Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Llanberis (not Snowdon) route recommendations, please
  • alfabus
    Free Member

    I’m going to be in Llanberis at the weekend, and hope to sneak off for a ride on Saturday.

    I’m not going to be able to ride Snowdon, since I’ll be riding in the middle of the day.

    Any recommendations (and hopefully GPX files??) for trails for me to entertain myself for 3 or 4 (or 5) hours?

    Might not have my van available, so riding from town would be good.

    Cheers,
    Dave

    Whydot
    Full Member

    Hello,

    You could ride from Llanberis, up the road (the turning by the Joe Brown’s corner shop) past the old peoples home to Cefn Du (nice fast bridleway descent. Not so sure about going up it though!) then onto Moel Eilio, across the tops, and down Telegraph Valley to finish?

    I think that would take about 4 hours?

    Think I may have a map of it somewhere. I’ll dig it out if you’re interested?

    Toby

    alfabus
    Free Member

    yes please 🙂

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    Whydot
    Full Member

    Email sent.

    alfabus
    Free Member

    Cheers 🙂

    I had a bit of a play on bikehike before I got your email and I found the route. We’re staying at Llwyn Celyn Bach campsite, which is on that route… that cuts the circuit down to 11.5km and 600m of climbing. I might see if I can extend that a bit by going over the other side of the lake.

    Bloody good starting point though. Thanks!

    Dave

    Whydot
    Full Member

    If you wanted to make it longer, you could ride along the cycle path down the lake towards Brynrefail, then take the Fachwen road up to Deiniolen/Dinorwig, and do the descent down through the slate quarries into Nant Peris, and back into Llanberis? That would add roughly an hour?

    Toby

    saxabar
    Free Member

    @Whydot – any chance you can forward that map/email to me? Address is andymcstayatgmaildotcom

    The slate mines run can be extended by cycling over towards Bethesda and turning right towards the reservoirs (which takes you over a metal gate), and then right again up the hill. This doubles the length of the mines descent and gives you awesome views of Snowdon. Pack an extra tube though!

    alfabus
    Free Member

    right… i’ve now plotted a figure 8 that is 32.5km and 1300m ascent… that should do nicely 🙂

    Bit heavy on road on the northern loop, but that quarry section looks worth it – I’ve climbed in there before, so I know how sharp the ground is 😉

    cheers guys!

    If anyone wants the GPX, let me know.

    Dave

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    YGM re a couple of extentions. 😀

    Whydot
    Full Member

    have emailed you saxabar.

    Cheers

    Toby

    saxabar
    Free Member

    @Rusty, are those Moel-y-ci extensions, or naughty ones closer to Llanberis?

    Cheers Toby!

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Saxabar, just a quick mixed route from Bus Stop, on the road to Moel Y Ci, back on the road from Swing, up to Marchlyn Mawr and back through the quarry, following your route.

    And a route from Bus Stop, through Watford Gap down through the quarry, left at the Spa, up over Telegraph Valley, down to Llyn Cwellyn, road to Waunfawr and then back over the saddle to Llanberis.

    Stuff I’m sure you know, but I’ve sent you route descriptions 🙂

    saxabar
    Free Member

    Cheers Rusty – the road routes in particular look very useful.

    Whydot
    Full Member

    Rusty,

    There’s a pretty good descent across the road between Deiniolen to Mynydd Llandegai (about halfway along?) around the flank of Moel Y Ci above Rachub to the bottom of the DH course. Is that the bit you mean in the route from Bus Stop?

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Yeah, that’s the one.

    One of my favourite bits of trail anywhere – fun, safe and the views are unreal. Always stop and have a chat with the horses on the little tarmac bit before the drop down to Sling too. 🙂

    I’ve emailed you my route descriptions just in case there are any bits you can use.

    I’d heard about the DH track but I’ve never had a go. I THINK I know where it is.
    Is it a bit cheeky or can we discuss it on here?

    Whydot
    Full Member

    That’s great, thanks a lot. I’ll email you about the downhill course. I’m pretty certain it’s ok (it’s fairly well established…) but I’m not completely sure!

    saxabar
    Free Member

    Yup, it’s fine (it has a forestry sign grading the difficulty of the trail). Whydot – I’ve just watched your video of it on Vimeo. Very good!

    Whydot
    Full Member

    Ah yes! I’d forgotten I’d done those. There’s also a video of the Cefn Du descent on Vimeo as well.

    Thanks!

    Toby

    rudebwoy
    Free Member

    Rusty Spanner– you must be local to de area ?

    Did you know that starting from the bottom of fachwen, up to machlyn mawr is half an alp d huez, in height and length.

    The road after the gate is alpine stylee, the route down to nant peris is easy doable on a road bike– just like so much ‘off’ road stuff round here !

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    No mate, not local, just a regular visitor!

    The ride up Fachwen is a git – the gradient is bad enough, but getting squeezed into the sides by cars on the last couple of corners scares the gravy out of me. 🙂

    Usually just head back through the gentler quarry climb or up the main road through Brynrefail & Deiniolen these days.

    Love the climb up to Machlyn Mawr – the sound of wind blowing through your wheels helps take your mind off the pain.

    I really wouldn’t like to do the zig zags on a road bike – that slate looks a bit too sharp to me.

    Have you seen the video of someone riding down the main incline?
    I’ll see if I can find it tonight.

    rudebwoy
    Free Member

    Fachwen is a bit of a beast, that last clip before the old school,i stay in the middle of the road until there is a suitable passing place, my safety is paramount to me, — yeah the zig zags require a bit more care on a roadie,the machlyn mawr is a beaut though, nice rythym, descent is ace. We used to get the key and open the gate for a xmas club run, a drop of rum at the top and then bomb down through deniolen to the Vaynol Arms in pentir.

    beicmynydd
    Free Member

    When going down the zig Zags on the slate road eat tires from Marchlyn I always end up with a puncture on the way down, take some spare tubes.

    With regards to the DH track at Moel y Ci it’s legit just respect the local dog walkers and Horse riders etc. If if go by Car to the site don’t speed past houses and leave rubbish in the car park etc.

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