100 Climbs Route: Day 7, Aberdare to Llandovery

In August 2018, three Cycling UK members - Dominic Millar, Graham Salisbury and James Findlater – cycled a 3,300-mile, 29-day route around Britain to take on all 100 hills featured in Simon Warren’s book ‘100 Greatest Cycling Climbs’. This route plots day seven of the journey, 105 miles from Aberdare to Llandovery, taking in the climbs of Rhigos, The Bwlch, Constitution Hill and Black Mountain.

Day seven is not one for riders who like to get where they’re going as directly as possible. With its detours and switchbacks, it is a day of unashamed hill hunting.

Leave Aberdare and head north-west towards Rhigos before the first climb of the day, which starts in the inauspicious surroundings of Hirwaun Industrial Estate. The hill is certainly a mixture of influences, with the old Tower Colliery being left behind for conifers and Alpine-style hairpins, and then a rougher, craggy summit.

From here the route heads south, down the Rhondda Valley to Treorchy, then a climb out of town to The Bwlch. Simon Warren’s book starts the Bwlch in Price Town, so enjoy the descent on the detour because you’ll be coming straight back up it. It’s a smooth climb, though, so one to enjoy.

With the journey taking you away from the Welsh wild lands and into the urban centre of Swansea, it is time for something truly different. Lying in the centre of the city is Constitution Hill: a perfectly preserved and maintained cobbled climb. It’s bumpy, steep and rises almost 200 feet in less than 320 yards, so grit your teeth, guard your fillings, and good luck.

If your body hasn’t suffered enough, it’s time to head north, back into the hills for one final challenge. At Llangadog, take the best part of a 10-mile detour south to attempt the most difficult side of Black Mountain – the furthest west of the Brecon Beacons. You'll be rewarded with an unforgettable experience. 

With that done and dusted, return to Llangadog and then onwards to finish at Llandovery.