Before I start...the Devils Staircase humbled the entire Milk Race many years ago....respect!

Around a year and a half ago I had seen an article from the Kidderminster CC on the web…..they had just did an Audax called ‘THE ELINITH’…I had seen some smashing photo’s of the place (especially the Abergwesyn Pass) and it had cemented a memory that I knew I simply had to experience for myself….now I had remembered Mark Harding had driven over the Devil’s Staircase with a Sportif Organiser and had been blown away with the prospects for a sportif to include this special strip of Tarmac…I was dead excited but nothing came of it…so after another 6months I was again looking at those superb photo’s and I just thought what the hell?…so I put an entry on the Cyclosport.Org Forum simply stating “Why no Devil’s Staircase Sportif?”…In the entry I put a possible 100mile route suggestion down using my Memory Map….the topic picked up…..James Blair got in touch and informed us that he was local to the area and knew a better proposal….after lots of other Forum lads showed there interest the topic gathered real momentum…then James put down his suggestion for the route…it looked superb…next thing we know James is speaking with Phil Weaver from Autumn Epic fame and here we are a year later with what looks on paper a totally superb event.

Getting Ready

A 8 ½ hour drive down to Builth Wells seen Me and my Bro arrive at the B & B very tired and hungry, thankfully we had arranged to bring down ready home cooked Pasta Dishes just to get heated in the Microwave….after this we settled down to get a good sleep. Brian obviously awoke at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep so did what everyone else normally does????…turn a light on and start reading…when I stirred he said “Richard”…as he looked out the Bedroom Porch…”look at the Sky…I’ve never saw stars like that before”…yeah like I was bloody interested in that at that time of the morning…”great” was my answer after turning the opposite way in my bed…

Very unbroken sleep until 6am then up…our usual breakfast….Porridge / Toast / Tea..the weather forecast was looking slightly positive…sunny spells in the afternoon….we had driven through one of the biggest downpours I’ve ever seen so we had to cling onto any glimmer of hope…we got ourselves ready and started to put the bikes on the roof bars…as per normal it started to lash down…just great!…nowt for it but to just get on with it…drove into Builth Wells High Street and parked next to a Bank…got fully prepared and set off for registration…this was a quick easy affair…..we then made our way to the start…a small car park…there were tons of riders and we were all ready for the off at 08.30am…but looked like something was up….we waited for an age there….finally we got the all clear….Beep!…another sufferfest commences….

Traumatime.

This is what awaited:-

Off around the one way system in Builth Wells…..a sharp left and straight onto the climb…up it went getting ever steeper as it did….jeez…already on a 15% slope after 5mins….it then levelled off a bit….tried to get my engine going but more successive steeper ramps were slowly eating away at me….since I’m an absolute gash starter it was killing me…especially trying to keep pace with my ‘good starting’ bro…on a sportive you just push that bit more…I was trying my best not to redline it…but I was cruising close…I then seen another Gradient Road Sign…25%…just marvellous!….into my 30 x 27…thankfully it was only around 18%…..still slapped me around a bit….the photographer was up around here on one of the ascents and since our Brian is the ultimate poser he danced off the front to get the best possible exposure:-

I hid in a group here as I knew the way I was feeling it wouldn’t be a very nice photo...the road then started to level out….it was raining…not too heavy…visibility was not great…but I could see already that we were up in the wilderness…and that’s what I like! We were now running across the top of a typical moorland…..up ahead I seen the road plummet into a small valley then snake its way up the otherside…oh no…it looked fairly tough….flew down this and hit the exit climb….decided I’d have a go in my 39 ring…as it turns out it was perfect gearing…a steady climb was endured up this…and I started to feel a tad better..the scenery was opening well up now and even in the dank weather conditions I could imagine how lovely it could be….we started to descend…I seen the full descent off to the right off me…Christ it looked super scary……

Dropped of this in Stuka Fashion…I’ve just not got it in me to let myself fully go on descents…I get too scared and apply the anchors…guys were flying passed me on this…very,very dangerous IMO….at the base of the climb we settled into flatter country lanes….we then came to a Junction with a Main Road…off to the left….this turned out to be the most miserable part of the ride…not that it was ugly…more that the rest of the entire route was gorgeous….the Main Road delivered us into Beulah…and we dinked right….onto back roads once more…said to Brian “this should take us into Abergwesyn and the road to Tregaron”…wasn’t long before we passed a small hamlet(Abergwesyn)….immediately out of there the road went skywards…steeply (yes this intro began the infamous Abergwesyn Pass)….

Abergwesyn Pass – Devil’s Staircase / Gammallt / Cenglau

A fella was at the bottom of this ramp with bike in hand…I asked him what had happened…poor bugger’s Rear derailler had snapped completely off….nowt I could do so I bid him farewell and prepared myself for much suffering…told Brian…”only a few miles to the Staircase now”…must say Brian was turning the pedal well and was looking well forward to the challenge…I was a tad more hesitant…I’d shoved a full stone on in weight in my 2 week extravaganza in Gran Canaria and that doesn’t go unnoticed on these sportives;-) The Valley by now wilderness material...just what I live for...

After a bit I seen the Bankside and the forest and immediately recognised it from the Photo’s I’d seen…

I scrutinized the forest and finally picked out tiny small brightly coloured objects slowly winding up it…yes here it was…the one I’d been gagging to have a pop at for a few years…would it live up to its rep?…we made our way over a series of small ‘near’ river level bridges….then we entered the forest…seen the 25% sign….”Good luck Bro”….”Same to yourself”….

Devil’s Staircase

Just under the canopy of the forest we seen the road….and what a road!…..I’ve been up lots of steep brutes and the way this one went up was still a astonishing frightful sight…30 x 27 was the immediate gear of choice……here we go….a few pedal strokes later I was out the saddle and pushing with all my might…..it was VERY steep….it levelled slightly before the 1st switchback and I managed to sit and get a wee rest…

I took the switchback wide to get more rest and prepared myself for the next ramp…this started off around 20%…it then steepened to the 2nd Switchback…upto I’d say 30%….I was out the saddle again and trying my best to avoid wheel slip as no way could I sit that section out…too steep…

It then relented a tad….again around 20%….then it headed for the summit…straight on up….there was another disgustingly steep ramp here…25% no problem…it then started to level…..but not before a few other steep wee 20%ers….just to fully make sure your still concentratingJ ….it then fully levelled…..seen the feedstop at the very top of the climb…Brian had taken a bit of time out of me here and was already at the Feed…I cruised up…”that was one steep bugger” I said…”f*ckin right it was”….was Brians answer…”Glad it lived up to it’s reputation” he said….and he was indeed correct…for me the Devils Staircase was one serious effort…too short to compare to Hardknott or anything but never the less a VERY steep and unrelenting mother…respect!….I’d put the effort on Par with Winnats Pass in the Polkadot Challenge?……the weather gods decided we had had it too good so far and punished us with a relatively short downpour here….had a few nice cakes & Fig Rolls in the rain and topped up suitably with water….the Feed was very adequate and the helpers were just so friendly……Brian was hypnotised with a Lady Cyclists legs at this point and I had to ‘pry’ his attention back to the job in hand…”C’mon…let’s Go!”…..I said…” Did you see that lassies legs?….oh they were lovely…can’t believe how nice they were…blah…blah…blah”…yip looked like Brian was enjoying the scenery...Off again and straight into a suicidal death dive off the otherside……

A bit of rolling roads afterwards and the whole place started to brighten up…the clouds weren’t so dark and foreboding….and a glimmer of sunshine was poking it’s nose through now and again…surely not?…were we in for Summer weather?….even in this brutal headwind a nice spell of normal Summer weather would be most appreciated. ….anyway the roads were still soaking…and the 2nd Steep climb of the Abergwesyn Pass presented itself…this was Gammallt….another much talked about trauma…

Gammallt

Up it kicked around a tight hairpin….around 20%…and continued on at the same gradient…I was trying to get out the saddle but my Tyres were just slipping all over the place so I had to sit these ramps out in the saddle and just heave myself up the ‘Ullrich’ way….well a tad slower I guess!…at the top of one of these steep ramps a few cars were parked and a few Families were out cheering and tooting the car horn in support of the event…what a real nice welcoming gesture….I personally found this steep stretch more manageable than the Staircase…make no mistake it was a tough test but it never had quite the same gradients of its predecessor….and I simply can’t go without mentioning the scenery here…it was just special being out in the wilderness with this steep,spiralling, twisting piece of well surfaced tarmac being the only link to civilisation, and that’s what cycling’s all about for me, getting well away from the normality of modern life!……

After a bit more huff and puff I crested over the ridge…

The road meandered away in the distance and I said to our Brian “ Don’t think this road has thrown all it’s might at us just yet, I’m sure there’s another bugger called ‘Cenglau’ coming up”….sure enough!…after a few more minutes another big long steep sweeping climb thrust into view…”Maybe it’s not as steep as it looks” Brian said…”Mmmmm” my reply…..I could see guys cycling up the outside of the huge long sweeping switchback…veering round to the left and they were out the saddle and pushing bigtime….Onto a rapid descent(through 2 dangerously parked cars) to the foot of the climb.

Cenglau

We soon hit it’s slopes…yes this was indeed as steep as it looked…and it looked around 20%!…..just took it nice and easy here…30 x 27 as per the norm….up around the large switchback and the gradient started to ease somewhat…I’d say around 15%…managed into my 30 x 25 here and just plodded on up at a very nice cadence….we caught a lad up and as we were passing I heard him say “On you go Richy”….I asked “Do you know me?”…”Yes, from the Cyclosport Forum”…turns out it was Robert Cole…we had a wee talk about other cycling adventures and of how wonderful this Sportive was turning out to be……after an age we started to descend….gradual at first but backed up with a full on screaming,sharp twisting scary enormous descent…I near lost it here…got the fright of my bloody life….I picked up way too much speed and on approaching a sharp left bend I put on the brakes…nowt!…too much water….after around a second or 2 of utter dread I felt the brakes take hold and it slowed me just enough to take the bend….ok doky…that’s what I needed…I look at experiences like that as warnings…and heed it I did!. After a fairly ‘gentle’ descent we arrived at Tregaron….this now signalled the end of the famous Abergwesyn Pass….and boy it didn’t disappoint!...another monumentally tough stretch of road…very well surfaced….maybe only 14miles in length but you’ll feel every mile….’undulating’ does not cut it…’trauma-dulating?’…not a word but I think you’ll get the drift. I had been personally wanting a pop at this incredible piece of road for an age now and I was thrilled to have ridden it…it was exactly what I wanted it to be…simply splendid!

A Gentle Stroll

I must say that I had more confidence now…I knew that stretch of the road was the toughest of the entire route(especially into a strong headwind) and I was so now looking forward to a gentler piece of terrain…I’d studied the Profile and knew that a flattish,rolling section now lay ahead for around 8miles or so….into the bigger gears and put in a fair pace…we caught up with a few other lads here and grouped up…but they were in no hurry and 2 other lads broke free and put a thunderous pace on leaving the group…Me and Brian decided to go for it aswell…we put the hammer down here and Brian did a strong show up front for a while…we slowly pulled the 2 other lads in and soon arrived in ‘Pontrhydfendigaid’…(say that when your pissed!)…it had been a blessed relief to have ridden a stretch of flatter terrain but of course this does not last long on these brutal sportives…

Not So Gentle

Straight out of this unpronounceable town the road reared up at a solid 12% gradient…Me and Brian did a good ride up here and we left everyone else with us behind…arrived in Ffair-Rhos after this ‘slap in the face’ and the road relented into another small rolling saga…very nice indeed!…we then arrived at the easier said Pont-Rhyd-Y-Groes…through this and followed the Yellow signs to the next ‘unexpected’ sod…we entered into a heavily forested area…we seen a gradient sign…16%…now I must say this is one of those bloody roads that doesn’t look steep but somehow your legs are screaming…I was in my 30 x 25 and heavily considering the 30 x 27!….it was one sore haul up there and it took a real effort…the road then did a sharp hairpin to the left…the gradient eased off a tad and you could see off to the left the road you just came up….wonderful!….the road emerged from the heavy green canopy into open moorland again…the sun was out and it was cycling heaven…all those great ‘I love cycling’ feelings were rattling about inside…..soon we were descending into the Devil’s Bridge….little did we know what lay ahead before the 2nd Feed!

Said to Brian “Not long until the next feed now bro”…turned the corner and near fell of the bike!…the road reared up for what I could guess the best part of a mile…a stream of brightly coloured riders lining the entire road….here we go again….very soon I decided that the triple 30 x 23 was the correct gear for this long sapper….Me and Brian just started spinning the smaller gear…fairly soon we were overtaking many….I must say I witnessed much suffering here…the road just continued up…very unrelenting in it’s character…but it was one stunning climb!….after a great deal of effort we entered into a small wooded section where an ancient big crumbling Archway stood…afterwards I found out this was named ‘The Arch’..appropriate don’t you think?….directly after this the road snaked downhill….we descended through this closed-in wooded section and it spewed us out into an enormous open valley…we could see the road stretch off way in the distance and it looked like we were venturing into another ‘Very’ special cycling domain.

Road to Heaven

At the mouth of this big awe inspiring valley there indications of an open slate mine or the likes…it must have been a whore of a time ago as streams had actually merged with the old remnants of the mine and looked rather strange…not pure mother nature but not man made either..very fascinating!….we breezed along this valley…the tailwind was just the dogs danglies here…beforehand on the Abergwesyn Pass we were cursing it….but now it was our allie continually aiding our journey…..I’d been expecting the 2nd Feed to be just round the next corner but in truth it was a long trumble still….to the point where I reached in my rear pocket and grasped at some broken up cake…..after a longer spell than anticipated we arrived at the 2nd Feed…

As I was heading for the Indulgence table the fella which had ‘bleeped’ me in said “Are you Richyboy?”…”Yes I am, who are you?”….”I’m James Blair from the Forum”…after I had initially asked on the Forum ‘Why no Devil’s Staircase Sportif?’, James had seen my route that I had suggested in that topic, but since he was a local lad he knew that another Route could be forged…a Gem of a route!…….and this was his creation….the Devil Ride route… … I had asked for the event (easy done)….these guys(James and Phil Weaver) made it a reality (not easy done)….so it was with great pleasure in meeting James… we had a real nice chat and I congratulated him on such an ‘uptil now’ tremendous course…he assured me more lovely stuff was to come but fore-warned me “keep a bit in the tank for the last stretch”…..after a suitable gorging session (especially the most welcome sight of Cheese Sandwiches) in what must be the most lovely setting I’ve ever seen for a feed station (a big lonely outstanding valley) I bid James Farewell and we headed off…..Brian said “how far have we come bro?”…my answer “around 56miles”….”WHAT?……56miles…Jesus Christ!.. I thought we were at 70 or something…well if that’s only been 56 miles then it’s one almighty tough sportif this!”

Wasn’t long after the feed that we seen the long beautiful drag up the valley…it started with a bang…a fairly steep 15% section…but then merged into one huge long stunning drag….the wind was ever assisting up here….off to the left was a gushing river…good stuff!….we then tipped out and the road rocked and rolled for a stretch…I was barely looking at the road I must confess…I was more intrigued with the tremendous views which were unfolding at every dip and bend….we then started to descend….I could see a big lake off in the distance to the right…(Elan Valley?) and to the left?….I could see a road…a road going uphill…uphill seriously!…..10minutes later and the triple was engaged once more…30 x 23….this was a smasher of a climb…not too steep…..just right!…it wound its way up over the higher grounds…..a grey snake surrounded by lush greenery…up this we went…I was feeling ok here….climbing well…..the photographer has 3/4s way up this…as per the norm…the minute Brian seen him then full Freemans Catalogue Pose was adhered too and ‘out the saddle’ pose administered…another for his portfolio:-

Well his older brother has never been one for posing…so I just had a good laugh with the photographer…don’t matter as I look sh*t on the bike no matter what anyway:-

The road was sustained at around 10%-12% here and I felt fairly strong…a wee bit effort and we were soon over the top of this lovely ascent (Penrhiw-Wen?) ….we were now faced with the best descent on the whole ride….now this was my type of descent!…the roads were bone dry….and there were no tight bends…just one big long sweeping drama where you could really let it go…after a very exhilarating descent we settled into more rolling dropping terrain…and it was a fairly sad feeling as this signalled the end of that stunning valley….for me another tremendous memory this lovely sportif had offered…we now entered Rhayader…

A Sore Haul to Aber-Cwm-Hir

Through the town of Rhayader and straight onto another delightful small backroad…I seen a sign for Aber-Cwm-Hir…said to Brian “there’s a real stinker of a climb coming soon”…..a few more Km’s of gentle rolling road before we seen a 25% ramp ahead…”Oh Aye” said Brian…”That’s only a pre tester I’m sure…its bigger brother ain’t far off”….into 30 x 27 for this leg awakener…this was followed by more rolling…I looked over to the right and could see riders crawling up the side of a wooded area…”there’s the bugger there Brian”…”Don’t look too steep”…his reply….we turned off to the right and fairly soon I decided that the triple was going to be engaged…30 x 21 for now!…..Brian was still clankering about with his 39 ring and it was getting steeper by the yard…I said “Brian, this is a long climb and it gets a lot steeper”…he heeded my message and the triple granny was put into action…and it’s a good job he did!….we turned the very tight hairpin to the left and it veered up at 18%…..30 x 27 without even thinking….we were at 75miles or so and this gradient was starting to hurt….but as it climbed along the wooded edge veering all the time off to the right it was steepening…..I’d say uptil 20-25%…it stayed relentless at this gradient until the very top…what a sufferfest!…it was a real tough sod…I seen so many guys on Doubles barely able to turn the pedal here…this was the previous efforts and the distance showing there heads now!….after what seemed an unholy long time we crested the beast….thank f*ck that was over…what a brute!… I was well looking forward to a bit of rest and descending…the road flattened off then a big long steep descent followed…I was enjoying this part I must confess…after the Descent into Aber-cym-Hir the road joined a bigger main B road…not at all busy…we made good time here…the B road ended with a super straight long drag of a climb upto the T-Junction with the A483….from there we came across another big sweeping climb before we rattled into Crossgates where we dinked right onto the A44…we were not on this long before the 3rd feed appeared…..we asked how far to go…found out between 15-18miles…as it was not very far and we had completed the most daunting sections of the route we never stopped long…a few more fig rolls and cake and on the road again. a left shortly after took us onto a much quieter nicer road…

One Final effort!

This road was very easy going…just rolling along…no major undulations…a good speed was achieved…the road spat us out in the little village of Llanyre where we sped along the A4081 which delivered nicely onto the B4358….we had been really enjoying this final run down and were in high spirits and Brian was saying “not long now Bro”…as we passed a ‘20km to go’ sign….but I said to Brian “James told me to keep something in the tank for the final section…I reckon we’ve got a few surprises in store yet!”…..but even through Newbridge-on-Wye the road remained blissfully flat.…passed by a ‘10km to go’ sign ....Maybe no more hills?….Maybe we have passed what James was talking about?….but then again maybe not!!!! As we turned a corner and seen a 10% gradient sign…oh here we go – more suffering……Brian said “wonder if it’s a real 10% or a crazy 10%?”…..seen the road rise…Yes…Bloody Crazy 10%!….10% my arse!….maybe 18%…up this ramp in the 30 x 25…then it levelled…then it went again…another 12%er…then it levelled…then another big whopping 18%er….this was very UN-appreciated!, however I never said one thing to Brian I just kept plodding onwards and upwards..finally the sod levelled off…I was well glad of that I tell you!….what an unexpected nasty little twat of a climb…much tougher than expected….especially at that stage of the game…just at the very summit the very dependable yellow arrow sign guided us left onto a small lovely backroad…what a cracking piece of road…a ‘5km to go’ sign greeted us around here..fairly soon we encountered a rather nasty steep straight 20%er…not too long but long enough!…we crested this and settled into more rolling terrain…it was a real nice stretch that…very well surfaced and the way it danced away through the countryside was so appealling…I said to Brian “I wonder when we will finally drop down to Buith Wells as we haven’t dropped down much here”….”NOT ANYTIME SOON” was Brians answer as he clapped eyes on the road ahead…yes, another REALLY unexpected steep wee climb….back into the granny gear….”never thought I’d be in this gear again today Brian”…”Me neither” the answer…a bit effort seen us over this last hurdle…afterwards the road did indeed descend and we could see Builth Wells in the near distance…we rattled down there just longing for the finish…as we were nearing the Finish station we saw a couple of lads just in front….I could see they were shattered…and as I approached I said “glad to be back guys?”…the answer “No, found that course not bad at all”…yeah right!…..thought to myself what a pretentious knob….almost immediately we were at the finish…great!…we were dibbed in and we both collected our Certificates and goody bag……our times were 7.32. Our experience which is far more important than the time – TREMENDOUS!

Afterthought

Not much else I can really say……the route was perfect in every manner….it was a very, very tough event, tough without being insane, and a chance to bag some infamous Milk Race ascents!, the roads were to die for, so quiet and well surfaced, and the Abergwesyn Pass and the road into the Elan Valley were simply unsurpassable…most definitely the highlights of the entire event, having 3 feeds for a 100mile event was superb…didn’t have to carry too much at anytime….the organisation was slick and efficient, the helpers were all so very friendly and helpful, the signage on these sportives just gets better – for this event they even had Caution signs up for T-Junctions with main roads. Me/Brian spent £80 on Diesel..£50 on B & B...spent 14 hours in terrible Driving Conditions...and you know what?...it really was still so worth the effort!...

It’s not the toughest,longest,steepest but out of all the sportives I’ve did so far it was certainly the most enjoyable!. SPLENDID!