near as steep as minaun. I do remember getting wheel spin on something out near powerscourt before though.

Yeah there's some great climbs in Achill. The one from the village over to Keel beach is excellent.

G200 · 17-08-2013 08:19AM

I'd say it might be this fella, Short Mountain from the south side, Castlemaine, Kerry:

http://app.strava.com/segments/652088

North side is no slouch either:

http://app.strava.com/segments/2321580

a148pro · 17-08-2013 08:52AM

Darkglasses wrote: »

Yeah there's some great climbs in Achill. The one from the village over to Keel beach is excellent.

Also a killer - it's keem beach I think, keel is the beach beside that village. Tough climb rewarded by views of what must be one of the most beautiful beaches in europe.

But for the purposes of this thread, nowhere near as bad a climb as minaun!

Darkglasses · 17-08-2013 11:34AM

a148pro wrote: »

Also a killer - it's keem beach I think, keel is the beach beside that village. Tough climb rewarded by views of what must be one of the most beautiful beaches in europe.

But for the purposes of this thread, nowhere near as bad a climb as minaun!

Ah yeah you're right, the one to Keem is the one I was thinking of, not Keel. Brilliant place to ride a bike.

andy69 · 17-08-2013 01:28PM

Would that climb out of Doolin register on the steepest climbs list I wonder? Seem to remember signs on it warning it was 26% or something along those lines. Castle hill I think they call it. Short but very very steep!

smacl · 17-08-2013 04:13PM

Not the steepest, if we're throwing in the likes of the Nine stones up the the Mast of Mt Leinster, but a few favourites none the less;

Kilmashogue lane (a term _Daragh used last year in conjunction with the term repeats, much to my amazement)
Full wall
Dying cow
Balligisheen from Waterville
Ballaghbeama from Sneem
Coomanaspic
Corabutt gap
And yes, castle hill out of Doolin is well worth including, though not the overall steepest IMHO.

The Nutty M · 18-08-2013 04:56PM

smacl wrote: »

Not the steepest, if we're throwing in the likes of the Nine stones up the the Mast of Mt Leinster, but a few favourites none the less;

Kilmashogue lane (a term _Daragh used last year in conjunction with the term repeats, much to my amazement)
Full wall
Dying cow
Balligisheen from Waterville
Ballaghbeama from Sneem
Coomanaspic
Corabutt gap
And yes, castle hill out of Doolin is well worth including, though not the overall steepest IMHO.

Went through these two from the Sneem side with the Ras na Mban last year and they are vicious,Ballaghbeama is definitely harder than Minaun in Achill in my opinion.
Up around Lough Salt in Donegal there are a few short steep hills but nothing sustained.

ford2600 · 18-08-2013 05:02PM

The Nutty M wrote: »

Went through these two from the Sneem side with the Ras na Mban last year and they are vicious,Ballaghbeama is definitely harder than Minaun in Achill in my opinion.
Up around Lough Salt in Donegal there are a few short steep hills but nothing sustained.

Short but nasty
http://app.strava.com/segments/1675852

Carpenter · 18-08-2013 08:11PM

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Kippure is hard but I think the max gradient is only 17% near the top around the last bend, the rest is a steady 11/12% ( I think ). Obviously, you would cycle up it after going up Sally Gap.

I was up there today and my Garmin 500 said 20% near the top if it is giving me a wrong reading :mad: its in the bin and there is no way its as hard as the 9 stones
I did Kippure in 20.44 into a head wind but the 9 stones was 37mins after saying that it was last year so I might go down and try it again:D any excuse I guess.

SomeFool · 18-08-2013 08:30PM

Temple Hill in Cork has to be up there, tougher than Patrick's hill for me!

ROK ON · 18-08-2013 09:06PM

This is steep
http://www.strava.com/segments/1163936
Mullaghanish - there is a 3km climb at 5% before you start the climb to the mast.

This is steeper:

http://www.strava.com/segments/935296
Misery, pure claustrophobic misery.

SomeFool · 18-08-2013 09:26PM

ROK ON wrote: »

This is steeper:

http://www.strava.com/segments/935296
Misery, pure claustrophobic misery.

Looks awesome! have to try it someday.

buffalo · 18-08-2013 09:52PM

g0g wrote: »

Cat 4 on Strava

Strava might be confused by the -26.7% blip, followed by 42.4%. I'm trying to imagine what sort of road would be 42.4%, and I'm crying on the inside.

siochain · 18-08-2013 09:54PM

As mentioned Achaill has some of the toughest climbs but so rewarding as the scenery is unreal if its a clear day.

MajesticDonkey · 18-08-2013 11:53PM

buffalo wrote: »

I'm trying to imagine what sort of road would be 42.4%, and I'm crying on the inside.

I don't think there would be too many 42% roads in the world. That's nearly 45 degrees (on a graph).

ford2600 · 19-08-2013 08:56AM

MajesticDonkey wrote: »

I don't think there would be too many 42% roads in the world. That's nearly 45 degrees (on a graph).

Back to school for you....

PrzemoF · 19-08-2013 09:42AM

MajesticDonkey wrote: »

I don't think there would be too many 42% roads in the world. That's nearly 45 degrees (on a graph).

it's ~ 23 deg

45 deg = 100 %

Morrisseeee · 19-08-2013 10:30AM

ROK ON wrote:

This is steeper:

http://www.strava.com/segments/935296
Misery, pure claustrophobic misery.

SomeFool wrote: »

Looks awesome! have to try it someday.

This would be it

Ireland's longest steepest climb is this tho..........2.6km @ 13.4% great-granny ring needed :pac:
.
.
.

SpaceTime · 19-08-2013 10:33AM

CDfm wrote: »

patricks hill in cork is fairly steep

There are quite a few pretty steep hills around Cork City and Cobh, if you're talking about urban hills.

stooge · 19-08-2013 10:41AM

Mill Hill in Castlewellan Co. Down is a fairly tough climb. probably not the steepest though

MajesticDonkey · 19-08-2013 10:52AM

ford2600 wrote: »

Back to school for you....

Back to bed you mean

AlanD · 20-08-2013 04:13PM

Kilbane climb (Co. Clare) from the West is a pretty serious climb that shoots to over 20% in places.

http://app.strava.com/activities/67344703#1294463122

Felloffmebike · 20-08-2013 11:17PM

On the Skellig Ring in Kerry - after St Finians Bay take the left turn for Portmagee and up the hairpin bends. Or start in Portmagee, its pretty much straight up from that side. Sign at the bottom pointing to "Ireland's most spectacular cliffs" let's you know what's in store. View at the top is spectacular. Have to confess I failed last time I tried it.

MajesticDonkey · 21-08-2013 12:07PM

Dunno if this has been posted here before...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag1LJillBCzKdE02cWVwY2R6UFVvRUZZRVBjVlRPb2c#gid=0

Ireland's steepest hill

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