Harrisman
Active Member
- Location
- montrose scotland
Which is the hardest or steepest climb the Cairn o Mount from the south. Or the Dukes Pass.
Hill climbing
- Thread starter Harrisman
- Start date
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I've only done the latter and from folks description of the former it sounds like Cairn o Mount is harder.
OP
OP
Harrisman
Active Member
- Location
- montrose scotland
How did you find Dukes pass
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Doable and quick but I was drafting somebody up it ;-)
kfinlay
Must Try Harder
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
Been looking at the route on different sites and it ranges from 980m of climbing on Bike Route Toaster to 1560m on Bikehike 
It does look like there are a few really steep bits of the north side of Loch Katrine though! Anyone confirm this pls?
It does look like there are a few really steep bits of the north side of Loch Katrine though! Anyone confirm this pls?
zizou
Veteran
Been looking at the route on different sites and it ranges from 980m of climbing on Bike Route Toaster to 1560m on Bikehike
It does look like there are a few really steep bits of the north side of Loch Katrine though! Anyone confirm this pls?
Loch Katrine is a bit "lumpy" from the western end. There is 1 bit in particular which is difficult, its not long but it just kicks up after a bend and you will likely hear alot of gear crunching going on as it catches people unaware!
I've ridden the Dukes Pass - it's not that bad. I've only driven over Cairn O' Mount, but I'd say that it looks a lot harder - longer and steeper in places. I'm planning on doing it one of these days.
The road round Loch Katrine has quite a few short, sharp drags on the eastern shore. "Lumpy" is a good description.
The road round Loch Katrine has quite a few short, sharp drags on the eastern shore. "Lumpy" is a good description.
kfinlay
Must Try Harder
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
Dragon Hill out of Dunning on the way to Path of Condie is 20-22% and I really struggled on it last week and the steepest bit is about 150m I reckon. I've done it a few times before with slightly easier gears but don't have that option for tomorrow so hope I manage at least it looks like we'll have a the wind at our backs on the second half of the 60 mile route (thats more like 55miles!)
OP
OP
Harrisman
Active Member
- Location
- montrose scotland
Well i done the 90 mile at callander yesterday. And found the Dukes pass quite easy. Good ride and i enjoyed it for my first sportive. no match for the Cairn o mount 
kfinlay
Must Try Harder
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
It's a fair bit harder from the south side but still probably not as bad as Cairn o Mount
I've done CoM from both the north and south (on different days, I should add 
) and the Duke's Pass from the north.
I would rate them easy to hard as:
Here's a useful link for you KoM challengers but it doesn't appear to list the Duke's Pass. The rest of them are enough to keep me busy
.
) and the Duke's Pass from the north.I would rate them easy to hard as:
- Duke's Pass from north
- Cairn o' Mount from north
- CoM from south
Here's a useful link for you KoM challengers but it doesn't appear to list the Duke's Pass. The rest of them are enough to keep me busy
.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Just had a wee look at Strava going by speed Dukes Pass looks a bit harder than Cairn o Mount from the North but the COM is a long drag and if you are not use to climbing, it'd probably be harder and from the South as Skoosh says they just dont compare (the Cairn wins/ loses hands down)
they just dont compare (the Cairn wins/ loses hands down)
John H McKendrick
New Member
I'm new to the list. I've researched these (and lots of other) climbs in Scotland for a pair of books I am writing for Pocket Mountains. Cairn o' Mount from south will be in the Highland edition; Crow Road from south was in the Lowland edition.
My data is based on multiple trips using a Garmin Edge 705 and definitive start/end points from the Ordnance Survey. Cairn o' Mount from the south is the daddy!
Cairn o Mount from the south starts and ends tough; the challenge from the north is that of climbing, dipping and lots of muscle/gearing adjustments. Crow Road from the north is steepest at the start, but is more often approached from the south.
However, my favourite climb in Lowland Scotland has to be The Serpentine in Rothesay. The name says it all!!!! Can't make up my mind whether the Mull of Kintyre or the Pass of the Cattle is the toughest in the Highland collection. There is also something special about Saxa Vord (the northernmost climb of the most northern of the Shetland Isles - Unst).
Feel free to contact me about the books - johnmckendrick@blueyonder.co.uk / http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Lowland-Roads-Cyclists-Hillclimbs/dp/1907025251. Let me know what you think about the book ... and any suggestions for the Highland version! Feel free to post an Amazon comment.
All the best
John
My data is based on multiple trips using a Garmin Edge 705 and definitive start/end points from the Ordnance Survey. Cairn o' Mount from the south is the daddy!
Cairn o Mount from the south starts and ends tough; the challenge from the north is that of climbing, dipping and lots of muscle/gearing adjustments. Crow Road from the north is steepest at the start, but is more often approached from the south.
However, my favourite climb in Lowland Scotland has to be The Serpentine in Rothesay. The name says it all!!!! Can't make up my mind whether the Mull of Kintyre or the Pass of the Cattle is the toughest in the Highland collection. There is also something special about Saxa Vord (the northernmost climb of the most northern of the Shetland Isles - Unst).
Feel free to contact me about the books - johnmckendrick@blueyonder.co.uk / http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Lowland-Roads-Cyclists-Hillclimbs/dp/1907025251. Let me know what you think about the book ... and any suggestions for the Highland version! Feel free to post an Amazon comment.
All the best
John
Mark Davidson
New Member
Never cycled Dukes Pass but been over CoM several times most recently yesterday. Coming from the South is definitely harder, it's a good bit shorter than from the North but more sustained gradient and steeper kicking up from Clatterin Brig. Not as brutal as the Lecht from the South though with the pull up from Corgarff being the toughest stretch.
John H McKendrick
New Member
Last time I was approaching the Lecht from Clatterin Brig, I was in my car. I struggled badly to reach the top!