Is it being re-routed next month?

It appears so according to their website. I did The Wall yesterday and went across the top to do Energy/Windy Point and saw a few people who’d come up the White’s Climb. Will be sad to see that go!

to be honest that climb could do with some time off, ive been riding it regularly for 6 years or so and its eroded badly.
the wall trail really benefited from a year or so of logging, lets hope whites level does too .

What, all the way from the DropOff upto Windy Point?

They really are hell bent on totally destroying Afan aren’t they? Definitely not worth the trip now!

They really are hell bent on totally destroying Afan aren’t they? Definitely not worth the trip now!

It’s really been stuffed by the tree disease and turbines!
Skyline will be decimated soon as well
So that’ll be only the wall left intact. Leaving Penhydd closed for so long is going to haunt them.
It’s the locals I feel for. People simply won’t make the trip. Skyline cycles could be facing some hard times.

Never understood the forest being “destroyed” opinion when areas get felled. It’s meant to be a working, money-making forest grown for timber after all. Those trees didn’t appear naturally.

It does seem that there is little interest in managing these trails in any meaningful way.

Almost as if they were little more than an afterthought as it were..

The lack of information as to whats planned isnt at all helpful, as has already been said there’ll be little point going there soon which is a shame. I have good memories of riding there.

If we as MTB community knew what was planned that would be helpful..

Here’s this month’s trail update

http://www.afanforestpark.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=6486

Cheers Huw.

edit: just read that update. We’ll see what happens but it sounds promising. I hope they manage to achieve all that they are planning.

edit 2: I was talking specifically about Afan as there was a period when not a lot seemed to be happening (apart from talk & vague notions) & there was a distinct lack of info..

It does seem that there is little interest in managing these trails in any meaningful way.

I really disagree with statements like this. What about the newly opened green and blue trails at Afan? This opens it up to newcomers to the sport and children, a much needed feature there in my opinion, as there was nothing available to progress people to the harder trails. Large sections of existing trails are being maintained.

Have you read or seen the major developments that are happening in Coed y Brenin for example?

Also, planning permission has just been granted for a big development at Gethin Woods near Merthyr on the A470 (visitor centre, a new trail network) etc etc.

That doesn’t sound like “little interest” to me.

New trails being built at Afan, skills area looks good, should be open for Christmas as long as people stop riding it resulting it having to be repaired and taking longer to bed in 👿

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-on-Track-Mountain-Bike-Solutions/123008921137789

Never understood the forest being “destroyed” opinion when areas get felled. It’s meant to be a working, money-making forest grown for timber after all. Those trees didn’t appear naturally.

Same could be said for Nantyarian a lot of harvesting but in this case minimal disruption and no damaged/closed trails.

Same could be said for Nantyarian a lot of harvesting but in this case minimal disruption and no damaged/closed trails.

Nant yr Arian has mainly only been subject to “routine” harvesting though, for timber, so much smaller blocks of forest being felled at any one time. Unlike Afan which has been subject to very large areas of forest being cleared in order to help control/slow down the spread of the phyophthora disease which has got into the larch (which Afan has a large proportion of). It’s an incredibly serious situation, as it’s already crossed from one species to the next and not enough is known about it yet to know whether it’ll cross over to other species, so the immediate solution is to clearfell the larch.

There are developments going on at Afan (new bits being added to The Wall) so perhaps it is a little unfair to say it is not worth riding there, but better communication is needed. Goodwood/Darkside have been closed for months, does anyone know if this is temporary? Same for White’s climb. We know it’s closing, but why, and will it be back? Cognation should publicise the state of affairs better.

I ride Afan every week but my riding is primarily The Wall with a bit of off piste stuff nowadays. It’s a shame as Afan is still hugely popular and most people I meet there who aren’t local have no idea which sections are shut or open.

A re-opened Penyhydd and full White’s would restore it to it’s former glory though, we can but hope! Hopefully the new trail being put in for the windfarm willcbe a decent length red/black too.

It’s an incredibly serious situation, as it’s already crossed from one species to the next and not enough is known about it yet to know whether it’ll cross over to other species, so the immediate solution is to clearfell the larch

Good point well made.

I didnt realise it was quite that serious..

Anyone ridden the ‘new’ Whytes Level climb yet? I’m gonna make the joureny there in a couple of weeks.

Its not open yet, im riding it again tomorrow and will post back if i see any other news.

Im a local and I think peoples views on the area are pretty skewed by what people say on the net, if Afan had a better line of communication on the web I think people wouldnt feel like they do.

Lots of things going on on a plus side all within a year…

Penhydd reopening
New skills area on the wall/lodge area
New sections on the wall, some opening very soon.
New sections of skyline, some already open (yes i know they shut the eastern section but most of it wasnt that great apart from south pit and maybe grand canyon)
Reopening goodwood and darkside
New whites climb (could be good, depends on how you view climbs, personally anything that takes me to windy point quicker thats not a fire road is a bonus)

Cheers Philwarren11

Some local first-hand knowledge would be much appreciated, and as you say, might dispel some of the online doom-mongering about Afan.

I have to agree regarding the lack of information regarding what’s opened, what’s closed and confusing/insufficient signs for the diversions. The maps that were on the website showing recent diversions were useless.

A couple of weeks ago I lost count of how many groups of confused looking riders we came across trying to work out where they were going on both White’s and the Walll. I started off showing 2 people around the Cymer diversion to the start of the Wal and had a good 15 strong group of confused riders in tow by the time we got there!

It does seem that there is little interest in managing these trails in any meaningful way.

Almost as if they were little more than an afterthought as it were..
Is it a free trail in a working forest that generates little income for the owners – its a genuine question as I have never been.

Only ever had to pay parking when I have been to trail centre[ dont go very often tbh] – do they actually make a profit?
Again a genuine question

Im happy to post up info if people want some.

I try and help people with the diversions when im out as well.

Diversions are pretty weak in places, like the turn off to start the skyline descent from the fireroad, and general sign posts off the top off the initial climb to go either down the black run or over to windy point.

Worst bit ive seen is 373 on the wall is supposed to be open but everyone i know who has ridden there lately is saying it actually looks closed.

I also dont know why theyve closed off the eastern loop of skyline as its all still rideable.

Is it a free trail in a working forest that generates little income for the owners – its a genuine question as I have never been.

Afan argoed TC is FC owned. I don’t know if they turn a profit from the parking and cafe, but they’ve refurbed the building recently so maybe. Glyncorrwyg is owned by a local co operative. They make money from parking and leasing the premises to Skyline, who in turn make profit from the shop and cafe (and provide employment). The co-op do not contribute to the upkeep of the trails. I would imagine that they’d have gone pop if they were losing money but again I don’t really know.

You can do Whites and Wall in one trail without doing that climb.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/184972505

Just follow the road then bridleway up from Abercregan and hey presto you’re at the top of Whites.

So pleased I rode W2 last weekend 😀 and I suspect it will be like 9Foot/Penyhydd closed for ages 🙁

EDIT before I get flammed the first climb of course

Cheers wrecker
Just interested as I assume they dont make loads of money from the trails and they make far more from the actual forest bit hence why it is less of a priority

Like I say I dont know and rarely ride anything that is not natural – I am not doing that debate each to their own.

Shame.
I’ll miss that climb – and there’s not many climbs I would say that about.
Does seem really unorganised up there at the moment – perhaps, as someone else said, its a communication issue.

Worst bit ive seen is 373 on the wall is supposed to be open but everyone i know who has ridden there lately is saying it actually looks closed.

I saw 373 closed on two visits a few weeks ago. It was open today with a new exit by the picnic bench. You can just see part of the old exit gate over on the left.

Hoping to ride whites climb up, skyline down tonight if anyone wants to join a slow coach. About 7:30 ish

I really disagree with statements like this. What about the newly opened green and blue trails at Afan? This opens it up to newcomers to the sport and children, a much needed feature there in my opinion, as there was nothing available to progress people to the harder trails.

There still isn’t anything available to progress people to Y Wal, or do you really think the blue trail does that? I speak from a perspective a lot of you on here don’t have, as presumably most like me are perfectly happy riding Y Wal (even the bits marked with skull and crossbones) on a bike. The thing is though, I’d struggle to ride that on my unicycle, yet I took that over to ride the blue trail the last time I was there thinking it might be interesting and found it was actually really tame and boring and posed no challenge at all. More at: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/blue-graded-trails-new-trails-at-afan

Hopefully the new 9feet Penhydd trail might fill that gap – it’s certainly been sorely missed, and the worst thing for Afan is that it’s been closed for so long. I understand there are other factors behind that, but the comms have been awful, with the initial impression given that much of the original trail would re-open only a few months after it originally closed. Am just hoping the new one retains something of the character of the old and is anywhere near as good – I’d make the trip just to have a go at the original on my uni if it was still there.

Am just hoping the new one retains something of the character of the old and is anywhere near as good

Rowan Sorrell in this month’s MBR: ‘Everyone thought it would have been trashed but some of the best sections are still there. Hidden Valley has gone so we’ll reinvent that, and the blue trail will be pretty much all new, but once we get to Sidewinder and Dead Sheep Gulley they’ll remain. Although the whole environment has changed, people will recognise parts of it.’

Glad 373 has re-opened with some new trail, best trail at Afan at the moment.

Will be sad to see this climb go, have had some fun punishing myself and friends on this climb over the years. I’m sure its successor with be just as challenging 😀

Anyone tried the new Whytes Level climb yet?

Just got back from there, weren’t any signs of a new climb that I could see, not really sure where they could route it either.

I’ve heard some of the new climb will be up Darkside (Whytes last descent) which has been closed for a while.

Anyone been up there this weekend? Local report would be good 😀

Not heard anything of it closing yet. Not been on whites this weekend.

I checked out most of skyline this weekend tho, some interesting stuff happening.

New bit of single track going in at the end of grenada, cuts out a little of the fire road climb up towards short and sweet (not much tho), still a climb tho.

Checked out the new diversion, which can take you all the way back to deadwood, but i would not recommend this to be honest, the bit where it crosses the trail (about half mile before grenada and not long after heartburn sectio)n from there down to deadwood is awful, really muddy, cut up and not worth it at all. No idea why it sends you down there as fast forward and joyrider is still open.

Thanks for the heads-up Phil. Looking forward to a good weekend at Afan.

According to Strava people were still riding it Saturday. Heading up tomorrow so will report back if it’s closed.

Was up there this weekend riding W2 from the fishing lakes. White’s first climb was there, I really like that climb! We got lost coming back from the Wall to Windy Point and took a while to find the diversion via Skyline back to the car park, but got there in the end.

Glad we made the effort to get down there, shame I only had my fully rigid to ride though… I got a serious case of arm pump!!