T
his Snowdonian route
features three hidden
climbs that are some of
the longest, and most
secretive, in the UK.
If you haven’t heard of them, that ’s
because they ’re effectively private,
dead-end roads taking you to hidden
lakes that feed small hydroelectric
power stations below. The climbs
themselves are epic, each one steep
enough in places to force you into your
lowest gear. They ’re long too, with the
final climb of Marchlyn Mawr taking
you to over 600m in altitude. We were
guided round this route by multiple
hill-climb champion Dan Evans, who’d
been wanting for some time to devise
a loop that took in all three of these
climbs. Our challenge to him was all the
inspiration he needed, and he came up
trumps. Enjoy.Reasons to ride
1
Local knowledge
These are locals’ climbs, no doubt.
As they don’t go any where they ’re
not used by the public so not only will
you be riding a road that few others
have, you’ll do it with no traffic on it. A ll
of which helps the sense of awe you’ll
get when you reach the top.2
Natural beauty
These climbs offer some of the
best views you’ll see in the UK.
Climbing high into the mountains of
Snowdonia National Park you’ll be able
to see for miles from the top, north over
to A nglesey or south into the heart of
Wales. Be sure to take a camera and
spend a few minutes at the top drinking
it all in.ROUTE TWO
WELSH LAKES IN THE SKY
6INSPIRE YOUR RIDING