1st timed climb of the year and MTB spin afterwards

I have completed my 1st timed climb of the new year this morning. I started to feel better and better on the bike in the last 2 weeks so I have decided to go ahead and check my time on one of my favorite climb. 

This climb is the Kilmashogue climb. I have started from the well known Yellow House Pub in Rathfarnham and headed to the Kilmashogue car park's direction. This climb goes all the way uphill from the Yellow House, there is only one place that has a little bit of downhill section close to the start point. During the way I have passed the M50 just right next to the Marlay Park. After the M50 I hit the Kilmashogue Lane and from that point the road leads you all the way to the top. This lane is a dead end so you need to turn back when you get to the very top.

During the way there is a steep section just before you get to the car park. After this the gradient gets a little bit more friendly but once you get up to the houses and the big opened fields the road gets steep again.

 

The steepest section of the climb

After I have passed the houses on the right I was nearly on the top, just a little bit more to go. Even if this road leads nowhere for some reason I like this climb becuase it is long enough and some of the stages are steep.

Details of the Kilmashogue climb:

Start point: Yellow House Pub (Rathfarnham)

Distance: 6.16 km

Elevation of start: 130m

Elevation of finish: 396m

Total elevation gain: +266m

Total ascent: 300m

Total descent: 34m

Duration: 23min 57sec

After the climb I went for my normal off-road spin. I have started from the Kilmashogue car park. I have climbed all the way up to the very top of Threerock and covered some of the trails on the sea side of the mountain. 

It seems like the winter does not want to give up the grip up there because everything was still very icy. Also the clouds were sitting on the top of the mountain so everything looked a bit like I am in the middle of nowhere. Brilliant!

 

The spin took 1 hour and 35 minutes (only the off-road bit) and I really enjoyed it in the winterly conditions. It seems like the low temperature and the icy surface isn't too bad after all. 

The overall time I have spent on the bike today was 2 hours and 20 minutes and I have covered 38km of distance.