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the people blanking us on the way up will have been the early risers in proper outdoor gear
The outdoor gear they wear once or twice a year to trudge up some big mountain, and the rest of the time on the high street. I see plenty of people in "proper outdoor gear" up on the Malverns when I'm up there in my shorts and t-shirt. Meanwhile they're just the ones who always get up early.
As mentioned above, you won't even meet any proper outdoor people on the Llanberis path apart from the very top bit where it meets up with the routes from Pen-Y-Pas.
lowey - Member
Now what you have to understand is that Snowdon it like Loughrigg Terrace. It attracts not your usual outdoor enthusiast. It attracts hardcore car park walking enthusiasts. These people are a self righteous breed. They will NOT share a trail, they will not offer a hello in response to one. They will go out of their way to make the life of a biker that bit more difficult, because they have that pathetic inbuilt instinct that they have more rights that you and they will express this by hardcore indignation.
We had a few on Helvellyn on Saturday, not many mind, but a few. Reflect this against going high and cheeky in the lakes and the answer is clear. Proper outdoor enthusiasts will always be cool with each other. Proper outdoor enthusiasts do not toil up the tourist route of Snowdon. Neither do they walk Loughrigg Terrace.
Go figure.
+1 also throw in the ullswater singletrack into the mix as well. Whenever we've been along it there's always a high % of grumpy people along it.
Was up on top of Gatesgarth and Nan Bield today in pretty horrible conditions. Only saw one walker and three fell runners, we all stopped and talked to one another and we all had a mutual respect for getting out in those conditions.
Isn't Snowdon the trail centre of the walking world ?
Just as you get dull, unimaginative people who think Mountain Biking = Cannock Chase, you'll get dull, unimaginative people who not only think Mountain walking = Snowdon, they will also think Snowdon = Mountain Walking, not Mountain Biking.
I don't know the area at all. Aren't there similar trails on other nearby mountains you could ride ?
Was up on top of Gatesgarth and Nan Bield today in pretty horrible conditions. Only saw one walker and three fell runners, we all stopped and talked to one another and we all had a mutual respect for getting out in those conditions.
Respect.... due to the weather, did a shortish low levelish route in the Lakes today and it was still awful. I've never been so badly prepared, mostly my summer gear on and soaked/frozen to the core, never been so happy to see the car. Didn't have a full change of clothing either, so had to endure a long drive in wet stuff.
I have not read all the comments, but it seems to me that people are missing the point. The OP did say he was patent more than usual in fact. The paths are bridle ways and therefor multi use. We as cyclists have every right to use the said paths and whilst it is our responsibility to give way to walkers (ehich I have no problem with) a bit of common curtousy never killed anyone, and walkers are far to often rude and unapproachable! If you don't like being disturbed when you are "bimbling" along, then choose one of the many thousands of miles worth of footpaths that don't have access rights for other users. Of you don't like seeing bikes/horses/motorised vehicles using the countryside then it's not like there arnt alternatives!! You wouldn't go for a bimble along the hard shoulder, so don't bimble on a bridle way or BOAT , save it for the FOOTPATHS
RANT OVER
Was up on top of Gatesgarth and Nan Bield today in pretty horrible conditions. Only saw one walker and three fell runners, we all stopped and talked to one another and we all had a mutual respect for getting out in those conditions.Respect....did a shortish low levelish route in the Lakes today and it was awful. I've never been so badly prepared, mostly my summer gear on and soaked/frozen to the core, never been so happy to see the car.
Have to admit it wasn't nice out there today, hiding from the wind in the shelter on top of Nan Bield I was glad I found some heat pads in the bottom of my backpack 🙂
I went up on Saturday too. Had no issues going up Llanberis or down Rangers. Several walkers said they were impressed we got up and down there. We had a great day with really cooperative walkers and lots of thanks to them on the way past.
I think you may have passed us D0NK on the way down...? I was pushing a black Specialized Enduro with white forks and my mate was pushing his white 575. Six to eight cyclists passed us just after the halfway house where the railway goes over a bridge.
Changing subject slightly, there was a guy on a green Nicolai who had a hell of a time getting to the top? Anyone see him get down in one piece? He was very fatigued...
aracer: As mentioned above, you won't even meet any proper outdoor people on the Llanberis path apart from the very top bit where it meets up with the routes from Pen-Y-Pas.
!
I was one such person walking on the Llanberis path this Saturday, I can assure you that the route is used by all sorts of people from all different walks of life. Riders who make sweeping generalisations about walkers can't really complain when walkers assume that anyone on a mountain bike is by nature reckless and selfish.
Riding the Llanberis path on the first Saturday following a long Winter seems a wee bit daft to me, you're not going to get any speed out of it with so many people out for a ramble. But I didn't see any bikerist-walkerist confrontations.
Changing subject slightly, there was a guy on a green Nicolai who had a hell of a time getting to the top? Anyone see him get down in one piece?
Wearing a blue jacket/top? Yeah, saw him midway down, where the path goes under the rails.
nutsnvolks - MemberI have not read all the comments, but it seems to me that people are missing the point
my understanding is that it isn't essential to include this prior to a rantette - its just assumed
9/10 for including
a nice touchhave every right to use the[u]said[/u] paths
That trail looks total crap. Throw walkers in the mix and I'd rather go free diving on a horse.
Be grateful you didn't meet a bunch of PROPER Ramblers like my 73 year-old Mum leading her bunch of 30 creaking geriatrics. Most of the folk who climb Snowdon are probably in small groups and non-militant compared with big Ramblers' groups.
Went up Snowdon myself with about 15 other riders but we set off at dawn and didn't see anybody at all until the descent when we met the first serious walkers, just out from their B&Bs and still full of egg and bacon.
We went up last Saturday, 7am start (late really) and had no problems going up the Llanberis or down the Rangers. Good banter with everyone we met.
[url=
was fun & Heres the proof[/url]
sweeping title but thought I'd made it clear in my post that it was a minority of grumps.Riders who make sweeping generalisations
agreed but TBF all those walkers could have gone at the same time next weekend or any of the next 20 odd after that, I can't (not on my bike). Reversing it, any walkers who are offended by the sight of mountain bikers could go during the ban 🙂 With the possible exception of the lady I fell off in front of, I'd not class any of ours as confrontations, just that some people made us feel like we weren't welcome on their mountain. As others have said think we were just unlucky and yes we'll try to time it better if we go again.Riding the Llanberis path on the first Saturday following a long Winter seems a wee bit daft to me,
presume you're joking, looks good to me but the actual trail is still fresh in my mind so could be affecting my opinion. Actually just looked again, the video does flatten the trail out a lot (as usual)That trail looks total crap.
rangers is a stonking trail, fixed rock multi line sections at the top, loose rubbly bits, nadgery rocky singletrack and fast n sweeping at the bottom (with excellent visibility so you can see if there's anyone else on the trail and moderate your speed) not much like that at home. Llanberis path looks a bit more like local stuff on steroids (not ridden down it mind) but again where at home (for most of us) do you get to downhill for a solid 15 minutes?Aren't there similar trails on other nearby mountains you could ride ?
sorry can't remember, we both had red jackets, 1 black hemlock and 1 blue 5.I think you may have passed us D0NK on the way down...?
toftm, 7am start? I'd have to get up at 4am, think I'd go for the late shift next time 🙂
sweeping title but thought I'd made it clear in my post that it was a minority of grumps.
'Sweeping generalisations' was more aimed at latter commenters who seem to feel that anyone walking the Llanberis path is a lower lifeform. I don't disagree that there are grumpies about; it's just that the more popular the route, the greater the chance of running into disagreeable people.
As for walkers waiting for the ban/agreement to come into effect next week... I doubt many people out for a weekend walk up Snowdon read up on local rules and customs beyond finding out where's cheapest to park the car.
Riding the Llanberis path on the first Saturday following a long Winter seems a wee bit daft to me,
We did Snowdon the weekend before, up and down the Llanberis cos we were taking it easy. It got a bit busy towards the end but everyone was friendly and we had no confrontations at all, not even with a chap that one of our party nearly knocked over. We had a fair bit of encouragement on the way down, and I had a lovely conversation with a bunch of 'car-park' walkers at the bottom.
Shame, really, I love a good argument with a rambler when I'm on a legit right of way. We must have been doing something wrong...
JCL - Member
That trail looks total crap. Throw walkers in the mix and I'd rather go free diving on a horse.
If Llanberis was empty I would happily ride down it. We crossed paths with a group of three other riders one of whom surprisingly said Rangers was "total shit". Must admit I was taken aback as I really loved it. I wouldn't say Snowdon is one of the best rides I've ever had - but it was a very, very good descent.
just seemed to be a hell of a lot and the people blanking us on the way up will have been the early risers in proper outdoor gear, not the shorts and T-shirt lunchtime mob.
But you didn't start until 8.30am & only reached the top at 12. I'm talking about those who are nearing the top or already at the top by 9am...who are generally pushing on for somewhere else, not just returning by the route they came up. Descend early enough & you can have a clear run - those generally on the hill by then seem far easier going.
Can't understand why the complaints about the Llanberis path being a poor descent. Steep & loose, decent size steps, often with wheel grabbing rocks if you're not watching your lines, boulder field part way down that grabbed one of our party on the last trip - never pretty going over the bars in a bunch of big rocks & also some really fast sections if you let the bike loose. Love the feeling of the loose slates moving about under the tyres at speed. Fun attacking some of the bedrock sections too...plenty of opportunity for air under your tyres.
Internet ate my epic reply, so here's a short one.
Its a perception thing for some people they see an unprediactable bouncy thing and its frighteneing for them, and also you didn't choose the best time. We (me, Markt and others) set off at 7 and met people who cheered us on and applauded our awesome gnar skillz!
There were also people who up first sight of us ran from the trail as if an out of control petrol tanker had just come careering over the hill, and driver had jumped from the cab... I'd like think we were that gnar, but deep down I know we were not.
I think Llanberis is ok, its certainly less tech than Rangers (which is just AWESOME!) - but its a lot of fun, if doing llanberis, I wouldn't bother pushing up any further than the third station (second bridge) tbh. So its a good 2hr push, and ride for an evening jaunt.
donk you still had a better time than me. We went up on friday late on and we couldn't raise our head from the ground at the top because of the driving sleet. The downhill was ruined because we couldn't see and we couldn't find the rangers turn off because we couldn't see it. Will know better for next time but . . . . . I've never doing it again, waste of a day and would much rather have gone to coed y brenin instead.
Snowdon has to be lumped into the "Honeypot Rule", whereby within a couple of miles of a honeypot area, you can expect issues with "walkers" (they're not really walkers, they just happened to have wandered a little distance away from the honeypot itself & believe themselves to therefore be walkers). Snowdon has the peak & the car parks as honeypots & the paths in-between are therefore a prime example of these honeypot "walkers". Someone also mentioned Loughrigg - again, with Pelter Bridge & more specifically the car parks along the main road, Loughrigg is "walking" territory. Get up onto the top of High Street & the people there don't care if the singletrack around the fringe of Thornthwaite & Mardale Ill Bell - linking back to High Street itself, isn't bridleway.
Meeting on high or remote ground & you meet other "outdoor enthusiasts", people who enjoy getting away from it all & these are generally very friendly. (Peak chasers & some long distance footpath types tend to fall more into honeypot category than outdoor category).
Who are we to complain - we have those who rip up trails in the interest of making them "better", when there was nothing wrong - often DH types wanting to carry more speed by straightening, or Strava'ists who can't beat times naturally. We have head down XC racer types, who go flat out for an hour or so, but couldn't possibly communicate with lesser mortals...the list goes on.
I've met a few grumpy people on Snowdon - cyclists and walkers 🙂
The voluntary ban is unfortunate but it's necessary - you DO meet a lot of inexperienced people on Snowdon, 'specially on the Llanberis path.
Many of them forget to leave their predjudices and ill informed opinion behind and seem to think they own the place.
Sadly, looks like the OP encountered more than his fair share this time.
As to the 'it's too busy at that time of year' brigade, I bet some of you ride the honeypot locations in the Peak or the Lakes at the weekend.
Don't be so precious - walkers and cyclists can coexist happily on Snowdon if everyone puts a bit of effort in.
aracer - Member
As mentioned above, you won't even meet any proper outdoor people on the Llanberis path apart from the very top bit where it meets up with the routes from Pen-Y-Pas.
Nonsense.
It's a great way to lug heavy camera gear up during a break in the weather, is a perfect introduction to winter walking and offers access when time is of the essence.
It's also, despite what people tell you, quite a dangerous place to be with ice on the ground.
I'll pass this message on to members of our climbing club who use it regularly - I'm sure they will be grateful for your insight.
[i]Went up snowdon on Saturday,[/i]
Places like Snowdon are best left alone at weekends IMO. Besides which there are trails just as nice al over that area that you won't see a soul on all day.
+1 also throw in the ullswater singletrack into the mix as well. Whenever we've been along it there's always a high % of grumpy people along it.
As with the others, it's fine to ride if you pick your times - I've done it a few times on sunny bank holidays with no problem, by doing it early. To be honest, on that path, any time before 10 o'clock seems to be early enough to miss the crowds.
i think ten pin bowling comment is rather over doing it
Chuckles i know what he means but it is not a fair description - for forum he means he is fast down and usualy encounters the walkers before the rest of them..never seen you hit one though
we both had red jackets
Look basically did one of them have the bluest of blue helmets you have ever seen - join in DONK he never posts here 😉
Hi Donk, I help run NWMBA and ride Snowdon nearly every year. Sorry about your experience on the Mountain, it really sounds as though you were unlucky that day.
I have ridden the Llanberis and down the rangers a fair few times, and never had an issue. Provided riders recognise the voluntary ban, long may we continue to enjoy this excellent trail.
Have another go in September once the ban is lifted. We have had some lovely weekend rides there.
Steve
He has done it before a few times FWIW ..I am sure he ha snot been put off ..not least because I want to do it again
funny people mentioned skiddaw and ullswater, I never do those at a weekend, it'll be too busy you silly billy 🙄 dunno why snowdon didn't occur to me as being just the same.
I guess April still seems a bit early to be booking days off for riding and early/late runs are a bit impractical for me.
I'm not put off monkeysfeet, will be back 🙂
[Sticks head above parapet...]
I just can't agree with the simplistic "You rode a honeypot at the weekend, It's your fault!"
Some of us work five days a week and only have the weekends available to us.
On those weekends, we want to ride high mountain passes, big days out in big mountains and techy descents.
We have little choice therefore but to continue riding Skiddaw, Ullswater, Snowdon, Ben Nevis (if I ever get around to it), etc., at weekends.
Yes I accept that I won't have the place to myself and will of course be courteous and generally treat others as I would want them to treat me, BUT... I don't see why I should be expected to avoid those honeypots.
I'm painfully aware that I'd enjoy them better if I could ride them during the week BUT I don't have that luxury.
Correct, and if you want to avoid busy part's of the day you go early or late. Simples. Riding gets done either way, happiness resounds. Job done. Smiles