Llanguicke Road Climb – Crikey!

On Saturday I finally visited a climb that @penbwl had told me about on Twitter a couple of months ago. It was way harder than I had expected, it may actually be the toughest climb I’ve done to date. I rode past it at first, but a glance of to the left and a muttered “fuuuuuuuuck me” and I knew I’d found it…

Right from the off it goes over 20%, nothing strange about that I thought, climbs often start off steep and then mellow out, this one is different…

I’d been feeling really weak and pathetic during the ride to this point and when I realised that the gradient wasn’t getting any easier I actually considered giving up, obviously I would never do such a thing but this thought kept nagging all the way up…

Before long I started over-heating, it was way too steep to keep a hand off the bars long enough to put anything in a jersey pocket so I just grabbed at my headwear and threw it to the side of the road. Only a desperate climb pervert like myself would throw Santini and Rapha gear to the ground rather than stop and put a foot down…

It was unrelenting, the gradient mixed with my impending internal combustion, hyperventilation and minor heart attack meant that I was all over the road, swaying from left to right narrowly avoiding the brambles and muck at the sides…

Llanguicke Road is in a pretty bad state, it’s full of holes, covered in moss and gravel and just generally terrible. In fact back in June the Llangiwg Church Facebook Page posted this: “Due to the deteriation (sic) of the road and the steep gradient from Pontardawe to Llangiwg, Neath Port Talbot Council have suggested that the road is now unsuitable for motor vehicles.”

I approached an old woman walking her dog coming down the hill and asked her how much further it was, she said in total the road was almost a mile, my heart sank. She congratulated me on my effort and I pushed on…

This was the last super steep part, it dropped permanently below 20% from here but the damage had been done, I just wanted it to end…

The final stretch meant I had to drop the gears down and make a pathetic attempt at a sprint finish, it’s just the way it is…

Llangiwg Church came into view and I knew my ordeal was over, I absolutely love climbing but this was almost too much. The unknown length and grade meant that I was totally unprepared for the task and my legs really aren’t on top form at present for some reason. I was chuffed that I hadn’t given up or fallen during the many mossy slippage episodes on the way up.

I didn’t realise the road continued on past the church so I turned around and rode back down (I had to get my hats anyway I suppose) which is how I shot these photos. Llangiwg Church has a rich history going right back to the 6th century, as documented on their website, I will be climbing this beast again to have a good look around the church grounds and hopefully inside too.

Check out the Strava Segment for an idea of the general grade, it’s a bit out at times though, as much as it felt like it I doubt that it was actually 54.1% at one point, haha.