Bwlch yr Oernant / Horseshoe Pass climb from Llangollen

At just under 6 km long with an average gradient of 5% and fantastic scenery this climb is really good and rewarding challenge for any cyclist. The first 1.5 km is a gradual introduction to the climb before a couple of steeper ramps need to be overcome. Once you're over these the road sweeps left taking you onto the horseshoe section, where again the road kicks up a couple of times before finally easing off as you kick on towards the summit. If you look right you will see the road below from where you have came and how much you have climbed. The tarmac is quite rough and pitted but still well worth it for the views and the sense of satisfaction when you reach the summit for a coffee and The Ponderosa Cafe.

The Horseshoe Pass (Welsh: Bwlch yr Oernant, "Pass of the Cold Stream") is a mountain pass in Denbighshire, north-east Wales. It separates Llantysilio Mountain to the west from the 565 metre (1,854 feet) mountain and Marilyn Cyrn-y-Brain to the east. The A542 road from Llandegla to Llangollen runs through the pass, reaching a maximum height of 417 metres (1,368 ft). The road travels in a horseshoe shape around the sides of a valley, giving the pass its English name. In 2022, a proposal for a 40 mph speed limit on the Horseshoe Pass was approved after a lengthy campaign by Llangollen's county councillors.

Horseshoe Pass, or Bwlch yr Oernant to give it its Welsh name, is, by British standards at least, a fairly long pull at 6.2km. However it’s only after the first 2km that it reveals its beauty where, emerging from the woods, you can finally see the road sweeping up and back on itself, flanked by huge scree slopes and green carpeted hills.