Planning a trip to Wales this April, weighing up between doing Cadair Idris or up Mt Snowdown again. We did Snowdon a few years ago and the weather was terrible, no view at the summit and it was snowing. Me and my mate actually got seperated near the top, we couldn't find the start of the Rangers path and we laugh now about how we nearly died! hahahahah 😐
Anyway, the lure of the mountain is strong and we'd both like to give it another bash. We'll go better prepared this time and we're both much much better at handling tech and our bikes are better, so it should make the rangers down much more enjoyable. Anyone else going up or been up already this year?
Went up late last year, started off in warm sunshine which then turned into -8 and howling winds at about 700m.
Too much snow and ice, so we turned round and returned.
While up there freezing our tits off my mate took 10 mins of fiddling to get his GoPro sorted so he could film our epic decent. Only to discover he'd forgotten the bloody card.
Unfinished business for me.
Was up a couple of weeks ago and had absolutely no intention of carrying a bloody bike with me ... 😀
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As above, most fun way to enjoy it this time of year is to luck in to a blue sky day after a few days of freezing a snowfall....ice axe, crampons, good little half day out. Still never managed to get the blue sky part nailed in winter conditions yet!
Going with a 40 strong group of people I largely don't know, could be interesting as never rode up there and the lads I do know never prepare for anything
40 people all riding up Snowdon, that seems responsible...... 🙄
Thats a lot Ryan, what date is that set for? [s]so I can avoid it[/s]
My advice is decent warm winter gloves and wooly hats, extra jackets, 3 pairs of socks!
Mount snowdon? You mean yr wyddfa or snowdon.
Why dont you go and ride mount Ben Nevis and mount scarfell pike whilst your at it?
Plecostomus got there before me.
Snowdon.
Going with a 40 strong group of people I largely don't know, could be interesting as never rode up there and the lads I do know never prepare for anything
40? Seriously? What date?
40 people all riding up Snowdon, that seems responsible...
If there's anywhere that could cope with that many at a time the llanberis path at Snowdon seems about right.
OP do cadir it's better
40 people on bikes up a vaguely wintery mountain. That could be either great fun or a complete disaster. Imagine the faff!
Good luck OP, I did it in April one year in sunny clear conditions, it was great!
Done it twice this year already and was awesome weather both times. Lucky.
Rode it last week, light snow from about 1500ft, started collecting properly after Clogwyn station and sloppy as **** at the top. From the Rangers turn off it was rideable snow (2.3 Minion DHF) and all the good bits on the way down and Telegraph pass were clear.
A group of 40 just sounds unpleasant though. It's only a 12 mile round trip, can't you split the group and get a bunch on Snowdon, a group doing a loop from Capel Curig onto the Carneddau and another doing the Marin trail and then meet up at the siabod cafe for a snack before moving into the next ride?
40 bikes will be red rags to the red socks.
40 mtb-ers?
if you left tomorrow, that sized group should just about be ready to go in june....... 😉
I hate these large groups that head into the hills. Thanks to social media they are becoming more frequent. Arseholes, they ruin other peoples days out due to the noise generated and space they take up, block paths, crowd out viewpoints and generally get up everyones nose. Anymore than a group of three/four people and they become oblivious to anyone else around them. Hope you all get punctures!
Mount snowdon? You mean yr wyddfa or snowdon.
Why dont you go and ride mount Ben Nevis and mount scarfell pike whilst your at it?
Epic pedant fail.
I hate these large groups that head into the hills. Thanks to social media they are becoming more frequent. Arseholes, they ruin other peoples days out due to the noise generated and space they take up, block paths, crowd out viewpoints and generally get up everyones nose. Anymore than a group of three/four people and they become oblivious to anyone else around them. Hope you all get punctures!
If you want peaceful summits, avoid the one that has a train to the top. Roaster.
All the best with the weather op.
40 mtbers in one go!! That's just silly and inconsiderate.
If you want peaceful summits, avoid the one that has a train to the top. Roaster.
Believe it or not, even summits with no train service get the large group treatment. Rocket.
😆
I'll take your word for it.
In case folk are really believing the Llanberis Path would be good for a large group of bikes, here's the path, just below the summit, at lunch time on October 2nd (so after the voluntary restriction is lifted). Restriction or no restriction, Snowdon is not a good place to be on a bike in the middle of the day on a weekend, at all but the very quietest times of year. http://pictr.com/image/EFpz5 [img] http://pictr.com/image/EFpz5 [/img]
Wales has some of the most amazing mountain biking.
What the attraction of Snowdon is I'll never really understand when there is so much else on offer
Wales has some of the most amazing mountain biking.What the attraction of Snowdon is I'll never really understand when there is so much else on offer
You could say the same about hillwalking too!
TBH I love riding Snowdon, and do it regularly. But always first thing - usually set off before sunrise and get down in time to start work! It's an amazing place to be at first light when you have it pretty much to yourself. And the descent of the Ranger is brilliant when there's nobody to get in the way!
It's an attraction because it's one of the biggest lumps in the Uk and it's on the tick list for UK mtbers as it's legally cycleable, albeit with a voluntary ban.
Ryan's just replied to my message: they're going up 17-19th march. The saturday is the 18th. Good luck Ryan and gang!
Is there an uplift?
Riding down sounds fun, stuff riding uphill though.
40 riding up Snowdon!? What's the odds that they're a student group of mixed abilities meaning that they will probably come back down the Llanberis path!? Surely if the mountain rangers (or whatever they're called) see this group they can stop them?
How much of it is rideable up on an ebike? I'd like to do it but if I have to get off and walk for any considerable distance then I a) probably won't make it to the top and b) won't be able to ride at all properly coming back down.
Is there an uplift?
Riding down sounds fun, stuff riding uphill though.
Unless you have legs of steel and lots of grit you will most likely be riding abt 50-60% of the way up and shouldering, pushing the remainder.
I think I did more climbing than riding up but if anything it was worth the pain. The Ranger's descent is fun and lots of tech and then you get to telegraph valley all grin inducing and endorphin high stuff.
How much of it is rideable up on an ebike?
Not so sure I want to be shouldering or lugging the ebike just before and after the railway line. DO you need an e-bike? It can be done I suppose just take your time.
Surely if the mountain rangers (or whatever they're called) see this group they can stop them?
It's a Right of Way, so sadly not. This is where self-policing is called for. And fair play, the consensus on this thread seems to be pretty responsible. The NPA have become quite pro-mtb over the last few years and I think we'll see a fair few access concessions coming our way as a result. Negative incidents will of course work against this.
Ryan's just replied to my message: they're going up 17-19th march. The saturday is the 18th. Good luck Ryan and gang!
Ooh! Think I'm guiding on the mountain that day 🙂 I predict carnage!
There are miles better rides in North Wales than Snowdon. In fact, having done it on a beautiful sunny August morning, starting at 5am (and it was still really busy then!) I can't think of any in the area I've enjoyed less.
Just go and ride somewhere else thats better. Unless you really are[i] that[/i] bothered about ticking boxes.
40 of you will be a bloody nightmare, and you'll just piss loads of people off. Seriously... why bother?
How much of it is rideable up on an ebike?
I reckon pretty much all of it would be rideable, perhaps 95%? There are a couple of sections that are steep inclines pitched stone which might prove tricky. On a normal bike it's very much ride a bit, walk a bit, shoulder bike a bit. Just take your time, set off early no rush, even at a slow walking pace it might take you 2-3 hours to get to the top.
I'd love the train to take bikes up and I reckon they'd certainly get people willing to pay £50 a time if they were to offer the service. Don't know why they don't.
I'd love the train to take bikes up and I reckon they'd certainly get people willing to pay £50 a time if they were to offer the service. Don't know why they don't.
I think that's the beauty of it, the fact that you have to really be willing and committed to ride/hike the bike up to get that descent in makes it all part of the experience.
I've done the whole big-group ride stuff before, and not really enjoyed it, however it's not a muck about in the woods, I'm told that it'll be 40 riders spread across several smaller groups doing the same ride at their own pace.
It's a properly organised ride which has been done several times before, and if weather conditions are too bad alternative routes will be taken. So whilst I appreciate the concerns and perhaps I should have elaborated further, it's not a "social media special" at all and I'm confident that it'll be a great weekend.
S'odd innit, last time I could be bothered to do Snowdon (the view is nice if the weather's OK) there must have been easily a couple of thousand walkers on it, the top was so rammed with folk there was a queue for the summit dais, it was so busy I didn't even bother, just rode straight over the tracks to the start of Rangers (which was equally rammed with folk coming up and down) No one, but no one would question the numbers of walkers or their "right" to be there, yet arguably there were too many...and here we are wringing our hands over 40 bikes on a legal ROW outside the ban period.
Snowdon is only worth doing for the "I've done Snowdon" bragging rights, swerve it and do Cadair instead, no bugger goes there, the riding is better, and there's no ban.
40 riding up Snowdon!? What's the odds that they're a student group of mixed abilities meaning that they will probably come back down the Llanberis path!? Surely if the mountain rangers (or whatever they're called) see this group they can stop them?
Why? would they do the same for a big group of walkers? Every time I head up a mountain I pass people that are ill prepared or dressed inappropriately for a day in the hills, every single time.
I see no issue with the group that Ryan describes, big groups aren't my thing but hey ho, live and let live.
Why? would they do the same for a big group of walkers? Every time I head up a mountain I pass people that are ill prepared or dressed inappropriately for a day in the hills, every single time.
Snowdon is the place to go if you want to see clueless muppets. Because you can get the train up, you get some right idiots jumping on it as if they're going for a little stroll through the local park. I've seen people on the summit in flip flops. I shit you not!
Just take your bike up Cadair*, nobody walks up the pony path and it's worth it for the "How did you get your bike up here?" comments at the top.
(*it's just an up and down route)
(Also shameless plug but you could rent my cottage which is 25mins drive away or you can ride from the door for a grand day out....)
Good enough
is the singletrack down Cadair *better than the one down the rangers?
is there any forest on Cadair?
*subjective I know
is the singletrack down Cadair *better than the one down the rangers?
is there any forest on Cadair?*subjective I know
To be honest, it's not the best downhill as it breaks to double track and then farm track for a lot of the way. But you'll have it to yourself
Also it depends on how you extend the ride. You've got Dyfi Forrest one side and Coed y Brenin the other side so your not short of options of great riding.
To be honest, it's not the best downhill as it breaks to double track and then farm track for a lot of the way. But you'll have it to yourself
+1 but IMO, the top bit is wild enough that it's worth it. I'd love to ride it again but even on an ebike the top really isnt rideable up for me (and I suspect most people).
is the singletrack down Cadair *better than the one down the rangers?
In that it's not filled with vacantly eyed walkers not paying attention to anything other than the ground directly in front of their feet? Then yes, it is, there's enough to get interesting at the top, and you can get some decent speed up
I think you've sold me on Cadair Idris. I quite like the idea of hooning down at speed without any walkers in the way and there looks to be a lot more cover than Snowdon which should make for a more pleasant climb & descent. We can do Coedybrenin then on the sunday before heading home rather than Degla. Next question, can anyone suggest accomodation in Dolgellau with cheap, clean single rooms?
Cadair is a good choice, it's not as technical but you can make it what you want - choose your speed and lines. It is certainly worth it for the emptiness, and it - naturally - has brilliant views too. I did it on a summer weekend and only saw a few people right near the top. You could also do the Pont Scethin route the next day if you wanted to go full 'au naturel'.
Not sure what you call cheap, but we have self catering cabins set in the middle of Coed y Brenin, just 400 metres from the trails.
You can sleep in the bedroom and the sofa bed in the lounge if you need separate rooms.
Depending on the day of the week, they are priced at £75-£100 a night, and can sleep up to four if you share rooms. 15 minutes to Dolgellau, and not much further if you are riding Cadair Idris
www.mostyncottage.co.uk if you want to take a look, or give us a call if you have any questions.
Regards
Keith
[url= http://www.ty-serenbandb.co.uk/ ]Ty Seren Nice B&B [/url]
stayed here before, right in the centre of Dolgellau, next to all the pubs, comfy rooms, nice hosts, decent brekkie, and wifi.
Last time we rode Cadair Idris, the snow was so deep we sacked the bikes off, went and bought sledges, and walked up it, then sledged down. It was a right laugh 😀
It was April
I quite fancy Cadair Idris, but when I head down the M6 I can't get past the Lakes.... 😆
I think some perspective is called for on Cadair being quiet. It still sees well in excess of 50,000 visitors a year. Now think that these will probably mainly be scattered over 9-10 months. And then very heavily weighted to weekends... around a half of Snowdon's 500,000+ annual visitors climb the mountain on weekends. So you may well still get 200-300 on the mountain on a saturday. The good news is that you'll only share the very top section with these, with the trails up as far as where it joins the Pony Path seeing very little walking traffic. It's a great ride, as is Snowdon. Enjoy!
I hate these large groups that head into the hills. Thanks to social media they are becoming more frequent. Arseholes, they ruin other peoples days out due to the noise generated and space they take up, block paths, crowd out viewpoints and generally get up everyones nose. Anymore than a group of three/four people and they become oblivious to anyone else around them. Hope you all get punctures!
You don't ride trail centres then?