Ride report ByG x3:
A few months ago the notion of a `Ventoux style` ride up the three potential ascents of Bwlch Y Groes, @ 545m the highest road pass in North Wales, was aired. After a bit of faffing / thinking / gpxing I put forwards to Tony H a DIY route that went up the Bwlch on each of the three possible roads--it was a bit complex to plan as it felt it went round and round...but a route was developed.
So on Friday 12th---fortunately not the 13th
--I set off in cool overcast weather from Foel, just east of Mallwyd to do the circuit taking on the toughest south ascent first
Good road surfaces, gentle gradients and a favourable breeze saw me reach Dinas mawaddwy on an average speed of 30kph
---which very soon dropped as I turned north up the valley road to the base of the ascent. It`s a hard approach too, short sharp ups @ 10% soften up legs for the big climb and by the time I reached the base of climb `proper` I`d already clocked up 400m climbing.
In contrast to the other two approaches the south is a no-nonsense diagonally straight up
the road climbs from left to right diagonally across the hill, NO letup at all---10-14% lower down soon steepens to 20-24% on the mid section....
I was glad it wasnt` sunny too---a nice breeze kept me cool as I ground my way slowly up, never getting out of the 34 x 30 crawler gear. The turn to Lake Vyrnwy gave me a morale boost, seeing the height on my GPS I knew I was 3 / 4 up, just keep going.
The view back down the valley showed just how much height I`d gained
and soon I was at the top with North Wales and the Arans spread murkily out in front
The welcome breeze was now decidedly chilly--back on with armwarmers, jacket and a 60 kph descent down to Bala Lake and the psychologically hard bit of keeping riding on knowing I`d be back at the same spot in 40km after another ascent
The approach to Hirnant Pass is really lovely, a narrow road winds up along a stream with woodlands and huge conifers towering above--difficult to tell but some must be over 40m in height
Hirnant Pass adopts the same attitude as Bwlch Y Groes south--just go diagonally staright up ! But despite its foreboding slopes and a very classic mountain pass look, it is by comparison fairly moderate 10% mostly, a bit at 15% near the top and within 10 minutes of crossing the stream at the bottom I was up
A good quick descent to Vyrnwy, more huge conifers too:
and then east up to the Bwlch for ascent number two. And very different too is the climb from Vyrnwy, after a short sharp start it oscillates up and down, meandering across increasingly open and bleak moors. Its lowest section is most scenic, a small stream, tumbling waterfalls
Down again to Bala and a roll around the lakeside to a most welcome big breakfast @ Jan`s Cafe after 90 km. Fortunately the next 10km back along to Llanuwchllyn were fairly gentle to ease digestion
Now for the last climb---it is , from Llanuwchllyn, also the longest but the lower half is fairly steady; only as the open hillside is gained at about 350m does it kick up through the birch woods, touching 12% again.
An exposed `balcony` road cuts across Craig Yr Ogof---the safety barrier being a fairly recent addition
Lichen encrusted great plaques of cliff rose steeply above the road as it climbed steeply before turning onto the final moorland pull
And then I was up --ascent number three done, finished--and then a good descent back down to a very placid Lake Vyrnwy, hardly a breath of wind to ripple its surface and the mountains holding Hirnant and Bwlch Y Groes vague shadows in the misty landscapes
Befitingly the ride still had a sting in its tail--the narrow road cutting back to Foel had a good few 15% inclines to keep me working
before a very good 3km run back down to finish.
Although the route (
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/3438766 ) was a bit contorted ---and maybe wasn`t a logically satisfying journey--it turned out to be very interesting indeed, three very different aspects of climbs to the summit of North Wales` highest road pass