[Closed] Back to Brechfa: Derwen and Raven

I had a ride around the red Gorlech trail with some mates in stormy weather last summer and while I thought the first half was dull, I was blown away by the second half. Being "free" this weekend I decided to make a solo trek out there on Saturday to try the blue and black trails. The most immediately noticeable thing about the place is how quiet it is - great! I saw just a handful of people on the blue and no-one on the black bits I did.

Blue (Derwen): I really liked it. It's perfectly graded being only 11km, smooth without difficult gradients anywhere. I think the descent sections are a easily manageable by newbies if they stay on the brakes. But I rode off the brakes a lot and it's a hoot as you go like a missile. It's hard to avoid getting airborne every few seconds - much the same as the red trail then! It does have some interesting berms, whoops and three solid tabletops. The last two sections are loads of whoops and I got carried away pumping them almost coming off the damn trail when not concentrating. Loved it.

Black (Raven): So-so, but probably because it's not really my thing. This is longer with some long tougher but not very interesting climbs. There's a bizarre muddy switchback descent in the first half that's like riding on the soggy local woods mid-winter. I did some back-wheel surfing, fell off twice and gave up. The bike was plastered - unusual for a trail centre ride. The next section was truly memorable - two large seductive berms ("hey this is going well!") plummet into a vast right-hand-turn wall ride which scared the bejeesus out of me as I wasn't carrying enough speed and had to instinctively flick the bike down the fall-line to avoid a sideways off. More squealing brakes and gymnastics "Christ!", and the madness spat me out on the fireroad. I don't know how I didn't crash - I was shaking. Deffo more freeride than XC! There's more really good bits after halfway, one where the trees are really tight and it's rooty, followed by more steep and deep berms in quick succession. After rejoining a section sharing with the blue, I was pooped and just enjoyed pumping those whoops again. It's probably too technical for some XCers (like me) and too enduro for most freeriders, but it is cool.

What does everyone else think?