Monmouthshire - The Gospel Pass
Have a biking adventure on The Gospel Pass
The narrow Gospel Pass path snakes over the Black Mountains between Monmouthshire and Powys and is one of the best road-based climbs in British cycling - not to mention the highest paved road in Wales.
This route is a fabulous way to experience the famous cycling path for yourself. It's a scaled-down version of the famous climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees, with a total vertical ascent of 456 metres.
A Welsh wonder, a 77 mile circular road cycling route starting from the famous book town of Hay-on-Wye, overlooked by the Black Mountains, before heading west towards the Brecon Beacons National Park and into the bustling market town of Brecon.
You then follow the River Usk and pass the Talybont, Pentwyn and Ponticill reservoirs, arriving in the industrial town of Merthyr Tydfil. Once refuelled you can head back east along largely quiet roads (following the Head of the Valley trunk road) into the quaint Monmouthshire town of Abergavenny, with its castle, canal and coffee shops.
The final section of the route is the part that tackles the famous cycling challenge of Gospel Pass, Wales’ highest paved road with a full 456 metres of climbing and with perhaps some of the best views in the UK.
