I will be staying in Betws y Coed this weekend and was wondering about trying something different (To Snowdon). If the weather is bad I will stay low level of course and just do Marin/Penmachno . But if not I would like to have a crack at another big mountain ascent (I like getting to the top of stuff).

What are peoples opinions on Moel Siabod? Seen a few interesting looking routes on the internet. Good idea or not? I prefer to push/carry as little as possible and enjoy techy descents…….

Any other options?

I prefer to push/carry as little as possible and enjoy techy descents.

These two things generally don’t go together. The best techy descents almost always require a hike a bike, the climb being too steep to even push the bike up never mind ride it

The best techy descents almost always require a hike a bike, the climb being too steep to even push the bike up never mind ride it

Yes but the best rides go up an easier path and down a more difficult one if possible… i.e. Up the Llanberis path – down the Ranger

Admittedly there is always a bit of pushing on any big mountain ascent in the UK…

Have you tried one of the other descents of Snowdon?

Pyg?

Or Rhydd Dhu?

Both are more exciting than Rangers, although Pyg is not really allowed.

There is also Cadair Idris which is not as interesting but is much quieter and something different. Mostly rideable up if you take the farm track, then on the way down you turn off that and descend on a bit of singletrack.

Other than that I’ve struggled to fine legal alternatives and am not really sure where to start with the illegal ones. Restricting your mountain choices to ones that are rideable up will miss 90% of the best rides, though.

Pyg isn’t allowed AT ALL. It’s a busy walkers path.

OP Llanberis path is quite a lot of pushing, no ?

I remember the Pyg track being a struggle to walk (unless I’m thinking of the Miners?) ! Can’t believe you have ridden that!

Rhydd Dhu could be an option

I missed out on a Cadair ride last year which was apparently was really good.

OP Llanberis path is quite a lot of pushing, no ?

Yes – definitely for me at least (probably 30% – 40% pushing)
but anything where I can ride at least 50% up I consider worthwhile – just me

How are we about posting other people,s blogs / Strava routes ?

This Moel Siabod ride I have found looks promising….

My recollection of walking Moel Siabod was that it could be approached from the Capel Curig side by decent tracks up from the forest near Plas y Brenin with a minimum of push/carry. I can’t even see a public footpath on the map, though! Which might be a good option giving it’s a holiday weekend.

Don’t know about the best descent. Must be some decent riding off that ridge though.

If you do decide to descend the PYG track on a half-term weekend, please post a video for amusement and general flaming. 😀

The Pyg is the hardest rideable descent off Snowdon but it is, to quote what we said at the bottom, “flippin’ well good”. We saw 4 walkers, all were encouraging. This was on a Friday evening after the ban though. We were planning on doing Ranger’s but got to the top and saw that snaking down the hill and it was too good to miss.

Llanberis these days is about 80% rideable as they’ve done a lot of work to it.

Let’s see this Moel Siabod route, I’m interested.

IIRC, not a chance of a full Siabod ascent but the lower half is a fun and up and down run. This can be combined with a play in the woods above Capel Curig on the non-Crafnant side. No route as such, but start from Siabod cafe, cross the road, up the lane and head in the direction (right) of plas y brenin. More a follow your nose run i’m afraid but there are tasty descents (and a pump track of sorts!). Do note though there is a freakishly large amount of walkers around at the moment (lots of rain and low-viz last weekend), so be accommodating. For a legal run that can be combined with the Marin, there’s always Crafnant itself that drops into Capel Curig. A lovely run down, but a pig of a climb that I’m told is totally cleanable.

Edit: sorry, just to clarify as people are asking for routes up to Siabod – head over the stone bridge from Capel (on the right hand side of the A5 as you head towards Betws and bear right (it’s signposted)).

There is this with lots of pics……
http://northwalesmtb.proboards.com/thread/7992

Which I think is the same as this….
http://app.strava.com/activities/197648442/segments/4656080980

…although the up-and-down-the-same-way route appears more common – there’s nothing quite like a good circular – and the altitude profile seems to suggest a more forgiving ascent…?

The strava link is the approach I suggested. Profile looks OK, I remember it being fairly reasonable.

martinhutch

I think the descent is down towards Capel Curig and the forest. the ascent is from the other side. But the ascent you mention is more popular I think – and perhaps for good reason but maybe just to shorten the ride?

I stand corrected!

I could well be wrong – I had my walking hat on at the time!

I remember the Pyg track being a struggle to walk (unless I’m thinking of the Miners?) ! Can’t believe you have ridden that!

I’ve walked them both Miners up Pyg down. The Pyg is the higher traverse line and you could ride that although it would be mostly quite boring IMO. The Miners is the lower lake side path and it has a steeper unridable section you’d have to carry to bike down. IMO both are less interesting than Rangers

EDIT: I think on munro’s picture you can see them both, the miners is the lakeside path and the traverse is visible above (may be an even higher line than that though). The Pyg trail crosses the point you climb to do the Crib Goch ridge which is definitely above my pay grade !)

I’ve done the north wales mtb route above not easy to follow around dolwyddelan, but it’s superb.

Needs to be done on a quiet day though to keep a low profile and to get the downhill towards capel curig clear.

For the record…..

I walked the Siabod descent on Saturday in the rain and it looks mad! Possibly the maddest descent Iv ever seen – Super technical but I reckon all ridable (with a bit of practice on some bits). I really wanted to have a go on Sunday but eventually decided it was just too wet and would have involved a bit of crashing (with no knee pads which I forgot to bring). Definitely one for the Spring.