If you're travelling up to the cafe can I suggest you hit the petrol station first, then continue up the road towards Nant Yr Arian after the cafe? I'll forward Ben a little route diversion which takes in a cracking trail and will drop you back onto the original route a little way on?

All inside knowledge and local recommendations welcome!! Thanks, that would be great

All inside knowledge and local recommendations welcome!! Thanks, that would be great

GPX incoming

Thanks Stuart, got the email but am on my iPad. Will check tomorrow morning!

Plan of Ponterwyd for snacks and café for brekkie is fine by me. Do we know what time the café opens?

Do we know what time the café opens?

8am

Might as well cycle into Nant Yr Arian for one of their amazing burgers.

I've just pulled my finger out and checked the map in more detail, I now see that I've been to the Nant Yr Arian centre before! I went there with the wife and kids to see the red kites being fed, which was genuinely spectacular, had a nice walk round the lake with the kids in a double buggy. Also went to the cafe and had a scone (from what I remember)

Thanks for the route Stuart, detour looks good. Just out of interest, would there be any benefit in heading directly north through the wood from the cafe to pick up the trail near Llyn Blaenmelindwr, versus heading north east on the BOAT? I also noticed the 'Bog Pond' nearby, which sounds interesting...

Is there another Bothy near that Llyn? It looks familiar from the map, when I was planning them out a little while ago, but I can't remember which one.

Thanks for the route Stuart, detour looks good. Just out of interest, would there be any benefit in heading directly north through the wood from the cafe to pick up the trail near Llyn Blaenmelindwr, versus heading north east on the BOAT? I also noticed the 'Bog Pond' nearby, which sounds interesting...

Is there another Bothy near that Llyn? It looks familiar from the map, when I was planning them out a little while ago, but I can't remember which one.

There's been a lot of felling action in the forest so I wouldn't like to say whether it would be passable. There's also a likelihood of finding yourself on designated footpaths ... IMO the BOAT is well worth riding.

There's a house there, you can just see it on the map above the NE corner of the llyn but it's not a bothy.

Great, thanks Stuart. We'll use the BOAT

Stupid question... but I assume I'll be safe not taking my bivi / shelter? Or should I take the bivi just in case?

Stupid question... but I assume I'll be safe not taking my bivi / shelter? Or should I take the bivi just in case?

Syddion's a big bothy, it's mid-week and November ... I'd say you'd be okay without.

Cheers.

When I check the café for a trip in couple of weeks its changed its hours not sure when you chaps are heading out
https://www.facebook.com/redkitecafe/

When I check the café for a trip in couple of weeks its changed its hours not sure when you chaps are heading out
https://www.facebook.com/redkitecafe/

That's a blow.

I suppose it's either revert back to plan a or carry on with the diversion and call in at the cafe at Nant ... maybe Richard can get a burger?

Yeah, that's a bit rubbish.

I'm thinking brekkie in the bothy and pitstop at the petrol station

Porridge in the bothy and a pit stop in Ponterwyd then. I believe NyA cafe does not open until 10am which will be a bit late really.

10am would work if we left the bothy around 8:45, climbed up and over the hill, dropped into town and faffed at the gas station for 15 - 20 minutes eating stuff. By the time we're further down road towards the cafe, it'd be not far off opening I'd say unless we're all gunning it out the gate or leaving the bothy at silly o'clock.

Greetz

S.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:I suppose it's either revert back to plan a or carry on with the diversion and call in at the cafe at Nant ... maybe Richard can get a burger?

MMmm.... Burger.

Having seen the route, what do you reckon a sensible ETA back at the car park would be?

With a cafe stop at 10am and without

Usual 6mph average applying? I'd say ~4pm if stopping at the cafe for an hour at 10am. Really depends how fast everyone is though.

Having looked at the route for the first time, I'm actually fairly amused at how little riding it is to get to the bothy. Man, going to have a hangover the next day.

Richards estimate sounds about right to me. My thinking was that you would all be up at 6am and out the bothy door by 6.15! Happy to leave later to aim for NyA for 10am or just stop at Ponterwyd and Staylittle.

I am easy about finish time as I do not wish to get back on the A5 / A38 to early anyway as there will be a lot of traffic at rush hour.

10am brekkie stop is probably fine, gives us a bit of time in the morning

We can probably worry about it in the morning, if we fancy an earlier start we can resupply in the petrol station and skip it, otherwise we can stop. Partly depends what happens the night before!

Just had to replace a spoke, and because of it, my tubeless rim tape... cross your fingers that I didn't make a hash of it.

I've just put my front wheel back to tubeless. Tubeless valve buggered itself last weekend and had to ride with a tube in

Seems ok, not brillIant. Went out with the dog and it lost some pressure but not all. Will check it all tomorrow

Was hoping to have my rigid bike sorted by then but I need a new front rotor and to fit gears so i'll be on a hardtail. I'll have it sorted for Bach to Bach