route suggestions for two scenic & mountaneous days in Wicklow.

davgtrek

Hi All
a bunch of us from Kerry want a weekend away this July for a change of scenery. Can anyone suggest 2 solid days cycling routes in wicklow.
We will base ourselves in a hotel ( wherever we can get a deal ) in Wicklow and the main checklist are :
Wicklow gap, sally Gap, Glendalough and any other scenic, challenging climb or route that shows the best of wicklow
on quieter roads etc. If we got a 100-120k solid route on sat and a shorter 80k route on sunday as we would be driving back home on sunday PM and don't want to be blitzed for a 4 hour drive !

I'll be shooting a video for both days as I have kerry well covered at this stage and I am sure Wicklow is equally as beautiful ! here's my youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK0oPWH2ZNvmHjdniqlFm1vp-LJ5VtnqH

Any suggestions welcome, strava routes a massive help and bonus.
Thanks

davgtrek

I meant to add that a great coffe stop en-route and the usual "cafe Cyclist" criteria apply

Eamonnator

How about something like this.
It takes in Sally Gap, Wicklow Gap, Valleymount, etc.
It's the Orwell Randonnee

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1704401776

You could do worse than staying in the Glenview Hotel in the Glen o the Downs.
Coffee stop in Laragh in the Wicklow Heather.

Karlrocks23

Hey! So this is a lovely route that takes you around Wicklow National Park, down to Glendalough, up through Wicklow Gap over to Blessington Lakes and back to Dublin. It does go around most of Sallygap, but it's very scenic and the main climb is after Glendalough, 10km uphill. - 106km. --- http://imgur.com/a/ScqLe (travel this one clockwise!).

This one is shorter and goes up to Dublin Panoramic View, through the heart of Sallygap leading away from Dublin. You'll see lough Bray upper, then Lough Tay. The start of the route is very uphill but it's very rewarding. - 65km --- http://imgur.com/a/YiR9i (travel this one anticlockwise)

Alternatively, you could mix the two together. So on the second shorter route, at Sallygap you can continue on straight instead of turning down for Tinnehinch, and that will bring you to Glendalough, then you could follow the first route from glendalough clockwise towards Blessington and back to Dublin. Both routes are incrediblly nice.

monkeyslayer

Loads of options, something like stay in Blessington... day one:

Blessington, lakes, Hollywood, Wicklow gap, laragh, Glennmalure, Ráthdrum, láragh, Sally Gap, Manor Kilbride, Blessington.

Day two: Blessington, Sally Gap, lough tay, roundwood, avoca, meeting of the waters, Ashford, Greystones, Enniskerry, Johnny foxes (glencullen) , feather beds, Ballinascorney, Manor Kilbride and Blessington.

Lots of climbs, lots of coffee stops in laragh, Greystones, Enniskerry, roundwood etc

Weepsie

How mountainous? You could try a few of the "evil" routes

HivemindXX

I'd stay somewhere like Laragh or Rathdrum if I were you. They are close to the centre of where you want to be cycling. The main downside is that you are too close to Laragh so you can't really go to the Glendalough Fayre for you coffee break. That would be my top recommendation for a coffee stop. Second would be the Armoury cafe in Glencree. The hotel in Glenmalure is good if only because it gives you a nice rest before having to climb out of Glenmalure.

Here's my suggestions:

120k taking in Sally Gap, Wicklow Gap, Slieve Maan and the Shay Elliot. That's a lot of climbing.
https://www.strava.com/routes/9086420

72k taking in a different side of the Sally Gap and doing the one you already did in the other direction. It also goes along Old Long Hill giving you nice views of the sea and the Sugarloaf. You also get the viewing point down over Dublin Bay (which is likely to have an ice cream van or two if the weather is good).
https://www.strava.com/routes/9086330

111k. The previous two don't go around Blessington Lakes which is quite a nice route. This one rectifies that and takes you over Sally Gap from Roundwood to Blessington (plenty of time to look at Lough Tay while you are struggling up that) then around the lakes, up over Wicklow Gap and Glendalough, back to Laragh for coffee and a cake, up Sally Gap from a different direction and down the final of the four roads towards Dublin before heading back to Roundwood. If you wanted to make this a little longer you could keep going from Sally Gap towards Dublin and take the turn at Glencree instead to head through Enniskerry on the way back to your hotel.
https://www.strava.com/routes/9086627

Except for the N roads most roads in Wicklow are pretty quiet. Most of the N roads are fine as well. The N11 is the only one that seems to think it's really a motorway (and then of course it turns in to a motorway without much in the way of options to get off it).

davgtrek

Fantastic feedback all. I've a few maps to study.
Yes basing ourselves in the heart of Wicklow sounds good with two loops back to base.
Our typical Kerry route would be 100-120km and without going too masochistic about 1100 - 1500m climbing
I'll check out those routes and revert.
P

davgtrek

Is the Wicklow gap a nicer climb from Laragh side or Hollywood side ?
Do you get the views over blessington on the descent from Laragh side or is descending down into Glendalough nicer ?
Sally gap looks good from all angles ?
Whats that whopper that goes over 500m north of Sally Gap towards the Dublin Border ?

Wow I didn't think there was such an amount of climbing possible in a relatively confined area. It looks great !!

HivemindXX - your 120km route with over 2000m climbing looks fairly epic. Plenty of coffee and buns needed that day !!

HivemindXX

The Evil 200 is an event organised by and for people who disdain the Wicklow 200 as too easy. This years iteration seems to be 215km with 4,700m of climbing. It is certainly possible to get a lot of climbing in a relatively small space in Wicklow.
https://www.strava.com/routes/7220904

The 500m peak north of Sally Gap is Kippure. There is an access road for the mast which is smooth tarmac (at least that's how it looks I've never actually gone up there) and people do cycle up to it.

I rarely get down as far as the Wicklow Gap (I've only ever gone over from the Laragh side) so I can't tell you about that. The Sally Gap however is good from every direction. Climbing from Roundwood and Laragh are the two best climbs in my opinion. They are long and steep but have the better views, which you can't really appreciate properly when descending.

monkeyslayer

davgtrek wrote: »

Is the Wicklow gap a nicer climb from Laragh side or Hollywood side ?
Do you get the views over blessington on the descent from Laragh side or is descending down into Glendalough nicer ?
Sally gap looks good from all angles ?
Whats that whopper that goes over 500m north of Sally Gap towards the Dublin Border ?

Wow I didn't think there was such an amount of climbing possible in a relatively confined area. It looks great !!

HivemindXX - your 120km route with over 2000m climbing looks fairly epic. Plenty of coffee and buns needed that day !!

It's easier climbing the Wicklow gap from the Hollywood side, less steep for longer, but it's v nice, the descent into Glendalough/ laragh is my favourite in Wicklow, it's pretty epic. Sally gap is great from any angle, the lough tay climb is the toughest ascent, there might even be a coffee van at the top if the weather is good, the view here is beautiful.

Plastik

Day 1 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21931514
Day 2 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21931577

Starting and finishing in the Powercourt hotel each day, because you're worth it. Can't believe there are suggestions on this thread about scenic and mountainous days around Wicklow that suggest travelling the N81 from Blessington in through Tallaght. Personally I wouldn't bother with Blessington or the Lake Drive either. If you only have two days there are far better roads out there IMO.

On Day 1 above you'll have a nice meandering start from Enniskerry through Kilternan and Stepaside, climb past the Blue Light pub to Johnny Foxes where you'll have spectacular views over Dublin, you'll hit Pine Forest, Cruagh, Viewing Point for more great views of the other side of Dublin, Featherbeds, Kippure TV mast (highest point you can cycle to on a road bike in Wicklow, would be rude not to include it), Sally Gap, Laragh, Wicklow Gap, Turlough Hill (dead end climb at the top of the WG) and back from Laragh on rolling lanes with great views.

Day 2 a 5min stiff climb to open the legs then very easy climb up one side of the Glencree valley, on towards the Wicklow/Dublin border before dropping down towards Boharnabreena reservoir, climbing Ballinascorney, Sally Gap from the west, across Luggala, a visit to Powercourt waterfall and on home.

There are a lot of good roads to hit and you'll never hit them all with a 120km/80km weekend. You'll miss south wicklow but they're there for another day - the Elliott, Slievemann, Brown Mountain, Vale of Clara.

nilhg

OP, it's hard to suggest routes without knowing where you are staying, and I'd suggest if you have no need to go into Dublin that you have a look at accommodation options in West Wicklow, just off the top of my head you could look at Tulfarris House, Avon Ri in Blessington, or any of the B&Bs in that area, some lovely loops possible from there, check out the Reservoir Dog for one at least.

Less time driving, more time on the bike that way

davgtrek

Nice routes Plastik.
I suppose we are fairly flexible where we stay.
Powerscourt would be nice but at those prices we could do a week majorca for the same cost )

I have a better handle on wicklow now.
It seems we can't go too far wrong with sally gap, wicklow gap, kippure and the sights in between. As ye say theres more than enough for two massive days cycling.

mr spuckler

HivemindXX wrote: »

The 500m peak north of Sally Gap is Kippure. There is an access road for the mast which is smooth tarmac (at least that's how it looks I've never actually gone up there) and people do cycle up to it.

i wouldn't call it smooth tarmac

the surface gets somewhat broken in places and requires a lot of caution on the descent. gradients also get worse the higher you go :pac: