Toughest Climbs/hills of London

[Hitchington]

Dog Kennel Hill, Shooters Hill

 

[Hitchington]

The road from Sydenham up to Crystal Palace is a drag... but not too bad if I'm not weighed down with shopping.

 

[Hitchington]

The road into Kingston coming off the A3 at Robin Hood Corner

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Kingston Hill's a bit of a slog, the Volvo barely made it up in 4th.

 

[Cubist]

You do know you're all giving @Colinj sleepless nights don't you?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Vanbrugh Hill, Greenwich, has a short, very steep section - I think there's a 17% gradient sign at the top. And there's an 18% hill up in Forest Hill and some of the inclines up to Blythe Hill must be similar.

 

[ceepeebee]

On a more serious note, Succombes Hill which goes from the A22 at Whyteleaf to Warlingham is a fairly serious number. I have never ridden it, nor have I ever seen a cyclist on it. You would definitely **** off a driver or two if you were to ride it as they are mostly desperate not to let the speed drop before the steep bend toward the top.

I nearly had a heart attack coming down that a couple of months ago

 

[ceepeebee]

I think we need the Londinium contingent to design a Grimpeur de Londres ride linking top Lunnun climbs?

I posted this elsewhere on here today, but someone has done a CryPal one:
http://www.strava.com/rides/10143049

Canonbie road is always a killer though, as seen on the London Classic

 

[Brains]

Shooters hill, from the Woolwich ferry at sea level to the top. Nearly 500ft in under a mile

 

[Fab Foodie]

I posted this elsewhere on here today, but someone has done a CryPal one:
http://www.strava.com/rides/10143049

Canonbie road is always a killer though, as seen on the London Classic

Like it!

 

[Crankarm]

I hear that some of the hills are so steep in the capital that some residents have 4x4s to get up and down them.

 

[dellzeqq]

as Gaz says, there are some nasty items in the North Downs. My parents-in-law lived at Woldingham Camp, and getting up there for Sunday lunch after a 120 mile LEJoG training ride was hard work. But...those are really Surrey, and, if you're looking at London then it's Hampstead, and I suspect @ColinJ wouldn't recognise Hampstead as a hill. Then again, somebody from Luchon wouldn't be over-impressed by the Lake District.

 

[Paulus]

Any of the hills around Hampstead, Highgate and Muswell Hill make me wish I lived in Norfolk!

As mentioned, Swains Lane, Highgate Road into the West Hill, Muswell Hill, East Heath Road, Hampstead. All pretty steep climbs from south to north.

 

[srw]

Batchworth Hill, from Rickmansworth up to Northwood. The last part at least is in the London borough of Hillingdon.

 

[Sittingduck]

The top part of Swains, I reckon...