WRT GR.

[frogatthefarriers]

here is one in the sea (at high tide) but it is reachable off the beach as the tide goes out

I believe areas such as that are quite often and commonly referred to as 'beach'.

There’re a lot of beaches in Wales called “Traeth Beach”

[RIP]

Which dots are we looking at? By some miracle all the dots on my (very) vague 'plan' exactly match the locations of a variety of cafes and pubs. It's uncanny! Mind you, that 'plan' will be forgotten by tomorrow.

[RIP]

Oh, and just been out for a quick spin with MuddyPete and it was 1degC. And that's darn Sarf. I wonder if this will be one of those fairly unusual sub-zero WRTs? I remember a few years back Climber's mob had -4degC in a pub garden near Newtown. My lot basked in a balmy +1degC in an old hill fort round the corner so we didn't freeze up.

[godivatrailrider]

One for the pack raft crew??

So while I’ve signed up for the LHC, any tips as to how to join the dots from the more experienced bikepackers?

First, if you can be ar53ed, plot all the points on a map.
Second, ignore them and plot a route that feels good to you.

or
Plot them on a map.
Be very realistic on your capabilities , remembering Welsh offroad miles are longer, steeper and often wetter than English miles.
I personally think 35 miles is a good day out in the hills. Others want 100 or more.
Once you've settled on a suitable distance, I'm tempted to say half it but I wont, you'll have a better idea of what you're likely to achieve. This probably means you can discard several / most of the points as irrelevant.
Then using your preferred mapping software (mine is RideWithGPS) and Bing Maps in OS mode start planning a route.
You'll likely want food and drink so allow for that.
THERE'S NOTHING AT THE POINTS. No one knows if you've been and frankly no one cares. It's not a race. There's no losers, we're ALL winners.
So if a point is really hard to get to, don't .
But I find Stu has put them in great spots, and plotting a route between the usually makes me ride places I wouldn't usually ride.
On Saturday it's doubtful we'll depart before 14:00 so bear that in mind and plan a shorter first day.

This is a fab event and super social. Stop for coffee and a cake. Have a beer at lunchtime. Campsites are fine. Evening meal in a pub is perfect. Enjoy yourself.

[RIP]

Oh the 'official' dots. Wise words from Godiva there. Extra penn'orth:

Don't be a slave to 'meal times', grab food and drink when you can. Nowt wrong with having a kebab for breakfast, although I wouldn't touch one with a bargepole.

Invest in a water filter so you have more opportunities for drinking. Don't lug litres of heavy water around. This is wet Wales.

This is wet Wales. You'll get wet. Doesn't matter for 3 days (unless you're also cold which ain't good together obviously).

Don't be a slave to your 'route'. Let stuff happen. Go and see what that thing is 'over there'. Stay all day in the pub if the beer and people are nice. I'm not a fan of following a line on an electronic gizmo, it's far too limiting. Forget recording mileages, heartrates, etc; record stories instead.

Then again, if you want to visit all the GRs as quickly as possible that's equally valid isn't it. Who's to say?

Oh and of course the usual 'TLS' applies.

Ignore all the above 'cos you've got an expert Karl to chaperone you along anyway .

[RIP]

On Saturday it's doubtful we'll depart before 14:00

Nah, too much 'departure creep', let's get that show on the road 1pm sharp, there's tussocks to do battle with .

[godivatrailrider]

Invest in a water filter so you have more opportunities for drinking. Don't lug litres of heavy water around. This is wet Wales.

Don't be a slave to your 'route'. Let stuff happen. Go and see what that thing is 'over there'. Stay all day in the pub if the beer and people are nice.

Oh and obviously the usual 'TLS'.

The voice of experience here. Cheers Reg, all super valid points.

It is too easy to get too strung up on sticking to your route. There are (nearly) always alternatives. Often a bridleway on the map doesn't exist on the the ground, even if it looks like it's there in aerial photos. This has caused me massive grief in the past. But I always seem to plough on regardless when in reality I should go back.

Wet & cold feet are the bane of my life. Buy waterproof socks.

[Karl]

Ignore all the above 'cos you've got an expert Karl to chaperone you along anyway .

Probably not the wisest of words from Reg

[RIP]

Often a bridleway on the map doesn't exist on the the ground, even if it looks like it's there in aerial photos. This has caused me massive grief in the past. But I always seem to plough on regardless when in reality I should go back.

. That's a very good tip, which Stu usually points out. One might even say 'Always' instead of 'Often'. Use 'tracks' instead - paired black dashed lines, usually kept open by foresters and farmers and whatnot.

One of these days, as well as not being too bothered about GRs, I might not even set off at all. There's a certain appeal to spending all weekend slumped in a deckchair with a hankie over your face in Stu's yard, stirring very occasionally for another brew and slice of DFLDC. I suspect this option may get short shrift in certain quarters though .

[RIP]

Ignore all the above 'cos you've got an expert Karl to chaperone you along anyway .

Probably not the wisest of words from Reg

We look forward to the ensuing stories then

[Boab]

Often a bridleway on the map doesn't exist on the the ground, even if it looks like it's there in aerial photos. This has caused me massive grief in the past. But I always seem to plough on regardless when in reality I should go back.

. That's a very good tip, which Stu usually points out. One might even say 'Always' instead of 'Often'. Use 'tracks' instead - paired black dashed lines, usually kept open by foresters and farmers and whatnot.

I changed one of my potential routes for this very reason. Just cause the BB200 in 2014 went along it, doesn't mean I want to...

[JohnClimber]

Forget recording mileages, heartrates, etc; record stories instead.

Love that Reg......

On my very first WRT back in it's 2nd year Stuart taught me a very good lesson and if I get drunk enough I'll tell everyone about it again and again and again.

Gave up Strava and following a line years ago, the freedom it gives in being able to change a route is really liberating

I have a Plan A as I really enjoy plotting routes on maps,,, but when they are on the ground they always seem to ends up at Plan Z and I've enjoyed every bit of the hardships and route changes along the way on each trip.

Thanks Stuart

[RIP]

Forget recording mileages, heartrates, etc; record stories instead.

Love that Reg......

On my very first WRT back in it's 2nd year Stuart caught me a very good lesson and if I get drunk enough I'll tell everyone about it again and again and again.

I think the rest of us are still dining out second-hand on that story too, it's a classic

[GoneCaving]

Ignore all the above 'cos you've got an expert Karl to chaperone you along anyway .

Probably not the wisest of words from Reg

Yes, but we know he’s done the ITI, so I’m at least a little bit wary of what he might have planned!

I did start trying to figure out how I might approach it, looking at Strava heatmaps and Google, so at least I might get a sense of how many other souls have passed that way, and then realised that maybe I should think like a roadie, and hunt for the tearooms. And in any case it’s all going to be new routes.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Strava heatmaps

Be very wary ..... especially of people riding in Oct. I'd also say that this area of Wales has many little visited parts and following the masses means you won't either

[GoneCaving]

Well in terms of the heatmaps, I was thinking they might help indicate if what looks like a track in google might actually be a track?

[Boab]

Well in terms of the heatmaps, I was thinking they might help indicate if what looks like a track in google might actually be a track?

I use https://www.rowmaps.com to give me an idea of what's supposed to be on the ground. It doesn't give any indication of open access areas, like Forestry Commision tracks and what not, so you still have to do a bit of digging. But for an overview it's quite useful. Especially as you can also load a GPX into it and check that the route you constructed in RideWithGPS, or similar, is correct (ish). For example:

https://www.rowmaps.com/showmap.php?pla ... 78&lonew=W

[GoneCaving]

I use https://www.rowmaps.com to give me an idea of what's supposed to be on the ground. It doesn't give any indication of open access areas, like Forestry Commision tracks and what not, so you still have to do a bit of digging. But for an overview it's quite useful. Especially as you can also load a GPX into it and check that the route you constructed in RideWithGPS, or similar, is correct (ish). For example:

https://www.rowmaps.com/showmap.php?pla ... 78&lonew=W

Oh that’s really neat! Thanks for the link to that.

[Boab]

Another useful one is https://gpx.studio/ For example, you can download all the BB200 routes and load them all in at the same time, they get different colours. If you're struggling for inspiration, then this'll at least warn you of areas that need much deeper inspection via satellite view...

[Bearbonesnorm]

Well in terms of the heatmaps, I was thinking they might help indicate if what looks like a track in google might actually be a track?

Not if they were ridden in Oct

I find Geograph much more useful for helping find out whether something actually exists or not. If you type in a 6 figure reference (I find putting in the overall box with a 5 - example SH SN 645 895will bring up more results than putting in a more accurate 6 figure ref.

[whitestone]

Well in terms of the heatmaps, I was thinking they might help indicate if what looks like a track in google might actually be a track?

Ah, the optimism of innocence

Stu's written a couple of blog pieces (in the news and reviews section) about how to interpret OS maps and whether there's anything likely to be present on the ground. That still doesn't guarantee it of course. At the winter event earlier this year my wife and I took a BW out of Hafren that we'd not done before (this one - http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=287525&Y=287247&A=Y&Z=120), that kilometre took us about an hour and a half It supposedly follows a firebreak, it does but storms have led to a lot of wind blow so we were climbing over and under trees almost constantly. The BWs to watch out for are those dashed lines that follow a nice graceful arc across the map, there's basically none like that in real life in the mountains, sometimes the 1:25k maps show a track nearby and it's generally fine to follow that.

I once asked about this BW http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=289805&Y=297064&A=Y&Z=120, Stu's comment was that there was a reason that he'd never included it in a BB200

One site that can be useful is geograph.org.uk which tries and gets a shot from every OS grid square. Sometimes you'll be lucky and the shots are of the track, other times the photographer has been more interested in old farm machinery.

[Boab]

I once asked about this BW http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=289805&Y=297064&A=Y&Z=120, Stu's comment was that there was a reason that he'd never included it in a BB200

I initially put that one in a route I was planning. After spending a bit on satellite view, I removed it, couldn't fine hide nor hair of it.

[GoneCaving]

Well in terms of the heatmaps, I was thinking they might help indicate if what looks like a track in google might actually be a track?

Ah, the optimism of innocence

yes, guilty as charged! With a bit of luck I’ll get to have that knocked out of me in the Autumn this year.

[RIP]

So, usual question. Do we need to pre-book access to Colette's world-famous baps? I know she won't let just any smelly old bikepacker get near them, never mind get their hands on one. A couple of years ago I reserved a veggie one but before I was able to get near her it had been stolen, yes stolen, by some other unscrupulous suitor. Reckon she could do a roaring trade in take-away ride snacks, chewbars etc too. Since I don't bring any supplies, if I don't get a lick or two of bap for lunch before setting off I'd keel over from unrequited hunger. I could probably supply my own sauce if requested though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I don't know what happened there Reg, she usually has a fine and varied selection to hand. I shall put a word in.