Mount Gabriel, Schull - Strava Cat 2

seve65

Apparently the climb up mount gabriel is a cat 2, does anybody know what the road surface is like on the last section ?
http://app.strava.com/segments/679182
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,492148,533525,4,10
Thanks

on_the_nickel

Aagh! I went up it last year but didn't even realise you could go left at the top of the pass and went straight on.

That might suggest it is pretty crappy for a road bike, I would hope I'd have turned up that way had I thought it was a road.

showry

I went to the top of it last year - the surface is excellent from when you turn off the "public" road. Tough climb though, plenty of hairpins. I resisted the temptation to go up it on the fixie this year.

ajk24

haven't done that last bit - is that up to the mast? I'm down in schull this weekend so i'll give it a go and report back.

showry

on_the_nickel wrote: »

Aagh! I went up it last year but didn't even realise you could go left at the top of the pass and went straight on.

That might suggest it is pretty crappy for a road bike, I would hope I'd have turned up that way had I thought it was a road.

The left turn is just after the top of the pass and is a horrible road for about a mile. There's another turn there and you're technically on Irish Aviation property then but the surface is dead smooth.
There's something spooky about those golf balls though.

on_the_nickel

showry wrote: »

The left turn is just after the top of the pass and is a horrible road for about a mile. There's another turn there and you're technically on Irish Aviation property then but the surface is dead smooth.
There's something spooky about those golf balls though.

Balls, I thought it was a little on the easy/short side. Will have to do it again.

seve65

Cheers guys, one for the future.

thebouldwhacker

Its a great climb, switch back after switch back. The surface is smooth black top but as I remember on one turn there is one big hole. Its near the top so you'll have p l e n t y of time to look at it:)

When you get to the top dismount and walk left of the 'compound'. You will see the trig point, if you walk over to that you will get a view to rival even The Reek by Westport.

Another killer climb near by (other than priests leap) is up to Barley Lake. Leaving Glengarriff toward the tunnels turn left after the park and up you go. There are gradients up there which must be close to max (ie topple backwards).

For a short sharp heart attack try cycling down the north shore of the Sheep's head (Goats path) and hang a left over the hills into Ahakista, short but bloody sharp!


All come with guaranteed scary descents

markcroninbsc

I'd say strava are bein a bit too generous with that 2nd category. Its over 7km, and to me, over that distance it looks more like 3 hills than one.
First km is about 40m climbing, then you have 2km of flat or downhill, that surely would mean that that little climb is over.
Then you have about 80m climbing over the next km and a bit before a km of downhill 20m drop id say thats the top of that hill too and it might get a 4th cat.
then you have the last bit that averages around 6%ish over 2.5km, cat 4... maybe cat 3 but only just.

on_the_nickel

Maybe someone could tell me if the grafitti on the road is still there at the top of the pass?

Had a good laugh at it as I went past last time.

smacl

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Another killer climb near by (other than priests leap) is up to Barley Lake.

Nearly bloody killed me trying this last year, and the descent was a bit of a brown run as well. Great park for taking the kids for a spin though.

Another little shocker is down to Zetland pier, which has one of the few small beaches in that area. Following the the Beara cycle way, stay on the main road for a couple of 100m after the Beara cycle way goes right towards the Sugarloaf, and hang a left (sign posted Zetland pier).

The section of the Beara way around there is also very attractive, but bits of the road were in foul condition last year. The spin up the Healy pass is also great, but IMO nowhere near as tough as those other ramps.