Rode this route from the Bikefax Snowdonia guidebook a few weeks ago – the mental and physical scars are still healing 😀

We'd done all the routes from the book graded up to a 3 (out of 5), had tried a couple with sections graded 4 and enjoyed them, so we thought we'd give it a go.

Not too bad climbing out of the Ogwen valley and a nice ride along the reservoir overflow, but the section along the left hand side of Llyn Colwyd towards Trefriw nearly finished me off.
I had a bad 'over the bars' incident, beat myself up a bit and just managed to avoid landing on rocks, which knocked my confidence for the really tough bit along the side of the lake, which both of us found pretty unrideable.

Felt better after the descent into Trefriw, and a ride along the right hand side of Llyn Crafnant, but found much of the descent from the col at the head of Llyn Crafnant into Ogwen and back to the car park at Capel Curig very tough indeed.

Ms Spanner threatened to give me a hardtail enema if I ever, ever tried to take her anywhere that tough again.

Has anyone ridden and enjoyed this route?

It was soaking wet with loads of standing water when we tied it, but can't imagine it being much easier in the dry.

I did it in January and although the view along the side of the reservoir was stunning, proper out there, the ice made it as much of a walk as a ride. The drop down to Capel was certainly up there in the technical stakes IMHO.

I think it's fair to find it a difficult route, certainly with with the rockiness and the distance you are from home, it's going to be a challenge for a lot of riders

Ta for the reply.

Bit too much for us – think we'll be sticking to the grade 3 and under from now on.

Have a skills weekend booked to (hopefully) give us some more confidence over the steep and rock stuff, but just found this one scary TBH.
It's the big rocky drops in quick succession that get me flustered – no time at all to recover.
Found the bridleway by the side of the lake very rutted and eroded, very difficult to get multiple pedal strokes in.

If you were doing the route from the Guidebook, I can't recommend the 'Druids Circle', 'Moel Y Ci', 'Telegraph Valley' and 'Llyn Anafon' routes highly enough.
The 'Elins Revenge' route is good fun as well, though you might find all these bit easy if you enjoyed the 'Llyn Colwyd' route.

To quote Homer (Simpson that is) "if something is hard to do…it's not worth doing".

I've done it a few times, really like the singletrack along the res, like a hard version of the Dolthie Valley, that final climbs a bit of a bugger to say the least but the descent makes up for it. There's a decent pub just round the corner when your finished, always good!

I'd do it again next time I'm up there.

i have ridden the route from llanwrst….up the steepest road i have ever pused up. did it clockwise….awesome route.
rode a bit of the marin trail at the end too if i remember…

Done it a few times now, and really like it. Good techy stuff to keep you interested in and great scenery. For added fun ride from Bangor up the cycle track to Capel – makes it a decent length then 😉