We are off to Afan for a big group ride on Sunday, just there for the day, wondering which trails to hit. I’ve done Whites n YWal a few times and enjoy them, but last time I was up there a few years back, Whites was pretty beaten up and a bit slow going. Has it been given any tlc? The Blade trail sounds like a good shout, how does it compare?? Opinions please?

I liked it a lot. Rocky but you could really flow down it.

I like it, it’s quite hard work to get to the top, but it keeps me entertained!

The last couple of bits (The Rock and Happy Life) are a bit rocky.

If I get my act together I’ll be there as well; look out for an old duffer on a green 29er Stanton hardtail.

again as above hard work on the climb but enjoyable in a strange way, great trail

the second half and final descent were good….but I didn’t enjoy the first half that much. Just seemed to be a gradual climb from memory!

I think I prefer W2.

Quite enjoy the climb out of Glyncorrwg, good techinical bits and not really that steep. Blade is excellent, really rocky, bits to hop over and drop, has good flow to it as well.

Blade used the whites level climb out of Glyncorwg then splits off just before Windypoint (i think) then you bobble around on top of the mountain. Ghost train is awesomes, then back up a horrid fire road and singletrack climb back over the bobbly bit. The next bit i black out of my memory so it must be horrid then you drop in off peregrine ridge into blade descent which is mega rocky and super fun.

I think I need to do it again from the sounds of it.

We rode it shortly after it was open & it was awful – a horrible slog with hardly any enjoyable sections was my lasting memory.

Needs a lot of work now the MX bikes have given it a pasting especially on Ghost Train.

I think its a poor trail considering the amount of money they had for it. Lazy trail builing using old sections of skyline.

Boring cross country first section, rubbish pedally Beacon View with over camber turns and no flow. Ghost train was ok when it opened now needs a lot of repair with the mx ruts. That switchback bit is pointless.

Heartburn was better as a descent, just ignore it and pedal up the fire road.

Next few sections are boring. 30 seconds of helter skelter is ok then the last section of hokey kokey is quality. The rest is hard work until the final descent, which is awesome but pretty brutal riding flat out.

Agree with Phil above.

I like heartburn as a climb, think Blade is OK but personally prefer both whites and the wall. If you are on a hardtail prepare to get battered on Blade.

Needs a lot of work now the MX bikes have given it a pasting especially

I rode Blade soon after it opened (I think) and liked Ghosttrain. I rode Blade a few months back and LOVED Ghosttrain! Didn’t realise all the ruts were from mxers, thought they’d just intentionally just left it natural.

Maybe I’m just weird but Ghosttrain in its current state is my favourite trail at Afan.

The Rock straight into Happy Life at the end is also great, but I’d agree the start of Blade isn’t much to shout about.

Rode it last week, the top sections just seem to hold the water, so many sections just large puddles that just disrupt the flow. Ghostrain is really rutted and does need work on it.

Once you climb back up the top turbine valley, the trail after that is much better. Some really great flowing sections.

I think Blade is a marmite trail, some seem to love it, others just hate it. I know my mates detest it. But I really enjoy it.

The final descents are rocky, but nothing too bad.

I bust my wrist on it. Still fun though.

I think it’s a great 15km trail, slightly spoilt by the extra 10km of bland drudgery (Skyline) they stuck it with.

Ghost Train mostly feels like uncontrolled water erosion and a pretty crappy substrate, rather than MX damage? I rode it when it was fairly fresh and it was alright but now that it’s fallen apart it’s awesome. Way out of spec/grade though IMO. The construction of some of the new stuff is really short-term, I got the feeling that maybe it’s just hanging on til the longer term funding comes through when the farm’s open?

I love Blade but I can see why people might not, it’s hard work- there’s quite a few pretty flat sections that are just dull if you roll them but rewarding if you pedal your brains out. I do like that first climb, which helps. But the gravity gets frittered away a bit which isn’t a good combination with pedally feel, Innerleithen’s the same, you arrive at the bottom wondering where the rest of the descent went…

I think it’s maybe my favourite of the afan trails

I like the aux naturale feel of ghost train. Almost like a real life trail 😀

Just remembered which bit ghost train is. Agreed seems more like water than MX? I like it as it is with the ruts.

I was unmoved by large chunks of the Blade when I rode it in the summer. Ghost Train seemed promising but otherwise I didn’t feel I’d have missed much of note if I’d cut across from near the top of the first climb to the top of the last descent. But then again I’ve only ridden it once and I was fairly tired and my shoulder was acting up so perhaps I would appreciate it more in other circumstances.

Mx’ers have caused quite a bit of damage on Ghost Train in particular.

The wooden gates had been torn down and the mx bikes have been reported to the local ranger.

Entrance gate has been repaired, and one particular section has been repaired.

The rocky Shute down to the stream however is very badly eroded by the mx bikes, and is virtually unrideable for most people.

I agree with phil above, I enjoyed the climb, but found the mid section to disjointed, although the last section was a blinder, especially on a fully rigid 29er.

Same as stumpy01 here, rode it twice when it opened and didn’t like it at all. Much prefer to do either W2 and Blue Scar combined or Y Wal and Penhydd combined. Rode Blade the second time to give it a chance after reading a few positive comments on here but still disliked it. But then I’m weird and liked the old Skyline 😀

Have to agree, old Skyline descent being more enjoyable than the final Blade descent.

Thanks all for the input, sounds like it’s a rather polarizing trail then… I am keen to do it, just because I’ve never tried it, but we’re only up there for the day and plenty of the group have never done any afan trails before, so worried about making the wrong choice…. I used to love Whites and the wall, bit Whites in particular was overly rocky last time I rode it, still fun, but didn’t feel as fast n flows as I remembered. Has it had any trail maintenance, or is it still a bit ropey? It’s been dry for weeks, so I’m assuming all the trails will be running well, even the apparently boggy blade??

Oldnpastit, maybe see you on the trails mate!!

Have to agree, old Skyline descent being more enjoyable than the final Blade descent.

Don’t forget Blade has a choice of 2 final final descents after The Rock, Happy Life and Jetlag.

I much prefer Happy Life

Yup are right about the recent dry weather, but if you think Whites descent is a bit rocky, then the final Blade descents of The Rock and Happy Life won’t be for you.

These sections are much rockier than any part of Whites or The Wall.

One option is to ride the climb out of Glyncorrwg, and ride out on the Blade trail.
Ride the Blade trail and continue all the way. , ride up through Groovy Gully ( this is on the return leg of The Blade trail.

On exiting Groovy Gully, you will be on the highest point of the trail, good views from this point (on a nice day……).

Ride along the Singletrack until you see a sign “The Rock”, if you turn down this section you will be on the final descent sections of The Blade.

Alternatively, just carry on on the Singletrack, this is the old Skyline descent.

You have two options if you ride this.

Not long after there is a set of rock steps, sign saying lower your saddle, once you have ridden down the steps there is a tight switchback, if you turn off this ( turn right), you can climb back up to Windy Point.

Climbing back up to Windy Point gives the option to ride virtually all downhill on the rest of Whites Trail.

Or , at the tight switchback, carry on down the Skyline descent, and instead of Happy Life, ride down Jet Lag, you are then on the Skyline descent.

Have a look on the trail map, this will then make a bit more sense (hopefully).

Either way have a good ride.

I thought Happy Life was the most glorious rock fest – so good I did it again after lunch! Being a trail centre red it’s all rollable but if you ride it fast it has fantastic sequences of good sized drops, where you’re clearing step-like sections and landing in yet more rocks. It’s not like a DH rock garden, it’s far friendlier and more flowy than that, plus you don’t have to think about line choice, it’s pretty obvious which way to go, but I was certainly glad of being on a good 6″ full-sus, so I could stay off the brakes and enjoy myself.

I’m actually pretty fond of rocky trails, I’ve done plenty of Snowdon, exmoor n all the bpw runs, so not shy of the rough. I just thought whites was riding slow last time I was up there a few years ago, whereas it used to flow much better and less pedalling was needed to keep up to speed. It was more an issue on the flatter single track than the dh sections tbh. If the Rock and Happy Life are flowable rock sections rather than just a bit eroded out, then they sound sweet!! How do they compare to say coed y Brenin trails for instance?

If there’s a way to easily cobble together best of both loop avoiding the boring bits of blade n whites that’d be cool to try. Is it fairly easy to find your way around then? Guessing the Skyline boys might be good to chat to for ideas on that front too….Likewise, if there are ways to shortcut to final descents for some quick blasts before dark that’d be cool. We figured out a quick fire road shortcut at cwm carn that takes you from the carpark to take in most of last dh and it was great to be able to session it a few times.

The rocky Shute down to the stream however is very badly eroded by the mx bikes, and is virtually unrideable for most people.

Really ? There last week on a 20 year old cross country bike and rode it all. HappyLife was right on the edge for me but brilliant for it.

It’s not any good if you don’t like pedalling but go to BPW if uplifts are your bag.

I ride at Afan about four times a week.

The rocky Shute is difficult, a few people I know and ride with struggle with it, including a friend of mine who broke his ribs on it.

Glad you found it ok to ride, however, it’s a bit beyond my skill set.

It’s the only section in all of the trails at Afan that I get off and walk down.

Nothing to do with the bike (as Lance once said….).

It’s great up there. Wall climb to picadilly then over across and do energy, up to windy point, do the black back down then back up to windy point, do that run then back over to the top of Y Wall, and descent as normal in Rhyslin car park.

Thats a great day out without that horrid climb out of Glyncorrwg.

Well that’s what i do when i go over there ( weekly;)

I’ve been there today, did Blade, but turning right after the big bermy section (what’s it called?) due to running out of time.

Ghost Train has been repaired – the rocky steppy bit down to the stream now has a chicken run on the right-hand side and the really muddy section afterwards has all been rebuilt (so no need to face plant into the mud anymore 🙂

I thought it was great; I only had time for a quick blast but I really enjoyed it. None of it is super technical, it’s just fun.

Tomorrow I think I’ll do the White’s level climb again, then cut over to do the Wall, W2, and White’s Level, then if time permits, one last spin round Blade and/or the Black.

onedpete – Member
Oldnpastit, maybe see you on the trails mate!!

I’m the old fat guy on the shiny green Stanton!

What’s the shizzle with the ‘mast’ trails? I have heard they’re good from a mate who used to live up there, but not sure where they are. Any idea, and are they worth it? YouTube vids look fun, bit steeper n off piste stylee…..Cheers for the info guys, we are riding in a group and not sure of everyone’s abilities, so will have to gauge it when we get there I think! How’s the weather up there oldnpastit? Been a bit wet down here in north Devon on and off last coupla days….

Weather today was dry and bright. Cold in the car park with the wind, but soon warms up once you get going.

(Slightly disappointing in some ways – in the old days part of the appeal of Afan was the endless trudge round Skyline in continual rain and sleet, soaked to the skin, being always just on the edge of having to crawl into a hole in the woods to await death from hypothermia….)

Pine needles and sunshine at Afan.