← All eventsThe Bà Sportive (Bealach na Bà)
~90mi / ~3,000m Highland climbing sportive from Kinlochewe, Wester Ross, centred on Bealach na Bà — Britain's hardest tarmac climb (626m, alpine hairpins, 20% ramps). Remote, exposed, wild. Ex-Bealach Mor. Next edition ~4 Sep 2027 (approximate).
Britain's biggest road climb, dressed as a sportive. The Bealach na Bà rises 626m in about 9km, alpine hairpins and a 20% wall near the top. The whole day is built around getting you over it.
Ninety miles and over 3,000m of climbing, out and back from Kinlochewe deep in Wester Ross. Remote and exposed, no shelter and no shops for long stretches, in the wild early-September Highlands.
The climb is iconic, the day is long: five and a half to ten hours on the full route. A shorter 43-mile Beag option still takes in the Bealach, so the marquee pass isn't only for the sharp end.
Is The Bà Sportive (Bealach na Bà) for you?
- Climbers who go by watts per kilo. Every kilogram is felt on Britain's biggest climb, so lighter riders with sustainable climbing power thrive here.
- Durable all-day riders. The Bealach sits inside a five to ten hour mountain loop, so the win is holding power in hour six, not just hour one.
- Riders happy to fit and use an easy gear. A compact chainset and a wide cassette are what get you over the 20% switchbacks without walking.
- First-timers who pick the shorter Beag route. At 43 miles it still crosses the Bealach, a real bucket-list climb on a more manageable day.
Training plan for The Bà Sportive (Bealach na Bà)
A training plan for The Bà Sportive (Bealach na Bà) isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- One 30 to 60 minute effort decides it: the Bealach na Bà, around 9km at 7% average with a 20% wall of switchbacks near the 626m summit.
- A big mountain day around it: over 3,000m of climbing across 90 remote miles, five and a half to ten hours in the saddle.
- Full exposure to Highland weather. Cold and wind at the summit even on a mild day, and often a wet, exposed descent.
- Gearing and pacing over heroics. Attack the lower slopes and you walk the top.
- Long Threshold Climb: one 30 to 45 minute effort at 88 to 100% FTP on a real gradient, a direct Bealach rehearsal.
- Long Hilly Endurance: the key weekly ride, 4 to 6 hours on your hilliest route, steady with the climbs at tempo.
- Big Climb Late in the Ride: save a 30 to 40 minute sustained climb for hour three, so the effort lands on tired legs.
- Back-to-Back Hilly Weekend: a 4 to 5 hour hilly Saturday into a 3 hour hilly Sunday, simulating all-day climbing load.
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
