WRT

[chris n]

I'm out. Car broken, plans gone to sub standard. Hopefully I can get my leadout man to pick up my t-shirt.

I was actually looking forward to it too. Change of plans here as well; starting from Rhayader not Bristol today not yesterday. Different bike and route too. I think I’m going to precisely two of the grid refs.

[Verena]

Fecks sake, have just written a nice little something, then tried to attach a photo and lost the whole thing. Sorry not writing all that again. Just wondering how many of us there are? And wanted to say hope you're all having a great time.

[BigdummySteve]

Reg and I have been to some mines now outside the pub at devils bridge, still feels like the WRT

[whitestone]

In Mach having coffee and scones

Kipped by some old mine buildings last night so Reg will be pleased

[Raggedstone]

Psling and myself are sitting on the seafront in Borth having breakfast number 2 at Y LLE.
We spent the night up in the hills near Nant y Moch with only four wheel drives and motorbikes for company .
Hoping to make it for tea and cake later .

[shutuplegs]

2 BB riders spotted in Barmouth, no riding for me this weekend unfortunately but it looks lovely for y’all.

[jaminb]

https://imgur.com/gallery/svoyOkh

Hafren Forest at dusk yesterday evening. Techno’s very generously donated route has nearly killed me this morning! Plenty of pushing, bogs and tussocks with live fire arms for added fun!Just having to recover with a pint at the George Burrow Hotel before another 20 miles north heading towards Mach.

[chris n]

My ‘not the WRT’ is going pretty well so far. Plenty of gravel on an inappropriate bike, carrying too much stuff, dodgy route choices, on-the-fly changes of plan, funny tasting coffee and cold camp sites. I even visited some old mines.

[techno]

https://imgur.com/gallery/svoyOkh

Hafren Forest at dusk yesterday evening. Techno’s very generously donated route has nearly killed me this morning! Plenty of pushing, bogs and tussocks with live fire arms for added fun!Just having to recover with a pint at the George Burrow Hotel before another 20 miles north heading towards Mach.

That bridleway before the gun club was great wasn't it,

[Al]

https://imgur.com/gallery/svoyOkh

Hafren Forest at dusk yesterday evening. Techno’s very generously donated route has nearly killed me this morning! Plenty of pushing, bogs and tussocks with live fire arms for added fun!Just having to recover with a pint at the George Burrow Hotel before another 20 miles north heading towards Mach.

That bridleway before the gun club was great wasn't it,

didn’t realise you’d shared the route Andy - nice to know we weren’t the only ones ‘enjoying’ that bit.

Rest of it was cracking though

I did manage to lose Rich G somewhere in between the carpark and the chip shop - I wonder if he fell asleep in his car....

[Richard G]

I did manage to lose Rich G somewhere in between the carpark and the chip shop - I wonder if he fell asleep in his car....

As far as I can tell we went to different chip shops. I 'd headed home right after realising the one I went to wasn't open.

I feel utterly ruined today. I have an incredible amount of sunburn... oddly only on one leg though.

Cheers for the company and (bits of) the route.

[jaminb]

I have just made it back to Mach my arse can’t take the extra loop to Aberdyfi. The stream was fun, as was the last bit of the push up to the Star and I messed up the boggy wood and had to push out! Was the gun club in action when you rode through? I don’t know anything about guns but didn’t think members of the public could shoot that far! Were you told to clear off by a 10 year old on a quad?

I can’t work our where you guys overtook me I left Mach at 0900 on sat . I did a 20 mile and 1500m of climb divert into Borth yesterday afternoon and ended up bivvying between the grave yard and the sewage works for the pleasure!

I have another cold night under a soggy tarp as my train does leave Mach until 06.00 am

Thanks again Andy for the classic BB route!

[whitestone]

On the way home now.

Saturday we got lost in the forest above the arch then went via the very deep gorge below Devils Bridge before heading via Nant y Arian to a bivy in an old lead mine overlooking Borth.

Sunday saw breakfast in Mach then up to Corris, Aberllefenni and over a very big hill to Aberangell and up to BB Towers. Tea at the Star. Bivvied at a place next to Llyn Clywedig that Stu told us about.

This morning we headed into Hafren and finished via the lovely BW heading down to Llangurig.

Saw a few BBers out and about. Amazingly no rain

[Richard G]

I don’t know anything about guns but didn’t think members of the public could shoot that far! Were you told to clear off by a 10 year old on a quad?

I was surprised. Those were full on sniper rifles. No kid for us though, we didn't need encouragement not to hang around.

We diverged from the route in quite a few places so that's where we probably passed you.

[jaminb]

I am not sure which traumatised me more the stream or the guns but it caused me to miss a pub lunch and sit down on the petrol station forecourt with a bunch of fashionista, mug and camera dangling gravel bikers that I had assumed were in the WRT. It was only after a tuna sweetcorn I came to my senses and realised that with all that Crikey, how much and sculpted facial hair I was much mistaken. The were doing the Welsh section of the GB enduro and it was very tough apparently even for Yorkshire men

[Richard G]

Wow, they were there when we were there... so we must have missed each other by minutes. What day / time was this?

(Though I guess gravelwankery is becoming quite popular so it could have been another group)

[jaminb]

Sunday about 13.00? I had just had to push out the forest of gloopy bog so you may have passed me there. I went the wrong way and missed a right turn havin fun on the steep downhill. I don’t think I was the only one judging by the squashed marsh grass in front of me

[Richard G]

I think we were at the garage at about 14:30, so you must have been slightly ahead at that point. I'd have felt better had I known someone was suffering up in front.

[Gummikuh]

This year was different for me, I decided to ride back from Bear Bones towers all the way to Cranfield(Bedfordshire) 320Km.

I arrived home for 14:00 Monday, so quite happy with that.

I was flagging this morning until a roadie screamed past wearing a Phil Corley shirt (local MK bike store for fashionistas) which meant I was getting close!

I hope Ben you had a good time, I saw your bivvy Friday night but wanted to get going and to the two green maggots just above Stu's on Saturday, my sudden mad panic braking may have woken you!!!

Thanks Stu and Dee as always.

Pete

[jaminb]

Pete glad you made it back . I am sitting on a sunny rock in one of the premier plots of our Friday night camp. No tunes, smoke or people but a well worth £5 more expensive for the pleasure! Kebab and bottle of red enhancing the experience.

Ben

[frogatthefarriers]

I posted a BAM for August earlier in the month so WRT bivvies are here.

The scales of shame (in kilos)


Bivvies 1 & 2

Saturday...


Sunday...



This was my son's first bikepacking trip. He's done plenty of hill walking and cycling and hammocking but no bikepacking.

I gave him a taste of wet feet..


and tussocking..


And lots of climbing, where he showed me a clean pair of heels and waited at the top for me to puff up. And lots of descents where I had to wait for him at the bottom.

We rode 81 miles with 11800 ft of ascents and had a great time of dad/son bonding and drank a fair bit of whiskey and rum. Hic!

Thanks Stu & Dee for all the effort you put in to make a great event.

[RIP]

Well that was brilliant! Best WRT since the last one and almost as good as the next one.

No doubt post some drivel and pics later (WARNING this product may contain mines).

Huge compliments to Stu and t'Boss for rolling with it and BDS/HOTT for putting up with my nonsense.

[whitestone]

Ah yes, the bridleway down to the footbridge they said



Ah!



Some riding



Nearing bedtime



Bivy at an old lead mine



If there's a bustle in your hedgerow



Bad hair day breakfast in Mach



Fek me! That's steep!



A visit to BB Towers suggested this site ...



Llyn Clywedog



Back to the car via one of my favourite bridleways alongside Afon Bidno

[Escape Goat]

Bravo all! Absolutely gutted to miss this one. First BB event not attended in two years.

. Have lost my keys (again).

The first time I met you, you lost your keys. Its just expected now!



Enjoyed this thread, it allowed me to be there remotely.

[Richard G]

The first time I met you, you lost your keys. Its just expected now!

Someone told me to get one of those new fangled key finder things. That would be admitting defeat though!