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It was only supposed to be closed one year. Approaching 2 now.. I cant wait to get myself back on that trail especially if its a little longer.
I love that Sidewinder descend at the end! Missing it a lot whenever we've been there since the closure. I've heard from a local Penhydd wont open again , surely this can't be so!?
From what I can gather, penhydd as it was is gone. Another route in roughly the same area is being built at the moment but it'll be a blue 👿
I guess that means that hidden valley, argoed etc won't be coming back 🙁
Isn't the rest of afan more likely to close than that one re-open? It all seems pretty messed up over there compared to what it was.
It's not all bad, the forest is getting a green and blue trail so it'll be better for beginners. It may never be as good for experienced riders as it was. I did hear a rumour that one of the elusive mast trails might be getting made official.
I can't find those trails for the life of me.
its still great to ride there. the Wall, Whites, Skyline are still as good as ever. Id be gutted if they were gone. I cant see it happening but i expect a lot more trail diversion coming soon. Every tree had a neon green spot on it today. At a guess its not because theyve been filming a new predator film there.
I attempted to ride it nearly a year ago when the felling was in full swing, the only section that was remotely ridable was the last section over the river (heart of darkenss?). The machinery had destroyed everything. If a trail opens is will not be Penhydd, never.
I heard from an old guy at Afan lodge that all the trees were getting felled. 🙁
If the old sections are no longer then hopefully it will be a bit like the Blue in FOD. Although its a bit tame for Wales.
it was never the most extreme of trails, good fun a few steep bits and a few rollable drops. The toughest bits were all going up hill.
Klunk, you've just described all of the trails at Afan!
I hope that with the arrival of greens and blues to places like Afan, the reds can be made a bit more technical and challenging.
See link..items 6,7 and 8
http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Blog/MTB_developments/MTB_developments.aspx
still think it was the least "red" like trail.
March 2013 re-opening. Not sure how true to the old Penhydd it will be as I never rode it, well I did 9 foot when I was young which was part of it I believe.
www.cognation.co.uk or www.facebook.com/cognation for updates.
Meddle I belive "9 Foot" was the prelude to Penhydd, I never rode it as I'm not from the area and most of my riding was further east.
Klunk, I agree that all of Afan / GC is hardly challenging but it's fun and that is what it's all about. If you want to make it more of a challen then strap your lights on and have a go when it's dark, Penhydd at night was legendry! White's Level was also super fun in the dark, before they cut all the trees down 🙁
9foot = Penhydd. It was just a change/end of sponsorship
I was gutted when it first closed so have been asking regularly when it was due to reopen. At first I was told autumn 2011, then I was told the contractors (i.e. logging guys) had made 'a right mess' and that it would be spring 2012.
I was there yesterday and the latest is that Penhydd won't open until next year, and when it does it won't be the Penhydd we know any more. I was happy to hear that Sidewinder will remain, but everything else will be newly built.
I'm getting bored of the wall and Whites seems chronically overridden to me. I'll have to sell a kidney, fill the car with petrol and go further afield 🙂
No more hidden valley makes me sad 😥
damn... i only ever rode that trail once, just after it "closed", sneakily, in the fog. it was amazing. just two of us. tried again a year later and it was impossible because of teh logging. real sad to hear it's been trashed :/