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Hi all, having gone up Snowdon last weekend and had a blast coming down the Rangers path has got me wondering if any of the other 3000ft plus summits can be ridden?
Yes I know there's the trail centres but I fancy a bit of an adventure.
Cadair Idris is the only other one I've ridden up and down a few times via 'The Pony path' bridleway - It's South of Coed Y brenin
Re Cadair Idris, we're planning on doing this ride in June but wonder if it's worth it? Concerned it'll be a long slog up and then a short hop down. We normally do Llandegla, both Marin's, Coed-Y-Brenin (Dragons Back) and as we've only got a long weekend don't want to waste a day on Cadair.
Thanks!
Just read with interest about the access news, there are 13 mountains over 3000ft in Wales. Wonder how long it will take to open all these up.
I think Cadair Idris is on our list to do at some point.
@ simono5 while trail centres have thier place, for me, I prefer the challange of the summit and descent.
Cadair's excellent yeah, some of the descent is grassy but you can race your pals to make that fun.
It's a morning ride if you're organised, so you can go and do CyB as well after.
There are quite a few possibilities in Mid and South Wales too.
Waun Fach (Black Mountain)
Preseli
Mynydd Twr (Holyhead mountain!)
edit: but all sub 3000 sorry
So when are you planning your mountain bagging 🙂
Despite being a mighty fine mountain Cadair Idris doesn’t quite meet the magic 3000ft mark. Which is good if you want to do the Welsh 3000 walk!
At the moment I don’t think there are any other legit 3000s other than Snowdon. If/when access laws change I suspect the Carneddau would be the best best - big rounded plateau and less rocky ridges than the others. But huge respect for anyone who can use trials skills to ride to Tryfan!
Did cadair idris at Easter. Very much a tale of two compketely diffefent halves. (You do it from the south)
The first 600 hm or so is all cpletely rideable. Road, then LRT, then grass track then singletrack.... all very pleasant on a light bike.
But then it gets proper loose, rocky and tricky for the rest of it. Culminating in the last clamber where I didn't even bother taking the bike.
In reverse the top section was hard work on my 100mm marathon bike with no dropper. Constantly worried about cracking a rim.
Then the next x miles after that was all nice and mellow.
Wished I'd had my big bike to ride down the top section, but glad I didn't have it to ride up the bottom section.
So, a bit of a compromise really with much more marked terrain difference than snowdon
But huge respect for anyone who can use trials skills to ride to Tryfan!
I saw a picture purporting to show a cyclist hopping between Adam and Eve.
Still don't think I believe it. Photo didn't look Photoshopped, but then some of my efforts have fooled everyone.
Even if it was kosher the guy deserves credit for getting the bike onto the top of the block. He's more cojones than I have.
If you do Cadair (which I think is bloody brilliant) - remember to take the left fork on the way down a few hundred yards after you come through a sequence of cattle grids. The path down there is ace, and, importantly, not fire road 🙂
In reverse the top section was hard work on my 100mm marathon bike with no dropper. Constantly worried about cracking a rim.
Then the next x miles after that was all nice and mellow.
Wished I’d had my big bike to ride down the top section, but glad I didn’t have it to ride up the bottom section.
I rode it on a 120mm steel hard tail. It’s not that difficult or gnarly on the scree.
Summit shouldn't be a bloody verb!
Anyway...
I think there are 15 mountains over 3000' in Wales and 6 of them are in quite a neat line.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47750887251_d51d54d911_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47750887251_d51d54d911_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2fKzMav ]DSC05627[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/40141861@N00/ ]tillydog[/url], on Flickr
That's the summit of Tryfan down there 😉 (60 metres below - won't be taking a bike there any time soon!)
This is quite high up, too:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40784449333_19cfab95d5_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40784449333_19cfab95d5_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/258YXSV ]DSC05620[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/40141861@N00/ ]tillydog[/url], on Flickr
Mildly character building, but not too bad.
There's plenty to go at in Snowdonia but they are not legit. Therefore, I carried my bike up loads of the summits here...
Tryfan from the opposite side of the Ogwen valley from tillydog's 1st pic
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/952/41956143542_50f8c91ea9_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/952/41956143542_50f8c91ea9_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/26VwcKd ]20180507_111507[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/824/41100873725_37b7b6111f_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/824/41100873725_37b7b6111f_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/25BWHPT ]20180507_110106[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
From Carnedd Llewellyn looking down to Tryfan
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/4253/35852817915_26fd652ac6_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/4253/35852817915_26fd652ac6_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/WCc4F2 ]20170507_131338[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
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Snowdon is great when you get the summit to yourself for a bivvy
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/4216/35033435863_593acf4072_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/4216/35033435863_593acf4072_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/VnMvWg ]20170526_050107[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
Snowdon in the distance
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/7900/40534014843_5d660c6430_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/7900/40534014843_5d660c6430_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/24KRqqT ]20190330_113433[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
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I suppose that's why I call myself 'summittoppler' 😉
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/4286/35012567554_ddba8be842_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/4286/35012567554_ddba8be842_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/VkWyvQ ]20170507_125314[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
From Carnedd Llewellyn looking down to Tryfan
(Think that's from Pen Yr Ole Wen tho')
Great day, wasn't it! 😀
Ha, well spotted mate!! I've only had 1 beer!!
This one is from Carnedd Llewellyn
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32807705477_e91d6ee67e_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32807705477_e91d6ee67e_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RZ74Qr ]20150523_122745[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/150809418@N08/ ]Jeff Price[/url], on Flickr
And this one
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Its a hell of a place to carry your bike...