The 7 Hardest Climbs in (and around) Kangaroo Valley
If you’re the kind of cyclist who loves it when the road tilts skyward, then the picturesque Kangaroo Valley in NSW, located around two hours south of Sydney, is a genuine slice of paradise. With an assortment of paved climbs ranging in steepness and length — from the steady Macquarie Pass to the brutal, rampy Saddleback Mountain — there’s plenty of elevation to sink your teeth into. In this article, we’ll count down the seven hardest climbs in the area, from ‘easiest’ (ha!) to most difficult.
7) Woodhill Mountain
(5.58km at 6%, 336m elevation gain. Strava segment)
Starting just outside the popular tourist town of Berry, Woodhill Mountain is one of the lesser-known climbs in the Kangaroo Valley area, but is nonetheless an excellent way to kick off a big ride, especially if you’re staying at one of the many accommodation options in town.
The start is gentle; for the KOM hunters, the official segment starts as you pass Bong Bong Road on your left, and for the first kilometre, the false-flat uphill serves as the perfect warm-up. As the road bends left at the kilometre-mark, it pitches upwards, with ramps nudging 10 percent over the next 1.5 kays. There’s a brief moment of respite as you roll past a couple of properties, and it’s here that you should catch your breath (if you can). From this point, the pitches are pretty much in the double digits until the top; the last kilometre is particularly brutal, with the gradient rarely dropping under 14 percent.
A word of warning: Try not to go too deep on Woodhill Mountain. The descent down the other side, dropping into Kangaroo Valley itself, can be pretty hairy — and regardless of where you’re finishing your ride, you’ve probably got at least one more hard climb on the menu for the rest of the day, so we suggest saving your legs.
6) Macquarie Pass
(12.39km at 5.5%, 688m elevation gain. Strava segment)
Starting not too far from Albion Park — and finishing at the conveniently located Robertson Pie Shop — Macquarie Pass isn’t technically located in Kangaroo Valley, though it’s close enough (and a more than significant-enough climb) to be included in this countdown. And sure, some might raise their eyebrows at Mac Pass’s inclusion so early in this list, but hear me out: it might be the longest climb in the area (and by a fairly significant margin as well), but it’s at a much steadier grade, and on smoother tarmac, than many of the more untamed brutes located nearby.
Mac Pass can be broken down into two sections: the steeper first half, which is characterised by tight curves and switchbacks through the rainforest, and the top half, where the road levels and straightens out a bit, the scenery also changing significantly as you reach the higher elevations of the Southern Highlands.
For those in need of some sugar, stop in for a treat at the Robertson Pie Shop at the top. And while we always recommend carb-loading, try not to get too carried away with the delicious selection of pies and pastries on offer — you probably still have a while to go!
5) Barrengarry Mountain
(7.64km at 7.4%, 563m elevation gain. Strava segment)
Almost like a slightly shorter, but slightly steeper Mac Pass (due to the highway-ish, smooth tarmac vibe of the road), Barrengarry Mountain is a favourite of many cyclists who visit the area. Starting a few kilometres from the town of Kangaroo Valley (which is worth a stop off in itself, especially if you’re in need of a pick-me-up), the climb starts tough, with a dead straight, featureless section that hides the steepness of the gradient.
Once you pass this hurdle, the twists and turns are again reminiscent of Mac Pass; near the top, there’s a couple of 180-degree switchbacks which should really get the lungs burning and the heart rate into the high triple figures. Your reward is some glimpses of the verdant Kangaroo Valley below, giving a sense of the elevation gain that is your reward for every pedal stroke. Once you’ve summited the climb, Fitzroy Falls a little further down the road is worth a look-in, especially for first time visitors to the area: the 80-metre-high waterfall, especially when there’s been a bit of rain, is impressive to say the least.
4) Berry Mountain West
(5.22km at 7.6%, 398m elevation gain. Strava segment)
This is a real doozy of a climb: it’s steep, with a constantly changing gradient, and the road surface is rough. To make matters worse, if you’re finishing in Berry, it’s probably your last climb of the day, so by this point you’re probably pretty smashed… but on the plus side, you’re nearly done!
Good luck getting your rhythm on Berry Mountain West. Luckily there’s a nice view of the valley below (if you’ve got any energy left to appreciate it) about halfway through, as the road emerges from the trees briefly before being swallowed up by the dense forest once again. Make sure you save some energy for the final kilometre or so, when the road flattens out a fair bit and you really want to get back into the big ring and muscle the gear. Sprint all the way to the ‘line’, which is at the top of the last little rise, and later on Strava, compare your time with some of Australia’s top domestic cyclists, with the former Avanti/Genesys/Praties team having used this area as a training ground in year’s past.
If you’re dropping over the other side back to Berry, be careful on the descent, which can be a bit of a white-knuckler. But, hot tip: reward yourself for your efforts at the Milkwood Bakery, home to some of the best pastries around, or the famous Berry Donut Van.
3) Cambewarra North (to Cambewarra Mountain Lookout)
(6.2km at 8.5%, 529m elevation gain. Strava segments one and two)
Cambewarra North also starts a little outside the town of Kangaroo Valley, but this time to the south. There’s no easing into things with this climb, which kicks off with an 800-metre-long section of double digit gradients. Interestingly, once this section is over, you’ll face a flat, open section nearly a kilometre long, which even includes some false-flat downhill; we suggest getting back up to speed, but saving some legs for the brutality that follows.
Once you’re back amongst the trees, get ready for some pain, and make peace with the fact that for the next two-and-a-bit kilometres, you’ll be in the granny gears. When you reach the top of the main climb (you’ll be able to tell by the large switchback, with Moss Vale Rd dropping off the other side of the mountain towards Nowra), continue on — the pain isn’t over just yet. Catch a breather on the rolling section that follows, and take the turnoff to Cambewarra Mountain Lookout: 1.5km at 9.4 percent is quite the way to finish off what has already been a solid climb.
Reward yourself with expansive views of the Shoalhaven when you reach the lookout — it’s definitely worth stopping off, and if the cafe is open, you can even grab a coffee on the sunny deck.
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2) Saddleback Mountain (to Saddleback Mountain Viewing Platform)
(5.16km at 9.4%, 484m elevation gain. Strava segments one and two)
Now things are getting serious. Saddleback Mountain isn’t technically in Kangaroo Valley — instead starting over on the coastal side of the escarpment, near the town of Jamberoo — but it’s close enough, and thanks to its difficulty, is well worth including on any big loop of the area.
The climb starts ugly, and sometimes smelly too, with the road cutting through an open paddock that’s regularly covered in dried cow manure. Unrelenting and pretty much straight, there’s really nowhere to hide on Saddleback, and not many distractions in the way of views until you get nearer the top. While it will be tempting to muscle through some of the steeper gradients on the main section of the climb, we strongly suggest saving a good portion of your energy for the nightmarish wall which you’ll face if you choose to turn right as the road levels out and you pass the gate. The stats speak for themselves: Saddleback’s final ramp is 500 metres long at nearly 20 percent... it might literally be faster to walk, but what would be the fun in that?
1) Jamberoo Pass
(6.45km at 8.5%, 549m elevation gain. Strava segment)
Here it is: Jamberoo Pass. Considered by many to be the hardest climb in the area — and having suffered through it a handful of times ourselves — we’d have to agree with that assessment.
It all starts pretty gently, but as soon as the road bends to the right after less than a kilometre, you get a sense of the horrors to come. It’s pretty much a long, straight wall for the next two kilometres; at times it’s simply easier mentally just to “chuck a Froomey” and stare at your stem and/or bike computer rather than look up the road and be disheartened by how long there is to go.
As long as you don’t go too deep on the first part, you should have legs to get back in the big ring (or shift down a few cogs at least) for the flattish middle section. When you hit the big switchback, it’s straight back to the top of the cassette, where you should attempt to settle in for the remaining three super-steep kilometres, as the road winds along the edge of the escarpment. It can get pretty sweaty here in the rainforest, so keep on drinking while you grind up the Jamberoo’s many ramps — and relish in the sweet, sweet relief when you eventually make it to the top.