On Sunday I rode from Cardiff over to Garwnant Visitor Centre to meet the wife and kids for kiddie MTBing (resisted the urge to create a Strava segment for the trails). It was a brilliant ride, I rode lanes to Caerphilly then over the mountain to the west of Senghenydd to Nelson; then to Treharris and over Merthyr Common. This was great, but getting through Merthyr seemed tricky.

To avoid road I wanted to pick up the Taff trail but to do this I had to drop down on the dual carriageway from Dowlais top which seemed a bit of a waste. The taff trail was ok, I went over the viaduct but I then had to double back almost on the road to the Brecon roundabout and do a little road before heading up into the woods on the right hand side of the Brecon Road to come down into the back of the Visitor Centre.

Any better ideas? I’d share a tracklog if I could figure out how.

You could make a decent off road route on the other side of the valley. Taff trail to bpw. Follow the uplift fire road but do not take the sharp left. Carry on the fire road and climb upwards when the fire road splits further on. You’ll end up on top of the mountain between Merthyr and aberdare above the village of heolgerrig . Follow the ridge north until you meet the heads of the valley road near what used to be called baverstocks hotel. There is a fire road to the left of the hotel that goes past some gas tanks and takes you over the mountain and through a wood to the south of the llwyn onn reservoir. From there to garwnant

Cheers.. just found that one – looks ok.

I did look at coming up on the west side of the valley, but the map looked less convenient. Having just scoured Google Earth though it looks like the trails might be there on the ground. I could cross the river at Quaker’s Yard.

I could come down off Merthyr Common and cross the valley and back up what looks like an old tramway..? But that looks like a chunk of extra climbing and would add time. Not necessarily a bad thing mind 🙂