LONG MOUNTAIN

WELSHPOOL, POWYS

On the map this ‘little’ climb doesn’t look that remarkable. I first rode it at the end of a long day and expected to whizz up and over it no problem. How wrong I was… I simply wasn’t prepared for the relentless barrage of tough gradient; it just keeps coming at you, again and again. Start from the junction with the A458 and Welsh Harp Hollow and ease your way past a scattering of buildings. Ride gently up to the 90-degree left-hand corner and then continue up to the first test: a set of steep bends. Once through these it’s gradual climbing once more. Pass a right-hand fork in the road, head straight on, and then dip down – it’s after this that the torture begins. A seemingly never-ending cycle of false summits sees you rise hard up to a brow and then ease again, time after time. Each one is a test of your resolve, but keep at it and you’ll eventually reach the finish at the T-junction.