Box Hill Zig Zag Road

Surrey's switchback climb, the 2012 Olympic road-race hill near Dorking.

The Zig Zag Road wriggles up the north face of Box Hill in a series of tight switchbacks above Dorking, a short but well-known Surrey Hills climb that featured repeatedly in the 2012 Olympic road races. It is more a cyclists' and Sunday-drivers' icon than a fast road, with a steady 120m of ascent over a couple of kilometres and proper hairpins. Expect company. Mind the heavy bike and pedestrian traffic on summer weekends, tight blind hairpins, and the road's winter ice closures on the shaded sections.