Hi Guys- any advice available on a trans-Carneddau route? I'm especially interested in the Drum, Cwm Eigiau and Dulyn areas. Bwlch tri Marchog looks to be a challenge!
Llyn Cowlyd has a trail beside it of which I have no experience.
Bike Forum
Carneddau route advice sought.
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Posted 3 months ago #
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The Llyn Colywd route is straightforward enough. You could start from Trefriw, but the usual place to start is from Capel Curig so to enjoy the final rocky descent back into Capel (the Trefriw route will end on a road descent). Despite living in Bethesda I haven't got a trans-Carneddau route mapped yet (although that is my No 1 aim for spring/summer). Summittoppler from http://www.mbnw.co.uk/ has done it, and I'm pretty sure s/he posts on here too. Let me know if you want more detail on the Llyn Colwyd route (I think I have a route scanned from one of the bike mags).
Posted 3 months ago # -
I'd ride it again
Having only ridden it before in August* and September*, I've no idea what state it'll be in at this time of year. There is a lot of moorland/potential boggy areas on the western side of the loop (ie up from A5 upto and along Llyn Cowlyd so I'd guess there'll be a lot of axle dunking ..*Was 2007 (the flood year) and 2008 (another wet summer least where I was), so I'd guess wetter than the past few years? What I rode the boggyness that was there wasn't that bad. Certainly there were short sections (toward the NE end) alongisde Llyn Colwyd that were boggy and weren't that rideable
I haven't ridden the route as I think you'll find in the guidebooks (V-graphics/Bikefax) though.
(Going clockwise)
going up through the 'garden' just before this point was boggy and steep, you'll likely to off walking and questioning the route, just after going across the hill is a nice line-choicey rock outcroppy bit of track
There is a bridleway (heads NE then E) across open moorland/bog. I've never tried crossing this, I never quite found where it drops to cross the stream
When I've come across the rock based doubletrack heading N upto here, I've taken it
At the end of that track you can (not sure on the 'rights' but .. )head SE alongside the water channel:
That was 2007, in 2008 they'd chopped all the gorse back. How fast does gorse grow back?
The bridleway section just before here, I've never ridden, its looked too boggy, so kept on alongside the water channel until this point. I've headed north from here (started off wet, but not muddy) alongside Llyn Colwyd. Others I rode with have cut short and headed back to Capel Curig on the bridleway (heads south), It may be that this might make for another climb upto Llyn Colwyd, though I can't remember what the others said about that b.way then
Most of the track alongside Llyn Colwyd was okay bog-wise. Some nice hard base singletrack, some rocky-ish ups and downs to test you technically and a downed stone-wall or two to power you way over top of.
At this point I've never found (not that I was looking) the uphill bridleway and ended up carrying on flat to the dam, then going under the front-side, before carryin on NE alongside the pipeline to the tarmac road (then up/over toward trefiwPosted 3 months ago # -
The road drop into Trefriw I quite like. Steep with lots of tight corners its one to be weary of boiling your brakes if really they could do with a bleed.
Next time (whenever that may be) I'd be tempted to mix it up and see if there is anything in here?The climb from Llyn Crafnant I was glad of 22-34T, even if after a lung-busting effort I ended up pushing much of it. The descent back toward Capel Curig is excellent. As pointed out, well worth finsihing with it, and for me at least the highlight of/main reason for the ride
Posted 3 months ago # -
Many thanks Guys, loads of useful information there. Any ideas about Cwm Eigiau?
Would it be possible to ride up Drum, then traverse the tops to then descend to eg Helyg or Capel?
Posted 3 months ago #
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