I have done the blade a couple of times and the wall at the afan and was thinking of tackling the w2 next. Just curious as to the difficulty as it is graded black. Is this due to the distance or are there some very technical sections? Also wondering where people prefer to start this trail from the visitor centre or the skyline bike shop?

thanks.

Distance

It’s long. Nothing majorly technical. Where you start will determine which climb you do first. Last time we went from the visitor centre and did: wall climb, whites descent, whites climb, wall descent. I think! Different people seem to prefer different things. Personally, the wall climb is a bit less brutal than whites, so I prefer to do that one on cold legs and get a bit warmed up before tackling whites climb. Also – if you want lunch half way then skyline cafe has more choice, so you’d be better starting the day in the visitor centre.

^what they said.

In fact, it’s just 2 red loops (wall/wrights) joined into a figure of 8 with a short linking traverse of forestry gravel road. There’s only one ‘obstacle’ half-worth dropping a seat for even – a sort of 4 bike length little chute paved with rock slabs – even that’s just roll over. Mostly single-track sections linked with a bit of forest road all the way – surface drains well in all weathers, mostly only planted grapefruit sized stones under tyre at the roughest but fair bit much smoother. Really decent riding tho – one section of small jumpy bits but only low table-tops and a nana line option. 2 snack options & a bike shop nearly en route.

There was a sign flagging there’s a race up at there this coming w/e 15th/16th – disruption on sections for maybe friday too.

It is fairly long tho – maybe 6hrs (ish) / something like 1500m of climbing

I reckon start at Rhyslyn – then it’s a cruise up a forest road to warm up for 30mins – only slight incline then well signpost to get started with half of the Wall – then traverse and Wrights (with the bike shop/cafe half way round that) then there’s <ahem> a bit of a climb to the windmills – then it’s rocking swoops back to the traverse and sort of 3 slices of more downhill of the second half of the wall (again with a lodge/jump park bit/snacks half way round) – before lovely zig-zags singletrack back to within sight of where you started. Grand day out : )

thanks for the replies. Was guessing it was the distance that makes it a black route. Will defiantly be giving this a ride next time!.

Do it regularly (did it today even!), it’s just a really long red with a bit of fireroad linking between the two centres. I always start at Afan visitor centre as A: the car park’s cheaper and B: having the Skyline shop and cafe at halfway is good!

Usually manage it all in around 4 hours and I’m not fast!

it’s long, but a good chunk of it is flat fireroad

I though it was pretty good value in terms of singletrack. Certainly better than skyline ever was.
I always start at the whites climb to get it over with. Play on the bike park-ey bit and do the optional black bit.
I’m forever dropping my saddle on it though. I suppose it depends if you go for it or doodle along.

Is it easy enough to follow for someone who’s never been there before?

Sorry for anyone who had planned to go on thursday – my welsh trailcentre rainfall curse has struck.