Welsh Mtb Trip, 1 day or 2 day with camping maybe.. :) Options

[Vespa1871]

Excellent weekend, sorry i shot off early but the 4:30 wake up was looming

Whens the next one?

Hope the early start was not to hard Gezzza

Top weekend chaps. Brecon Gap on the Friday & Afan W2 mixed with Skyline on Saturday, just awesome and the weather was spot on. Enjoyed all of it and can't wait for the next one!!

Uploaded a few images of the Gap. Gap

Good to see Suren & T join us on the Saturday down at Afan

Maj - cheers for being chef on Friday back at base camp and hope the shoulder is ok.

[mbElf]

I really enjoyed that, was buzzing on sunday. Fell over a lot on the way down. That was one scary ride particularly when tired.


Gezza made it back by 4.30. Vespa what time did you get back to the campsite?

did not get any pics of the campsite or the dam. Damn!

Got to do this again!

P.S - did i mention i had some mangos in the car.... the were sweet

[Gezzza]

17:30 i left the car park my decent was much helped my the lack of grip on my left hand.

early start was ok just abit tired.

[mbElf]

Guys, photos are being uploaded here for your viewing pleasure:

Welsh Trip Photos

They are being uploaded as i write this... check back later

[Jambalaya]

MbElf - I think you are supposed to "edit out" the ones walking the trail - also that format doesn't have a slideshow.

Sounds like you all had a great time, sorry I couldn't join but mens and ladies Olympic road races were fabulous.

I propose a Peaks trip, camp site in Eadale, less than 4 hours from M25.

[DrBike]

Guys - for the Gap ride it looks like you followed the old railway line for part of the route. Has anyone got a GPS/Bikely/MapMyRoute link?

In the past I've taken the road to link between Dolygaer and the back of the mountain just to cover the distance quickly.

[Vespa1871]

Guys - for the Gap ride it looks like you followed the old railway line for part of the route. Has anyone got a GPS/Bikely/MapMyRoute link?

In the past I've taken the road to link between Dolygaer and the back of the mountain just to cover the distance quickly.

We followed the MBR killer route from a few years back. MBR ROUTE

So starting & ending at Talybont. although we were staying down-track at Talybont reservoir so we needed to perform a couple of climbs to get onto the MBR route.

During the climbing process we did miss the 2nd turn and headed “a long way” up a dull path for some distance (railway track?) then, realising our error, we headed back down the hill to the reservoir and started again, we found our missed turn, climbed up a hellish rocky path and joined the MBR route and away we went

Looking back on the route....There was a nasty piece of single-track in the MBR route when you come out the mountains, near Bailea.... boulders, drop offs and overgrown with nettles, brambles and general summer foliage....we were all ripped to shreds. Gezzza’s Carbon took a beating!

It was also late when we got to Bailea, sun was going down, we had no lights so it was a heads down road train back to Talybont PDQ!

Awesome route and thanks for giving it a good report last week

[Gezzza]

Gezzza’s Carbon took a beating!

And i would like to report its all just fine a few new marks but its a Mountain bike not a show bike.
I don't think the people at Afan had ever seen a real light bike judging by the number of people who were asking about it, then picking it up and walking off muttering about how light it was

Campsite was just excellent and Majid is a legend for the BBQ/Feast on Friday night

[mbElf]

Campsite was just excellent and Majid is a legend for the BBQ/Feast on Friday night

That was a good joint cooking effort and does'nt food taste great when you cook it like that and you are really hungry.

Did i mention i had a box of mangos in the car!

What we did over the weekend - would you classify that as a black run? The skyline decent down to the cafe was scary.

[Suren]

That was a good joint cooking effort and does'nt food taste great when you cook it like that and you are really hungry.

Did i mention i had a box of mangos in the car!

What we did over the weekend - would you classify that as a black run? The skyline decent down to the cafe was scary.

Grear ride, loved it! Whens the next one? By brother is hooked too!

[DrBike]

We followed the MBR killer route from a few years back. MBR ROUTE

So starting & ending at Talybont. although we were staying down-track at Talybont reservoir so we needed to perform a couple of climbs to get onto the MBR route.

During the climbing process we did miss the 2nd turn and headed “a long way” up a dull path for some distance (railway track?) then, realising our error, we headed back down the hill to the reservoir and started again, we found our missed turn, climbed up a hellish rocky path and joined the MBR route and away we went

You didn't consider riding down to Talybont? It's pretty flat and the "proper" climb up the old tramway isn't too bad as it's the same gradient the whole way. Next time maybe ...

Looking back on the route....There was a nasty piece of single-track in the MBR route when you come out the mountains, near Bailea.... boulders, drop offs and overgrown with nettles, brambles and general summer foliage....we were all ripped to shreds. Gezzza’s Carbon took a beating!

That's the bit of trail that we know as "The Babies Heads" (it's a well known MTB term for a trail made up of rounded rocks of that size). It is quite a tricky section and I still have a scar on the side of my knee from coming a cropper the first time I rode it. The best technique is to maintain some momentum to get over them, not too fast & not too slow.

It was also late when we got to Bailea, sun was going down, we had no lights so it was a heads down road train back to Talybont PDQ!

Awesome route and thanks for giving it a good report last week

What were you doing all day that it was dark when you got to that stage?

BTW - next time you go you should do the Black Mountains Killer Loop There are different opinions on whether to do it clockwise or anticlockwise although I've always done it clockwise starting at Pengenffordd (between points 8 & 9 on the map linked above).

[Vespa1871]

What were you doing all day that it was dark when you got to that stage?

waiting for our mango delivery (Maj). we set off late afternoon.

[Biggsy80]

Great photos, sounds and looks like you had a great time. Gutted I was working! let me know if you book another trip
Ben

[mbElf]

Excellent weekend, sorry i shot off early but the 4:30 wake up was looming

Whens the next one?

yeah, hope its soon. Don't forget our sdw/qecp ride sometime this year - when ever you are free

[Gezzza]

yeah, hope its soon. Don't forget our sdw/qecp ride sometime this year - when ever you are free

Im free tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday.

For Wales how about August 24th?

[Suren]

Im free tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday.

For Wales how about August 24th?

I'm on hols all of next week, after that i can only relly get out in the weekends or after work. Would love to go back to wales, i may go to FOD on friday depending on the weather.

Was it just me that was bitten by midges?

[Gezzza]

I'm on hols all of next week, after that i can only relly get out in the weekends or after work. Would love to go back to wales, i may go to FOD on friday depending on the weather.

Was it just me that was bitten by midges?

Ive been eaten alive by the Midges bloody things ive tryed to scrach my legs off.

[mbElf]

Gezza, 24th sounds good... what about that weekend. Are you working on the saturday or sunday?

[Gezzza]

Gezza, 24th sounds good... what about that weekend. Are you working on the saturday or sunday?

im currently off from the 19th to the 30th August

[mbElf]

Ok, we are planning a welsh trip on weekend of 3/4/5 May.. either camping or day trip.

Last year, had a great time and found an awesome campsite on the trail and next to a lake. Hopefully, will find something just as good.

Who fancies coming along

p.s might make it a day thing or mix it up - open to ideas