The title of the world's steepest road changed owners

A new Wales path is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's steepest, breaking the previous record set in New Zealand.

People in the town of Harlech in northwestern Wales were extremely happy and were preparing to celebrate on July 20 after the Ffordd Pen Llech road was recognized as the world's steepest.

A person climbing a hill climb Ffordd Pen Llech.(Traveler screenshot).

According to The Guardian, the World Guinness Book (GWR) on July 16 awarded titles to Harlech officials because Ffordd Pen Llech was confirmed to have a 37.45% slope.

The old record belonged to Baldwin Road in Dunedin, southern New Zealand with a 35% slope.

Mr. Gwyn Headley, the record campaigner for Ffordd Pen Llech, said he was delighted that the title was finally given to Harlech's path.

He said that in order to win this title, Harlech's path must achieve many "super-rigorous" standards of GWR as it must be used for people traveling a lot, having houses on both sides, vehicles can travel .

The slope of Ffordd Pen Llech is 37.45%.(Photos taken from Google Street View).

Baldwin Road in Dunedin.(Stuff.co.nz screenshot).

"We are confident that we have met even beyond the 9 standards, but the 10th one worries us," Headley said. This standard requires localities to present the design of the road.

The Harlech side does not have a design but is still awarded a record because people in this old town say the road has been built for at least 1,000 years so there is no such thing as a blueprint.

Craig Glenday, GWR editor-in-chief, said the Harlech community has shown the will power to win the title for Ffordd Pen Llech.

Meanwhile, Dunedin people were disappointed after losing the title to help the city attract many tourists over the years.

However, Mayor Dave Cull said Baldwin Road still did not reduce the slope after that decision and visitors would still come here to visit. The stuff.co.nz page, which cited Mr. Cull, said the city council would seek to change the title so that Baldwin would still be visited by many people, probably from 'the steepest road in the world' to 'the steepest road Southern Hemisphere'.