We’re off to Brechfa this weekend for a couple of days riding and I’ve being trying to keep track of the current trail closures. We’ll be riding Saturday & Sunday and probably ride the Red route and Cwm Rhaeadr (ST mag longer alternative) but I was wondering if anyone who knew the area could suggest other routes.

Also hoping to head down for the Enduro in January so it would be good to check the area out generally 🙂

I’ve been told that there’s no forestry on the weekends, and that only the car parks are closed – so all the trails can be ridden, but need to be accessed from somewhere other than the car park.

I’m not advocating you ignoring official advice in any way, mind you 😉

We’re doing Cwm Rhaeadr Saturday and the trail Sunday – have a good one.

Thanks P-Jay. I was thinking more of alternative routes in the Brechfa area as we’re staying there over the weekend.

Does anyone know how much of the black route is still ridable (starting from Abergorlech obviously)?

Equally, any maps/gpx logs of more “natural”/off piste riding in the area would be fantastic.

The red is open but you’re going on a weekend so you’ll be able to mix and match some of the trails with no issues from what I saw. Loads of natural stuff ni there too so take an OS map.

Doethie Valley? Always worth a crack

timnwild – thats what I was hoping would be the case – I figure if you start from the Abergorlech carpark you should be ok?

Have a good one – may see you out there 🙂

Taff – thanks for the info. We may well head Doethie way if the Brechfa option looks bad

Re: Doethie.

The Nantllwyd bridleway into the Doethie valley is without a doubt one of the most stunning views in the area, dropping down the eastern slope of the valley about half way down. However there may be issues with the new landowner who is having renovations done to the farm at Nantllwyd. The usual way of accessing the bridleway was to cycle up the farm drive, however this is not all bridleway, only the section closest to the farm is. I have ridden here for years and have not yet been able to find the BW (not that I have looked very hard). GoogleEarth shows the northern BW leading to the farm very clearly, the southern one is not apparant at all.

Friends rode there last week and found locked gates impassable for horses and were advised by workmen at the farm that they were not allowed to use the farm drive any longer. All problems have been reported to the local rights of way officer in Ceredigion Council.

If riding Doethie, at the moment it might be advisable to use Llyn Brianne- Forest- Soar Y Mynydd chapel- Youth Hostel- Doethie- Troed Rhiw- Llyn Brianne. In other words the longer route.

Brechfa isn’t bad by a long shot, I did a few days up there last weekend and one day was linking the red and part of the black. There is so much up there it’s unreal but I didn notice that a lot of the singletrack entrances from the parts we put in years ago have all been unused and are now grown over but there is loads of other bits in there. Link those up with the routes around Llanllwni Mountain and you have a pretty epic ride.

Taff – don’t suppose you’ve got any gps logs of the more hard to find bits have you 🙂

I don’t I’m afraid. Back in my day of living there I had paper maps! I will see if I can dig some of them out as I know I marked on a load of routes

What is this thing you speak of? Maps magically marked onto paper? Sounds most intriguing 😉

😆

We rode Brechfa a month back. Black green and blue were accessible from the Red, no signs saying anything to the contrary.

The blue was blocked by a tree in one place and likewise the black. But otherwise everything was rideable.

Second what Ambrose says about the Nantllwyd bit of the Doethie – ridden past there a few times and always passed the time of day with the old boys at the farm. Last time we met what must be the new owner (in a mobile home thing) and got the opposite reaction – told in no uncertain terms to put the dog on a lead whilst his dog took a bite out of my friends leg. He was bordering on aggresive as well.