I’m off to Cwmcarn & BPW this weekend, and while I’m really looking forward to doing the uplift at BPW again, I can’t say the same about the climb at Cwmcarn as I’ve heard it’s a bit “challenging”. I’ve not really been out on the bike since Xmas & struggled with a bit of Manflu recently, so am I going to struggle??

Its quite long, especially the first time. Not too bad though, Interesting enough to take your mind off the up. There’s a few tricky bits if you are tired, like short sharp ups with a root at the top. Usually a foot down for me if I’m a bit knackered.

Which trail?

The Twrch climb is pretty tough, mainly due to it being near-continuous but with plenty of natural rest stops. The Cafall is more undulating but goes higher.

If you’re talking about the Twrch / Original XC loop, well… let just say there’s as many Strava segments along the Forrest Drive as there are on the Trail.

Also ‘thanks’ to BPW The uplift at Cwmcarn is quieter now than it’s even been so you can probably grab a ‘one off’ lift with Darrel – he’s just dropped a pile of cash on a new trailer and replacement engine for the Van so would probably welcome the business.

I find the Twrch climb to be a bit of a challenge – there’s one short section I’ve only cleaned once in what must be 40 goes over the years.

The fact that I ride a tiny 1×9 4cross bike doesn’t help much

What P-Jay means it is easy to slack off most of the relatively tricky / knackering singletrack climbs by smashing straight up the fire road that runs parallel to the Forest Drive.

This applies to both the Cafall and Twrch.

It’s a good interesting climb. Mortals can clean all of it, but putting it all together in one run is tricky.
Twrch is far more tech than Cafall (which I found boring up and down).

I got halfway up it once and threw up.

But I was suffering from concussion as it later turned out, so that probably had something to do with it.

Rob Hilton – Member

I find the Twrch climb to be a bit of a challenge – there’s one short section I’ve only cleaned once in what must be 40 goes over the years.

The fact that I ride a tiny 1×9 4cross bike doesn’t help much

Short rocky bit sort of mid-point between the very start and the Rangers office / gate thing?

Tougher riders than me have failed at that – I saw an almost poetic SPD fail on that a few years ago, such was the grace in the way it happened – dude just couldn’t unclip and rolled over – luckily for him he can’t been hurt by anything found on earth so laughed it off.

Id say break it up do one lap of the twich to get the “full XC workout”, then pay for up lifts to keep that service going and get the “downhill workout”.

I’m not a huge fan of the climb on the Twrch trail, it’s a bit of a slog yes, but the first third has some quite technical rocky/rooty sections where it’s hard to build momentum, particularly if there’s any frost/gloop, I just find it very frustrating, and not much fun.

Descent is really good, and by the end you’ll have forgotten the climb, but on the way up you will be cursing.

Short rocky bit sort of mid-point between the very start and the Rangers office gate thing?

Nope, quite a bit higher up where it’s mostly smooth with a rock to get over, then a slight hike in gradient with another rock. Although I know where you mean and have had some embarrassing slow offs there and at other points on the same climb

The steep bit 2/3rds of the way along the last singletrack climb (before the rough fire road?).
That’s the hardest bit of the climb IMHO, especially without a granny ring.

Get on with it you Jessie.

It’s a decent climb, but it’s not going to kill you to put a foot down, have a rest or a walk is it?

I really enjoy that climb but then, I can ride 🙂

Both Twrch and Cafal are brilliant laps but the climbs are the price you pay for some great single-track and downs IMHO.

I am lucky that I can now ride both climbs in one, but most of the time I take a breather and enjoy the ride.

Curse you and the bike, and wish you had taken up chess going up the hills…..then smile as you come flying back down saying ‘I can’t wait to do this again’

Enjoy

Great climb (if you like climbs). Still not done it in a single push though, and always dab on the rooty section after the bridge over the stream, plus another rooty bit further up.

The Twrch climb is a good fun challenge, both physically and technically, but its far from insurmountable. I’d much rather ride it than bash up the tarmac – I don’t even understand the logic of that.

Cafal is just like Whites level climb IMO, with a couple of steeper 180s.

how tricky is it ?

If it’s dry then it will be a techy climb but not impossible, if it’s wet it’s another story.

A lot of people do climb up on the fireroads so they can enjoy the downs, just look at strava and you’ll see the routes.

The steep bit 2/3rds of the way along the last singletrack climb (before the rough fire road?).
That’s the hardest bit of the climb IMHO, especially without a granny ring.

I’m 50/50 on clearing that, think it’s called Giant’s Finger? I’ve found it easier since going 1×10, forces me to carry more momentum into it!

I don’t think the wet has any effect on the cleanability of the climb. You need new tyres 🙂

The Twrch climb, is a little tricky but not impossible to clean but to clean it fitness helps big time, its not that the technical bits are super tricky but more about how wobbly your legs are when you get to them.

If you are out of shape don’t expect to clean it one and there is nothing wrong with taking a break or pushing the trickiest parts. I have cleaned it all, just never on the same ride 🙂

The Cafal climb is less technical but again a good level of fitness helps.

With the right bike both climbs are enjoyable in a challenging sort of way.

Twrch .. by far the only trail centre I cannot and probably will not clean on climbs, just impossible (for now) to build momentum … makes that big climb in Afan (after glyncorrwg) childs play 😡

Both Twrch and Cafal are brilliant laps but the climbs are the price you pay for some great single-track and downs IMHO.

A technical climb is part of the appeal – much better than those boring fireroad drags at Afan.

I’m no mountain goat but it’s fairly straight forward to clean if you are looking ahead and ready to give it some beans at the right moment.
Possibly fatigue/concentration that gets people. And a bit of fitness.
Really engaging to ride. Stop and have a breather then go again!

I’m sorry, it’s a trail centre climb, not too technical, not impassable without correct gear selection and line choice.
If it’s too much, go home.

I’m sorry, it’s a trail centre climb, not too technical, not impassable without correct gear selection and line choice.
If it’s too much, go home.

Always one 🙄 It’s not impossible but for your “normal” rider, not cycling gods like yourself it’s tough. I’d bet on a given day one in fifty or less clean it with out stopping.

I like to ride the twrch climb after the cafal climb them back up to do the downhill… in the snow, just saying.

Not as hard as it was about 8/9 years ago when it was tough to clean. They changed the route on the upper third which made it easier.

I’ve cleaned it a couple of times, but it was knackering.
I like it more than the same old hard packed switchback stuff you often get. More of a natural feel to it, especially the rooty rocky bits.
Not been for maybe 2 years though so it may have changed.

Every year the Twrch climb gets a bit more technical, as another layer of soil is removed and transported across the country on clothes and bikes.

Take the fire road up and cross over

Nah the climb has been made easier in places, I still count the number of dabs on the way up. Can clean it but it’s rare. My best time up it is just over the 30 min mark so it is a good effort but not that long really.

Thanks for the replies people. Looking forward to it, & I won’t mind having a dab every now and then. Hell, I’ll even get off and push if I need to. So if you see someone pushing a Remedy up the hill, that’ll be me. Say hi!

Seemed to have been satirised to much last time I was there but I like a challenging climb unlike most.

You’ll have to forgive candodavid.

He’s some weird alien climbing machine that runs on cornflakes. Oddly, his extraterrestrial creators chose to give him a Yorkshire accent. Go figure!

This thread is boosting my ego 🙂

orangeboy – Member
Seemed to have been satirised to much last time I was there but I like a challenging climb unlike most.

Ian hislop and paul merton given it a scathing going over?

Not ridden it for years but always enjoyed it. Its a bit of a pig in places though. Also I did manage to break my arm on the climb…. which is just lame 🙁