Cat & Fiddle Hill Climb The Cat & Fiddle is one of the longest hill climbs in England. It's not the longest continuous climb because there are a few brief sections of downhill. But, from the start to finish, it is 6.6 miles (or just over 10 Km.) It climbs east out of Macclesfield toward Buxton and the Derbyshire border. Cat & Fiddle Hill Climb Distance: 6.6 miles Height Gain: 335 metres Average Gradient: 3.2% Maximum altitude: 520 metres Starting right from the bottom in the town of Macclesfield, the total height gain of the climb is 380 metres. But, the hill climb course starts out of the town centre and away from parked cars. The A537 road which makes up the Cat & Fiddle ascent from Macclesfield is often referred to as one of the most dangerous roads in England. However, the  majority of accidents are motorbike related, with Cheshire council claiming motorbikers like to use the road to test their machines. [1] Bottom Section At the start of the hill climb, the gradient is at its steepest -- 5-8%, rather like Snake Pass just to the north. Here the climb is also a bit more sheltered as the road is protected by trees helping to minimise the wind. After a short while, you come out of this limited protection and start to face the full elements. If the wind is the wrong direction, it makes the climb doubly difficult. As the road winds its way up to the