Big trip to Europe planned in the summer, so wanting to get plenty of climbing in my legs.

Living in Calderdale i’m not short on hills although they’re usually short and steep, rather than long and gradual.

Any Alps like climbs (long and gradual) not too far from home?
Thinking stuff like Hartside

Bealach na Ba?

In the UK but possibly a bit far for a weekend 🙂 You could do the Snow Roads on the way up

Not so sure it makes any odds, if you are fit you are fit?

On road – the Tumble in South Wales, and the one up past Afan Argoed funnily enough. Possibly also Pen y Pass

Doesn’t help you much in Calderdale mind.

Great Dun Fell is good.

The UK tends not to do consistent gradients in the way that they do on the continent but there are some close to you.

The climb out of Hebden Bridge towards Keighley – Strava segment. Steepest at the bottom whilst you are still in Hebden then eases off.

On the other side of there is this climb. A bit steeper overall than the Pecket Well climb.

Of course there’s Cragg Vale which doesn’t seem that steep when you are doing it (I’m quite happy in the big ring when climbing it for example) but descending it looks quite steep.

There’s a loop you can do: Halifax-Sowerby Bridge-Ripponden-Denshaw-Buckstones-Stainland-Halifax that has a couple of good long steady climbs in it.

Matt, enter some of at AAA Audax events. proper tough some of em.

Great Dun Fell is good.

I’m gonna get up it this year for sure, probably with Hartside before or after.

Grest Dun fell, (848m) is highest tarmac road in uk I think, it’s just north of Knock in NE cumbria. Knock is about 180m so it’s a nice long climb, could probably combine it with hartside as well. Road is a dead end at the top though as it just goes to a radar station. It’s a bridleway but tarmaced and no cars allowed past the halfway point (just for radar station access) so it’s a nice quiet ride.

Edit. Beaten to it!

Kirkstone pass from Windermere is also a nice long climb. One of the best 100 mile rides I did was windermere to great dun fell over kirkstone on way out and back over shap on way home which is also a longish climb.

Bealach na Ba as above but there’s also quite a few long climbs in the borders, devils beeftub, mennock pass, climb from Elvanfoot to Leadhills. They’re all big, gradual climbs.

If you want short and steep there’s the beast that is Talla, 1 mile at 20%, that’s a good un 🙂

Google Tour o the borders and radar ride routes.

a nice pootle from Kettlewell, taking in park rash, oxnop scar, buttertubs and fleet moss. enough climbing for a day out there.

50 mile circuit. 5500ft climbing.

Ton – those are hardly long and gradual, all have 25% sections 😯 The bottom bit of Oxnop Scar is brutal.

whitestone………. hills is hills to me, I love em all 😆

take up time trialing….

Seriously there are no climbs in the UK that really compare to 10+miles alpine experiences.

But time trialing at least gets you used to suffering for long enough.

I spent 3 days in the Pre-Alps around Nice last year – not particularly steep – about 5 – 6% average with short steeper sections – but 15miles long. That’s the challenge in training for the Alps climbs in the UK. To be fair I didn’t struggle at all, just found a comfy gear, a nice rhythm, was not trying to bust a gut and get any KOM’s and just enjoyed the scenery and being out and about in the Alps. I didn’t find it super hard. Absolutely loved it.

To be honest I found the descent more tiring and challenging. Took a good 40 mins or so to descend, full concentration all the way down, crapping myself on more than a few occasions, felt more exhausted at the bottom than I did at the top of the climb.

Angus, Deeside and Donside in NE Scotland. cf 3 Pistes sportive for one interesting day out.
The most consistent and Alpine like is probably the A93 to the Glenshee ski centre, noticeably steeper on its southern approach than the northern.
Can be combined into a brilliant proper day out, by, say:
Start at Kirriemuir, ride east to Edzell, climb Cairn o Mount, south Deeside road past Ballater to Crathie/Balmoral, A93 past Braemar to Glenshee, return through Glenisla to the start. @120 miles and two proper climbs. Plenty of other options in that area; the Lecht ski centre climbs on both sides are long and include sections over 20%. Starting a weekend in Perthsire or Angus and travelling light to overnight in Tomintoul would be a good training session.

Oh, I’m fine with hills but knowing what Chew’s looking at doing I don’t think they’ll be the best training 😉

Another one that might be suitable is from the lights in Greetland up the B6114 to Buckstones. It’s not continuous but there’s a lot of gradual uphill.

Spinning classes

ambleside up to kirkstone inn for a pint. do it twice.

The Peak District:

20minute climb, 5minute descent, 20minute climb, 5minute descent, etc. repeat beyond knackered.

not a perfect replication, but not bad…

Thanks. Done all the stuff around Calderdale, so looking for stuff further afield that can be incorporated into 200-600k rides.

30+ minute climbs to get up once loaded and 100k in the legs.

The A6 out of Kendal towards Shap
The A683 out of Sedbergh towards Kirkby Stephen
The B6276 out of Brough towards Middleton in Teesdale

whitestone – Member
There’s a loop you can do: Halifax-Sowerby Bridge-Ripponden-Denshaw-Buckstones-Stainland-Halifax that has a couple of good long steady climbs in it.

The long climb from Ripponden over to Denshaw is unpleasant but Denshaw to Buckstones isn’t that bad.
My nemesis is Ripponden – Barkisland – Stainland. It’s brutal.
Heading north from Slaithwaite to Outlane is a tough climb too.

Chew: I reckon Ripponden – Barkisland – Stainland – Slaithwaite – Meltham – Digley – Holme Moss should give you a good workout! If it doesn’t continue to Glossop then Hayfield then Chinley Head

My mate did the Cambrian Coastal Sportive – Big Dog last year, about 160km with 3000m of climbs. That might be worth looking at.

Chew – I take it you’ve done the Isle of Skye road out of Greenfield and Standedge either from Marsden or from Diggle?

The Dragon Ride has some good long, not super steep drags on it. Rhigos and Bwlch IIRC? I haven’t cycled* in the Alps myself but I’m told there’s some comparison.

*I’ve seen a few Alpine roads though!

The UK tends not to do consistent gradients in the way that they do on the continent

That’s why I suggested those two. Not that they are the biggest or steepest*, but they are the most alpine-like in character. Coming from Port Talbot past Afan, you start off in a town , wind your way up throuh valleys, woods, the odd village, then the trees thin out, it gets all bleak, and you finish at a proper pass after about 13 miles. Even better if it’s a dull day as you get into the clouds and wind-whipped mist at the top and you can see bugger all. Last 5km or so is about 5%.

* Afan one has about 520m ascent, so it’s not as big as the alps but not trivial by their standards either.

Chew – I take it you’ve done the Isle of Skye road out of Greenfield and Standedge either from Marsden or from Diggle?

Yes all kinda regular stuff

May have to make myself do Greenfields to Holmfirth but in reverse.

Mountains course on Zwift is probably the closest you’ll get.

There’s no real need to train on long climbs, it’s all just power, weight, endurance and pacing. Do some big gear work as you may need to get used to riding at 60 rpm in your bottom gear when you can’t go any faster.

take up time trialing….

Seriously there are no climbs in the UK that really compare to 10+miles alpine experiences.

But time trialing at least gets you used to suffering for long enough.

I don’t time trial but would imagine this would see you okay…with some regular hill reps for good measure.

Hi Chew not UK of course but FYI the road we drove up to start the Pedal Del Port features in the Tour of Cataluña in March. Sea level to 1100m in 14 km, It’ll be interesting to see by how much the likes of Froome and Contador beat my best of an hour.

from Torver on Coniston, up through the forest, up along the forest side of the valley, then up to the top of the Walna Scar road, probably a good hour (or two) of consistent grade climbing, all rideable. (if you’re man enough)

There’s nothing in the UK that prepares you for a proper Alpine climb. I think the time trialling suggestion is the best one.

Drop the pressure in your rear tyre to about 20psi, everything feels like an alpine climb then 🙄

In short there aren’t any/many depending on whether you live north, south east or west.

However as long as you aren’t aiming for Strava PB’s then any and all practice is good.

I live in the relatively flat south east but still manage to train myself and my two sons (25 and 23) for our annual trip to follow the TDF with our bikes to tackle those HC and Cat 1 climbs successfully.

It’s more about stamina (and determination) on those 5% or 6% slopes so just build up the length and frequency of your riding as well as chucking some nice climbs into your training regime.

Holme Moss and Snake Pass from Glossop side. Having ridden from Calderdale. Chew: Did you not do the Torino Nice Rally?

As a slight hijack, a friend wants me to join him cycling mont vent out next year and he doesn’t think he’ll need his easiest gear (28 on a compact) at any point. He’s not an avid cyclist, save commuting, by any means. Where can I take him to test how realistic his assumptions are?

Chew,

Cycle to lakes, do ‘The Fred’ route, then cycle home.

If you can do that then you can do almost anything I reckon

😀

(and when you get back towards Ambleside just go up ‘The Struggle’ for a pint at the top and a giggle)

Tan Hill from Langthwaite?

Actually, this is a good resource for you –

http://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/

Has average gradient, length etc.

Cat and Fiddle seems to be the winner – risk of death from Motos will give you the real feeling of a Grand Tour.

Before I did an Alps trip I did this loop a couple of times. I know it’s in S.Wales but bring your mtb and make a weekend of it by going to Afan as well.
Start wherever you want in the Afan valley,head up the Bwlch through Abergwynfi, drop down into Nant-y-moel. Turn around and head back up but go straight over into Treorchy. Carry on up the vally to Treherbert and take the Rhigos road to Hirwaun. All you’ve got to do then is retrace your route, back up the Bwlch and down into the Afan valley 😀 . It’s far and away the most Alpine ride you’ll get in the UK, IMHO of course.

Porlock Toll road for a southern option but if you really want to do up to 600km then why not do the Pendle 600 from Clitheroe, gives you 10,000m of climbing in 600km