Afan – Blade + Skyline extension, or W2 ??

Haven’t been there for years, but planning a day trip at the weekend. The above options look best for a longish day out.

What’s the difference? And which do you recommend and why?

Cheers.

W2 its best bang for buck you can add the Afan Bike Park and Penyhdd if you have the legs

^^This^^

Blade for me, hardly any fire road sections to talk about.

Ghost Train is being cut up a bit by Moto crossers riding in there, only two parts ( very short), have been cut up badly.

W2 is also very good, bit more fire road climbs though.

Can’t go wrong with either really.

With a bit of map-reading Blade and W2 can be combined for a mega figure-of-eight loop, with Penhydd thrown in at the end if you’ve still got the legs.

W2 starting at Glyncorrwyg (sp). So you get on the Whites climb when you’re fresh, rather than just after the biggest plate of beans on toast of your life.

You also don’t have do the boring extra bit to the Afan cafe and back, snacks are on sale at the Bike Park normally.

With a bit of map-reading Blade and W2 can be combined for a mega figure-of-eight loop

I did this on Sat. No map reading required if you don’t take any shortcuts. You’ve just got to go up the Whites level climb twice! Getting caught in the rain for 3hours without a coat is not advisable though!

Instead of W2 or Blade + Skyline I’d prefer doing Blade + Whites Level or from the other end The Wall + Penhydd + Blue Scar OP.

The bit of skyline you can link into blade is pretty dull tbh, some nice views but I don’t remember anything else of note.

I could be wrong, but I think the old skyline descent is still there though, and you can access it pretty easily by heading back up the first climb after blade? That could be a good addition.

Blue Scar is good btw! We went and did Penhydd one morning and the toys properly came out of the pram, I hated it… So on a local tip we went, ah well, the blue can’t be any worse- and had a great time. So don’trule it out just because of the grade.

The skyline descent is still there, instead of turning left down The Rock, carry straight on the trail.

Follow the trail and you will come to the first set of steps. This then leads to the section that picks up part of the common Blade and Skyline descent.

After the gate that arrives on the fire road, there is a gate here.

Turn left to follow the Blade (Happy Life), or just go straight on to follow the Skyline descent.

Not too many people ride the Skyline descent these days, which is a pity, as it is much more of a flowing trail, and slightly easier compared to the Blade descent.

Yeah, tbh I wouldn’t want to miss the blade final descent, it’s ace but it’s good to have options

Still love Skyline descent, one of the flowiest trails in the valley.

I always ride the skyline descent now, but my lack of skill and 100mm xc hardtail make the final blade descent a bit bruising