Mamore Gap
Category 33.6 km
Distance
218 m
Elevation Gain
6.1%
Average Gradient
17%
Max Gradient
Mamore Gap is Ireland's hardest short climb: a savage 3.6km ascent up the Urris Hills on the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, with ramps of 17% on the upper section that arrive with no warning and no respite. The narrow road is barely wide enough for a single car, the surface is rough in places, and the views from the summit cross at 218m look north across Lough Swilly and the Atlantic toward Scotland on clear days. This is a climb that rewards pure power-to-weight ratio — lightweight climbers can enjoy it; heavier riders will be grinding in the lowest gear available. Despite its northern location, the peninsula's position on the Gulf Stream means it is rideable most of the year outside the depths of winter. Mamore Gap is largely unknown outside Ireland's cycling community, which makes arriving at the summit feeling like a genuine discovery.
Pro Tip
The only sensible approach is from the Lough Swilly side (south), which gives you the hardest ramps before the summit. The northern descent toward Lenan Bay is twisty and narrow — control speed carefully. Combine with the Inishowen 100 loop (roughly 160km circumnavigating the peninsula) for a full day that includes Mamore Gap as its centrepiece, several coastal stretches along Lough Foyle, and the wild north coast above Malin Head — the most northerly point in Ireland.
Part of
Cycling in Wild Atlantic Way