Connor Pass query

thebouldwhacker

To all you Kerry mountain goats....I'm in Kilorglin during the week and I'm hoping to cycle the Connor Pass. Is the Dingle approach ok or should I bite the bullet and go over the earlier pass and take it from the opposite side?
Thanks

CheGuedara

Well if you want to make a long circuit of it from Killorglin what I would take is Killorglin, Milltown, Castlemaine, Inch, Annascaul, Camp, Conor Pass (classic climb side), Dingle, Inch, Castlemaine, Milltown, Killorglin.

You'd be looking at something in the region of 140km and you'd get the more interesting side of the pass to climb and faster descent off it too

lescol

Haven't been that way since "The Conor Pass Challenge" last year. I'd say it's pretty much the same climbing from either side, the road surface on the Dingle side was very good and made for a fantastic descent, the top few km on the north side were narrow and lots of potholes. If you want to climb and then enjoy the descent I'd say approach from the north.

Let me know how you find it as I'm supposed to be riding the Conor Pass and Slea Head next weekend.

CheGuedara

Personally for someone who wouldn't be familiar with the descents from the Pass I'd be inclined to recommend the climb from the north too.

The descent into Dingle then is (unless its raining) very easy to see, fast as you like and more-a-less hazardless short of one reducing radius left hander near the bottom which is only iffy if you enter too fast on the wrong line.

It'll help you to know that the last 400 or so meters of the Pass climb on the North side have been resurfaced and last weekend was essentially motorway quality blacktop (though as narrow as ever) which means that even though the gradient is same as ever at least you're not fighting a poor surface as you near the top

thebouldwhacker

Nice one. I prob wont have time for the full trip Kilorglin to kilorglin so will drive to inch and do a loop. I just wanted to know which side was the politically correct approch;)
I tried to put up a map my ride route but it wont work for me atm.
I'll drive to inch, cycle over to the north side of the peninsula and up/down the Pass to Dingle and back down to Inch again. Any suggested improvements on this would be appreciated.
I have been around the Pass many times this will be my first time cycling it... I gotta admit I really lookng forward to it, I love that part of Kerry and its always been a climb I have wanted to do, kind of a check in the 'to do' box:D
Good to hear about the resurfacing che, fairy brutal the last time I drove up there.
Thanks lads.

CheGuedara

Enjoy! And if you're hungry for more sure come down for our sportives in September

Murph100

You could always park up in Annascaul and do the loop, cuts out a few flat miles if you're short on time, but still keeps all the 'pain'

This will really get you 'aquainted' with the Conor Pass and absolutly epic scenary but 30km longer and you have to drive to Camp, yes its an actual place, and yes it does have signs saying 'Camp community alert' !

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ie/null/camp%2c%20conor%20pass%2c%20slea%20head%20%26%20back/589127525607038694

dom17

CheGuedara wrote: »

Enjoy! And if you're hungry for more sure come down for our sportives in September

what sportives are they ?,interested in doing the ring of kerry.can you post a link or something?

DeepBlue

dom17 wrote: »

what sportives are they ?,interested in doing the ring of kerry.can you post a link or something?

Link to thread on last year's Conor Pass Challenge - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=62182693
Ring of Kerry Cycle - http://www.ringofkerrycycle.ie/

lescol

Here's one by the Killorglin Cycling Club:- http://tinyurl.com/2uem7hs
Waiting to see the route, I'd imagine it will be tougher than the ROK

thebouldwhacker

@Lescol I hadn't come across the Kilorglin cycle before, is it new? if not do you know what kind of route does it normally follow?


@Che, I'll be down alright, I missed last year though I had planned on cycling it, ah well....

lescol

I'll post the route as soon as I can find it! It's a new event which will hopefully be run annually.

thebouldwhacker

Murph100 wrote: »

This will really get you 'aquainted' with the Conor Pass and absolutly epic scenary but 30km longer and you have to drive to Camp, yes its an actual place, and yes it does have signs saying 'Camp community alert' !

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ie/null/camp%2c%20conor%20pass%2c%20slea%20head%20%26%20back/589127525607038694

A double serving of the Pass...... hadn't thought of that. I guess if something is worth doing its worth doing right. This does look tempting, a far more attrictive route than the Inch loop I was looking at, I'll do it if you will! (I'll be doing it S-L-O-W-L-Y though...get the wimp list ready)
Anyone else around Wed afternoon?

lescol

I'll be working:mad:

Murph100

Yup, the second climb of the Conor Pass is a nice haul, I always find it harder from the Dingle side because although its a new road, the gradient is constant, so no place to hide !!

Did it a few weeks back from Tralee with the club, great spin.

CheGuedara

Not being funny or anything but wasn't there more posts on this thread not so long ago? Something about a RwGPS 34% gradient? What happened there?

thebouldwhacker

What you talking about?

Na, there was a boards leek and the conversation seeped into this thread

damoz

I went over the Conor pass once. I was very hungover after a night in dingle, or a friends hybrid, and wasnt cycling at the time..... and it wasnt bad at all - very manageable climb even in my state then. The descent with the rain sideways and no functioning brakes was alot more interesting - managed to overtake 2 cars - well didnt have a choice really as i couldnt stop....

When i do it again ill do it the other way around - good climb, then a long and fast descent - should hit 70 + on that.

CheGuedara

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

What you talking about?

Na, there was a boards leek and the conversation seeped into this thread

Aaaah... cheers bould

thebouldwhacker

So this is what I ended up doing, I was very late starting so drove to the base went up and down to Dingle and then returned. A fantastic climb with a VERY enjoyable decent (got 79kmph before a lamb jumping out in front of me made me decide to slow it down and get home safe:p)

I made the basic mistake of not eating all day since bfast, crammed a banana and choc into me after being in the car/office for 5 hours and had only 5km to warm up before the climb started so the first 10 was hell, esp as it was into a heavy enough head wind. At 11 km I got away from the wind and it was a lot easier then. It took me 30mins from the Dingle water front to the car park at the top, no king of the hills but not bad for my first go, I wont say how long it took me to climb the north side:o. Very sorry I started the way it did but such is life....
I'd put it in the top 10 climbs in Ireland for surface, views, drivers not driving you off the road, the climb itself and the decent (and dingle being at the bottom!)
I'll be back:D

Thanks for all the posts

Murph100

Well done, t'was a cracking evening for it.

Yup , them lambs are like moving landmines !

CheGuedara

Lamb'dmines?

Sounds like something out of monty python

Murph100

Dats nae ordinary' lamb ... its a killer !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg