PENRHYS

YSTRAD, RHONDDA CYNON TAF

Not all climbs are set in beautiful surroundings, draped across pristine moorland, or nestled in the shadow of jagged peaks. No, some are just that horrible road you have to tackle everyday to and from work. Ignoring the surroundings though, Penrhys presents a considerable test for the legs in the centre of a very congested region. Leaving the roundabout at the junction of the A4058 and B4512, you rise out of Ystrad. It’s not too hard to start with, but it’s quite narrow through the houses, and after a giant stretch of painted red tarmac and a speed camera it kicks up. The proximity of the high walls either side amplify the severity of the gradient. But the walls soon disappear, as do the houses, revealing a view out to the right over the valley. The slope never wavers under your wheels though; it’s a constant, soul-destroying, straight line of suffering all the way to the left-hand bend and the finish at the roundabout.