Wales Tour: Great Orme to Worm's Head

[Ian]

Checking in from a cafe in Dolgellau. The going is quite tough. About 140km so far, with a days worth of riding. Found some very nice trails, but the west side of the Rhinnogs through Pont Scethin is substantially harder than dropping down through Coedy.

[johnnystorm]

Good effort. Enjoying watching the route unfold.

[slarge]

It seems like slow progress - or am I forgetting the tough bits?

Good ride so far Ian - I think I might leave some of the Pont Scethin bit out of my route!

[Ian]

Back in Brecon now. Ended my ride at Coed Trallwm as it was all road from there back to Brecon. I didn't want to dilute the memory of my passage over Carnau - with a wind and horizontal rain accompaniment - with a largely uninteresting 20 miles of tarmac

~240km, 5700m ascent, ~23 hours. Tough route.

Photos etc later

[slarge]

Good effort Ian. Puts my 2 laps round Cannock to shame.

[johnnystorm]

Don't get disheartened Slarge..... all I've done is fit tyres!

[slarge]

If your fitting new tyres is anything like mine you probably worked up more of a sweat than I did! An hours hoovering has still not given me my exercise fix.....

[Ian]

Here are a few of my favourite pics from the last few days:

Cheeky trails above Conwy Valley:


Snowdon in the distance:


Nuclear sunrise:


Old farmstead on drovers road to Pont Scethin:


Distant Pont Scethin:


Ooof...:


Bleak Claerwen:


Bleak Carnau:


Full set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512491@N ... 754608915/

[FLV]

looks fun ian

[composite]

I thought you weren't going over Carnau?

In fact I was pleased to see that the route avoided it.

[RobMac]

Crackin pics Ian

[Ian]

I had to adapt my route fairly significantly after the bothy, where the guys said, "you know there's a rally on this weekend, don't you?". This meant that I had to be out of the forest before 9:00am, and couldn't rely on being able to use any of the bits of forest around Twyi. Carnau wasn't ideal - it was hideously wet - but at least it avoided the forest. When I got to Coed Trallwm, there was a XC race on. The cafe was open, I was pretty goosed at that point and a good place to end the ride.

The northern end of the route worked really well. Old cheeky trails from my uni days were relived under blue skies and sunshine, but they did slow progress down the Conwy valley a fair bit. The climb out of Crafnant valley to Capel was a knew one for me, but good fun to ride.

The cycle way around Trawsfynydd actually delivered some great trails when I least expected it. They lead to a longish road section towards Pont Scethin, which turned out to be tougher than I expected, but the few bits of woodsy singletrack I found made it worthwhile. Pont Scethin itself was tough in and out, but the descent out was good - even if I did crash.

Dolgellau = food + route re-evaluation. The preceding 40km had taken 4 hours. I took Route 8 to Mach, rather than the tracks west of Cader (per Winter Bivvy). This put me back on track to make Nant Syddion, though the trip around Nant y moch was harder on the body than I remembered.

So, all in all, enjoyable couple of days. Gathered enough trail info to put some tweaks to my "definitive" coast to coast route, which I hope to do on 5 April.

[slowupslowdown-under]

Nice one Ian, interested in seeing your red line as looking at the Dave buchanan wc2c route for a solo in may.

Would it be possible to drop me the gpx at some point so I can compare the two?

Also , can Beth do a small harness which would work with road bars?

[adjustablewench]

Chew and I both use our harnesses with the drop bars on the croix de fers, if you pack it well you can get a13l airlock in it too

[Alpinum]

Thumbs up!
Very, very nice.

Looking forward.
Much.

[Ian]

Right then, here we go again: https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id ... dc58c4424d

Roll out ~ 4pm Friday.

Packing light:

[Dan_K]

Nice. Happy riding!

What mat, bag and bivvy you using?
No brew kit?

[Ian]

I couldn't figure out how to do notes on flickr, but to the left of the down vest is a Terra Nova Disco lite bivvy, and left of that a Klymit Inertia x-lite mat. No brew kit - pick up from cafe's as we* go along. I could be in for a couple of uncomfortable nights, but we'll see.

*we = Me, Composite, Chicken legs & Alpinum

[johnnystorm]

Good luck fellas, I'm supremely jealous! Hopefully I can wangle some time over the Summer and beg, steal or borrow your GPX.

[JohnClimber]

Right then, here we go again: https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id ... dc58c4424d

Going great Ian, not that you can see this, but we're watching.
I think if I ever had the time, power, stamina and enough chamois cream I'd do it South to North to have the wind on my back, riding in North Wales this weeked I'd say your whole trip is into a bitch of a headwind.

[Ian]

Actually, we are watching. We're in a pub in Llanwrtyd

Been wetter than an otters pocket out there today.

[JohnClimber]

Actually, we are watching. We're in a pub in Llanwrtyd

Been wetter than an otters pocket out there today.

Good going, who's "we"?

When will you think you will be at worms head?

The wife and I were only there on Tuesday this week. I hope you get views like this

Good luck on hitting the right tide times if you are aiming to head over the causeway rock scramble.

[composite]

Well looks like I was first to get home. Been back a few hours now and legs are pretty stiff. It was a great ride, certainly found my current limit which is 3 ruddy tough days in a row.

Unfortunately a combination of 3 days into the wind, starting later than intended on Friday and timings for trains meant that we didn't get to Worms Head. It's shame actually that due to the logistics, being as little as about 3 hours behind essentially meant that we then cut almost a full day. Weather was crap for 2 days though and one of those proper nasty. Much type 2 fun but great to be out there testing yourself in it. My first wet bivi of the year so I guess I had had a good run.

Got pictures to post later and Ian and I will both have a little film from this trip in the next week or 2.

Thanks guys for the great trip.

PS. If anyone intends to do this later in the year I would be up for trying to do it again and getting it finished.

[slarge]

Neil,
sounds like a tough trip. I had to postpone my trip from last week to this week - I start riding Weds night and aim to finish Friday late. You're welcome to join me - if you have dried out!

How wet is it? I seem to remember not much mud from last year, but is this just my memory playing tricks or is it 250 miles of slow going?

[slowupslowdown-under]

great effort!

could I see the gpx? I want to over lay my plans with what you guys did!

thank you!