Went for an unauthorised “Recci” and it is GONE!

No trail, no bumps, no jumps, nothing. If you follow the old trail you will just get lost, the mountain has completely changed. Spent 3 hours cycling around various new fire road / logging tracks all to no avail.

As per the FC website – Trail update – 12th April 2011, Work is hoping to start on the new design of this trail within the next two months…… I think not, maybe 2 years.

Ah well bye bye Penhydd you were fun while you lasted, I still have the scars form our last skirmish 🙁

It’s worth mentioning that Whites has had a hammering too.

What’s up with Whites? Seemed ok on Saturday just gone.

eh? Whites and Penhydd are completely different tracks, both good fun in the own way.
Personnally I didn’t expect (though did hope) Penhydd to re-open. Hense I rode it again just before it closed.

This is what I found disapointing: –

Windy point, there are chicken lines every where which is confusing flat out! (This is my favourite part of the trail)

Energy’s burm’s are covered with braking bumps, and the exposed trail leading back to Goodwood is completely washed out.

“Dark Side” is now “Light Side” and used to be super flowy with good air potential, but there are logs all over place. I had to stop and moved a sizble tree branch from the track.

I don’t enjoy it as much as I have in the past, The Wall is still ok though.

By the sounds of it it’s not worth going to Afan and Glyncorrwg any more.

I’m starting to think that too Mike.
No Penhydd, Skyline a shadow of its former self and Whites straining under the load. It’s certainly not what it was.

Penhydd was my favourite trail at Afan, the old gems like “The Hidden Valley, Sidewinder, Deep Sheep Gully, Argoed, and Bubble N Squeak” are bloody brilliant and I don’t think they will ever replace them – hope they do but doubt it.

I agree on Windy Point being the best bit.

🙂

Now you mention it I did find it harder to spot the line for the jumpy/droppy bits, thought I was just ditsracted by broken rear brake at time though.

Does anyone know what’s open and what’s not, on Skyline? I keep hearing that certain sections are closed, but the latest news I can find on line is that it’s all open again. I’ll be visiting Afan in a couple of weeks and have a bit of unfinished business with Skyline as I crashed and broke a couple of ribs last time I was there! I’m desperate to ride it again!

I was there two weeks ago and skyline was open I am sure. Part of The Wall is closed but you can pick it up on the train trailway with out going to Afan cafe to start it. Whites Level rocked for me, absolutely loved it. It was a bit different to what I have done before so am not going to knock it at all. Just want to go back asap.
Loved Cwmcarn to. 😀 The faster you go the better-wheeeee

What do you mean by “gone”?

Has it been logged?
It is a working forest after all…

If the area is suffering, how is that likely to impact the Afan Enduro in August?

9 Foot.com was the best trail there! 😆 (evolved into Penhydd)
As Jimster said, Sidewider, Hidden Valley and Dead Sheep Gully was a holy trail trinity, always worth attacking with all the energy left in the legs.
I haven’t been for a couple of years, but things were looking under maintained even then. Sad to hear of Penhydd’s demise 🙁

I had to stop and moved a sizble tree branch from the track.

We’ve had quite a lot of wind down here recently, despite the continual BBC weather forecast of ‘light winds’, so it’s not out of the ordinary to find branches across trails in the woods? A whole tree had fallen across our local trails on Monday – took 3 of us to move it.

ir_bandito – Member
What do you mean by “gone”?

I might have asked that if I hadn’t been over there last week. The hills that Penhydd used to cross look like they’ve been hit by an atomic bomb. Other than flattened trees and mud, there is nothing there, just devastation.

Obviously it’s a working forest, but in all the years I’ve been riding there I’ve never seen a forest looking so damaged. Even the access tracks are wrecked by the machinery.

None of it can be helped of course, but it is quite amazing to see.

Penhydd was my favourite trail at Afan, the old gems like “The Hidden Valley, Sidewinder, Deep Sheep Gully, Argoed, and Bubble N Squeak” are bloody brilliant and I don’t think they will ever replace them – hope they do but doubt it.

+1