We ride Britain's newest epic cycling climb

Some new tarmac laid on an old access road climbing out of the Hope Valley might just have created Britain's toughest climb.

Bamford Clough, Britain's steepest climb
(Image credit: Andy Jones)

“Do you know what ‘nemesis’ means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an ‘orrible hill...” Never before have I let a climb get under my skin like this one, NEVER. For a period of 10 days last September it utterly consumed my every waking, and plenty of my sleeping hours. 

Over the years I’ve had many a nemesis, Hardknott Pass beat me the first time but I went back the next day and took my revenge - as I did on Rosedale Chimney after snapping a chain at the first attempt. 

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