Nant Yr Arian trails confusion.

Camping at Dyfi adventure campsite for the long weekend and looking at riding Nant Yr Arian one of the days. I’m a bit confused about the start point, I read somewhere that you should start on Forge rd just outside Machynlleth

https://maps.app.goo.gl/oEw3h2cswEKYgXty9.

But I see the main centre with the kite feeding is further south on the A44 which involves a bit of a drive. https://maps.app.goo.gl/gWpJYoV9EBFFGj269.

Where is the best place to start?

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Your first location is completely unrelated. The visitor centre just off the A44 is the place to start. It is a bit of a drive from Dyfi but an easy and pleasant drive. You can also start at Pendam but that is no nearer. It is possible to start from Machynlleth and ride over but that is getting into all day epic kind of riding.

nickjb has it.

First one is technically a river of the same name, has caused similar confusion in the past.

If you don’t need the visitor centre then you can join the trails here https://maps.app.goo.gl/BtBASBFxEb7o7hgA8, there is a small carpark, you are basically accessing from the top end and coming in on the mountain road through Penrhyn-coch (left at Bow street if you are coming down from the north), cuts out coming through Aberystwyth and back out on the A44

The only thing that I’d add is that I think that two laps of the red are more fun than one of the black.

For a long day in the saddle I believe it’s possible to link the Mach 3 trail to whichever the epic Nant Yr Arian one is.

@timmys wow, that would be a proper epic day out.

Great, thanks for all the tips!

On a related note, are the trails open as I know there is a fair bit of felling going on there (or has been this year). I’m up there this weekend and feels like an age since the full summit trail was open.

rhid – i rode hipity hop in the last 2 weeks so can confirm its open again after felling work and there was a local post this week on zorro being ‘open’ which i think was concluding that the trails are clear and now active work is ongoing, might be worth a check on facebook (i’m not on FB).

If you’re coming from the north you can tie into the big loop from multiple points where it contacts the road – I’ve entered from both the SW tip of Nant-y-Moch and the village of Bont-Goch in the past.

Thanks Dave thats good info.

Ok, good to know, I’ll look at the map and see what I can plan.

The only thing that I’d add is that I think that two laps of the red are more fun than one of the black.

I think it depends on what you want out of a ride. The full black really does feel like an old school over the moors and out and about ride, with long ish climbs and descents to almost ease the mind.

Going out of the main bit into the open land has a bit of road for sure but I like it. It’s just different.

Coming back in and back into the rather more rowdy man made trail centre sections are great but I wouldn’t miss out the longer section if you fancy a ride out rather than a series of shorter fun all in challenges that the rest brings.

Agree with twonks. The bits near the centre are great fun but one of the best features of NyA is that you feel proper remote when on the longer tracks.

The Mach 4 trail was supposed to link the Mach trails to Nant-yr-arian, but I don’t think it ever became an official trail with signage.

Couple of mates reckoned the Black to be one of their best ever rides when we did it on a glorious sunny day. Very remote, but with technical singletrack beginning and end. Not sure it would have quite the same allure when grey and wet though.

My best and most rewarding ride was on a wet and foggy day. Couldn’t see more than 20 foot in any direction and loved it.

Probably because it ended up being a ‘test your metal’ type day and at the end I was so looking forwards to getting home (well, log cabin) for a hot shower and food. A bit like rocks in your mouth pleasure, although that probably means something else nowadays..🤣

Does anyone have a link or .gpx for the Mach 4 loop or how to connect Mach 3 to Nant yr Arian please as that sounds like an epic day out!

Have found  this page but it doesn’t seem to come down far enough to link up and the page is 5 years old so may not the most accurate.  There is mention of Mach 4 in the Beicio Mynydd Dyfi Beicio Mynydd Dyfi project page but the link is 404’d.

Due to been awoken very early Sunday by a sick child i had the ‘opportunity’ to properly update my local knowledge of the Nant trails.

All signage at the visitor centre updated reflecting the open status. The full summit trail was clear of forestry operations all round. The first section of the Mark of Zorro hasn’t been impacted, the second section after you cross the little bit of tarmacked back road is growing back in after being felled few years back. Interesting change of perspective riding the same trails but with sight lines changed amongst vigorous new growth

Stayhigh, from the link you sent there are options to link the bridle way south from 739912 onto the road, if you stay on that road for a km then you hit the outer limit of the Syfrydrin trail. If you download the route card for the trail its waymarker 19. Alternative take the double track from 733912 west to the road and then hang a left to come to the same point.

Thanks for the update, just to say we rode Climachx on Friday and Summit on Saturday and had a brilliant time. Just started High as a Kite at 1445 and got to see the feeding which was well worth it.