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Hi all, planned a riding trip to Snowdon this weekend with the boys. Plan A was to get the Ranger path ticked off, but weather looks like it’s going to stop play in the high mountains. Any locals or regulars to those parts give us some hints and tips towards the lower natural stuff so we can get a meaningful, if a bit wet and sloppy, ride done round there? 30km in those conditions would be plenty. What’s the best descents to aim for? We’re stopping in Rhyd Ddu, so ideally heading out from there but open to suggestions. Thanks in advice oh great Welsh singletrackers. We are not worthy (in advance).
Watson
Bastard
Meh. Do it.
Head from rhyd ddu, up rangers to telegraph valley, down to llanberis, breakfast, up llanberis path, get blown about, back down rangers and home.
Feel cheated that the very bottom of rangers has been ruined by a ****-the-fells style "trail fix" but it's still a great day out.
You won't freeze to death so go for it 🙂
You can't type ****?
As in F *E* CK?
WTF Singletrack? Sort your lame-ass filters out!
Haha! Thanks Chevy! That was plan A, still in the locker, but with storm force winds might be a bit more than blown about.
And now for the sake of filter bants: **** shit cock **** tits arse **** bollocks
It doesn’t cover all! 👍
I'm down with a bunch of mates at the beginning of April, but were based at my caravan on the coast. Llandegla the Saturday with Gwydir on Sunday (or Snowdon if the weather is very good)
it's true, the zigzag rangers path has been sanitised good and proper and i think all the way to the start of the split (telegrah descent - summit ascent).
I did the snowdon maverick marathon in Sept 2018 and ran up the zigsag bit, not having been there for a few years back when it was rocky with big drop offs and ruts. It made the gruelling run up easier for sure, but i realised it's a common theme now on the mountains.
sorry to hijack the question. "kin windy at the moment and lower stuff in NW have had snow. Llandegla MTB trail centre for example had snow this last weekend so i'm guessing Showdon has had a dusting!
Hey Fossy, Gwidir? Tell me more? Another trail centre? We’ve done Llandegla before many a time, but no experience of Gwidir, any good?
Gwydr = Marin with a fancy new name
I think it's decent since the new sections opened, better than Penmachno, anyhow.
better than Penmachno, anyhow.
Martin - I’ve always had you down as one of the sane forumites but now THIS 😉 Penmachno is fab. Proper old school narrow. Okay it’s a bit wet up and down but it’s a fab trail to ride. The last descent is brilliant with all that moss.
I like the Marin (although some of the new bits are a bit meh), but really it’s the last descent that makes it. Always do that twice.
I’d say Cadair, but that’s not going to be much fun in gale force winds either.
Okay, thanks guys. Trail centre info useful, but was hoping there were some suggestions towards natural stuff round there other than Cadair and Snowdon (two high exposed mountains). Any bridleways worth a ride? Map shows what might be a decent route heading into Cem Pennant and back towards Beddgelert around Moel Hebog? Any good?
Martin – I’ve always had you down as one of the sane forumites but now THIS 😉 Penmachno is fab. Proper old school narrow. Okay it’s a bit wet up and down but it’s a fab trail to ride. The last descent is brilliant with all that moss.
I spent the morning riding up and down various streams labelled as bridleways in the Dales which probably accounts for my bias. 🙂
You've got the Llyn Cowlyd loop(or versions of it) West of the Marin trail or indeed the two could be combined . I would imaging that some of it will be boggy this time of year .
You have the Beddgelert Forest just south of Rhyd Ddu so may be worth a sheltered gander/explore/expand.
Most of the natural stuff in that area is in the high mountains. Because they're high mountains 🙂
Thanks Gravesendgrunt. That’s just what we’re after. Agree from the linked thread could be a slog, but a perfect response nonetheless. Thanks for your help.
We did it this time of the year a few years back, we’d got everything planned and a hotel booked but the weather went and took a turn for the worse about a week and half beforehand, thick snow, they’d even had a small avalanche up there about 5 days before, we resigned to the fact that we’d just have to sack it off and either do something else or just hike up instead, but we took the bikes anyway just in case. We parked up at the station carpark and at the last minute thought sod it, let’s do it!, headed up Llanberis Path, most of it had melted until about ¾ of the way up we were wading through knee deep snow in places where it had drifted, the ridge was the most difficult part due to the high winds, some hikers that were walking up with crampons and sticks etc said you’ll never do it but it wasn’t as bad as they’d made out it to be.
We had to come back down the same track, as Rangers was completed covered at the top and thought it would be best to come down what we’d come up so we were familiar with it, given the conditions that is, but what a laugh it was though, so glad we did it despite the weather it was one tough but epic day, finished with a full English in Pete’s Eats in Llanberis, just do it!
I've got Friday booked off with a mate to attack Snowdon. Forecast of 70MPH gusts at the summit are putting us off to be honest. The rest of the weather I'm fine with but I'm just not too happy with the breezy stuff.
The rest of the weather I’m fine with but I’m just not too happy with the breezy stuff.
Given there is practically zero cover up there it will just be grim. If the wind is coming across you it will be no real fun at all.
I've done a load of stuff up around that way and on bad days even CyB is in reach for a more sheltered day though if the storm is as fun as promised you might get some issues with trees/branches coming down.
You could just get settled in and watch the Rugby!!
There’s a loop from Betws via Sarn Helen to Pont y Pass then back over via Cefn-glas that doesn’t go much over 300m but is a nice day out. Can add on the Marin trail as an extension via Ty Hyll
Map shows what might be a decent route heading into Cem Pennant and back towards Beddgelert around Moel Hebog? Any good?
No - it's dreadful. You can find some good stuff in Beddgelert Forest and the descent into Cwm Pennant is a fun ride through disused quarries. But the second half is awful - steep unrideable bog descent with no marked trail.
Have a look at that Sarn Helen route - Start at the Marin, peel off after the first couple of sections. Over the tops to Dolwyddelan, east bit on a track parallel to the A5, then back over to the Ugly House (Ty Hyll) up the hill and finish the last part of the Marin.
If planning on incorporating the Gwydir (Marin) trail, then bear in mind that the second half of the final descent (and the best bit of trail IMO) is closed.
Also, the Fox Antifreeze is running at Coed Y Brenin on Sunday (kids event on Saturday) but I'm not sure if that will involve any trail closures.
Went up yesterday, it was great. Very windy, and the top was cloudy, but cleared very quickly on the way down.
Fair play to the group of people with the guy who was obviously genuinely terrified of heights walking up for Comic Relief 8)
Brilliant ride. Loved it. We stayed near Penmachno, and I would thoroughly recommend NOT trying to ride there. It was very wet, even for Penmachno...
Have a look at that Sarn Helen route – Start at the Marin, peel off after the first couple of sections. Over the tops to Dolwyddelan, east bit on a track parallel to the A5, then back over to the Ugly House (Ty Hyll) up the hill and finish the last part of the Marin.
Beware the little water trenches on the Sarn Helen heading for Dolwyddelan. They are a lot deeper than they look. I know this because...