Cardiff cyclist smashes women’s ‘Everesting’ record on Bwlch y Groes climb
Cardiff student Illi Gardner has broken one of the toughest records in cycling – climbing the height of Everest.
The 21-year-old chose a section of the Bwlch y Groes climb in Gwynedd for her ‘Everesting’ attempt which requires a rider to climb 8,848 metres, the height of Everest, in the fastest possible time.
With a brutally steep 17.4 gradient, she repeated the climb 72 times to hit the elevation target in a time of 8h 32m – knocking almost 20 minutes off the previous record.
Speaking to Cycling Tips she said: “There was a rough patch about five hours in where everything bad seemed to happen at once – the fog rolled in, my legs stopped working and two descents in a row I nearly got taken out by sheep.
“There were a few lurking on the roadside which decided to dart out right in front of me – luckily I’m quite a slow descender so managed to stay upright but it caused quite a bit of swearing.”
Toughest
Bwlch y Groes was once used for vehicle testing and the climb featured throughout the 70’s and 80’s as the toughest challenge on the Milk Race round-Britain cycle race.
Illi competes as a road racer with the Cams Basso cycling team while also studying visual effects at the University of Cardiff.
She posted her record-breaking ride on the ride tracking website Strava with the message, “Everest on Bwlch y Groes — not sure I’d recommend”.
She celebrated the achievement with some homemade pizza and, ‘eating nonstop cereal bars all day!’.
The previous women’s Everesting record was held by former British National Champion, Emma Pooley, who set her time on the Haggenegg climb in central Switzerland.
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Hellfire Pass – erioed wedi cael ei glywed yn cael ei alw’n hynny. Dewch ymlaen Nation Cymru, disgwyl gwell gennych chi
Tipyn o le i fod ar gefn beic. Hellfire – enw da i gyfleu i Sais beth yw Yffarn o le ! Gefais ffwdan gyda car weddol newydd yno tua 20 blwyddyn yn ol ! Da iawn hi.
Am anaddas yw lledu’r fath gam-enwi gormesol â ‘Hellfire Pass’ ar Fwlch-y-Groes! Un o lwybrau pererinion hynaf Cymru yw’r ffordd hon, arferai gyrraedd mannau gyda’r mwyaf di-groeso a pheryglus i grefyddwyr yr Oesau Canol. Ar un adeg safai Croes wrth ei hymyl lle mae’r uchafbwynt, a’r man lle cyfarfu’r llwybr o’r dwyrain (o Lanuwchllyn) a’r de (Efyrnwy). Dichon y gorwedd olion rhai nas llwyddodd i gyrraedd pen eu siwrne nepell o’r man hefyd? Pan oeddwn yn grwt a’r holl deulu wedi’n gwasgu mewn i’r car gyda’n cesys gwyliau ar ein colau a ‘nhad yn gyrru, (er ei fod wedi torri… Read more »
Heb ychwanegu’n ormodol at yr hyn ddywedwyd yn barod, gresyn i chi o bawb ddefnyddio’r disgrifiad Saesneg.
Mae na stori hefyd am un o’r Edwardiaid, OM os cofiaf yn iawn, nid Sifan (chwadal ei wraig) ei fab yn dod dros y Bwlch ar noson o rew mawr. cadwodd y drws ar agor wrth iddo groesi plymen o rew rhag ofn i’r car fyd dros y dibyn. Ei fwriad oedd neidio allan pe digwyddai a fo gwaeth!