Benbradagh

One of the toughest climbs Northern Ireland has to offer, no question. Benbradagh is a bruising 1.3 mile grind with a gradient creeping into the high 20%'s and beyond in places. As the chosen venue for the 2022 Ulster Hill Climb Championships, some of the best cyclists from this part of the world have tackled it recently, and you’ll be wishing you had their legs once you feel the elevation crank up after the first few relatively gentle switchbacks.

More tucked away than a lot of the coastal viewpoints on our list, it’s situated near the town of Dungiven. You can’t cycle over the top of Benbradagh as it’s a dead end once you reach the peak, but that’s one of the best things about the climb as it means you very rarely have cars or other traffic to contend with.

But it is brutal. Definitely not one to take lightly. Make sure you don’t drop to your lowest gear too early in the climb, for you’ll want to hold one or two back in reserve for when it gets nasty half way up. When you hit the very steepest spikes in the middle section it’s hard not to weave across the road as you do whatever it takes to ease the gradient just a touch.

When you do eventually come to the right hand turn bringing you to the summit, you’ll arrive at a cattle gate and a boulder to the left painted with the words “Jesus is risen”. Once you catch your breath and give your aching back a stretch, we then recommend turning 180 degrees and – if you have a clear day – drinking in the view looking out over the Sperrin mountains. You’ll have more than earned it.