Anyone got any decent wrt routes from previous years…or even the one they may do this year??
feel free to leave a gpx

Trouble is, previous years will have had different GR which may mean they went it a completely different direction. While that's not an issue because you can go where you like, it is quite nice to bump into others at random and unexpected times.

Another option is not to have a route, I’ve plotted all the GR’s into ViewRanger and unless some group takes pity and adopts me, I’ll head off in the general direction and navigate on the fly taking any trails which look interesting. Obviously there’s advantages and disadvantages to this ploy, if I get overly ambitious with the mileage (unlikely) I’ll leave myself with a long trip back to BB towers, I’ll also have to plan Bivvy sites as and when I’m about to fall over. Advantages include no worries about following a line on a map, the joy of aimlessly wondering around the hills and random events, I’m fairly sure this approach will be enjoyable.
I did the same after the wayfarer memorial ride and had a great weekend, rode through clocingog forest and Bivvied on the shore of lake Brenig.

BigdummySteve wrote: ↑Mon May 24, 2021 9:29 am I’m sure this approach will be enjoyable.

"fixed for you" Stevo .

Cheers Reg, I’d forgotten the other advantage, normally I spend hours pouring over maps, an enjoyable diversion in itself, then plot a route only to ride with someone else or ignore it anyway. And I’ll avoid plotting a route on track which only exists in some myopic cartographers imagination. Obviously I’ll still end up marching across a tussock bog infested hell hole but at least I won’t be doing it just because I’ve plotted a line

Sorry for hijack but WRT virgin looking for advice, please be gentle with me
Navigation - riding solo with a phone & an old Magellan GPS for company; am considering just riding an anti-clockwise loop excluding the 4 most easterly GR's. Any advice for a newbie so I actually re-appear at the start on Monday?

Warm welcome to This Place and the wonders of the WRT!

Take a note of Ross Cabs in Newtown (07776 375342)
Take a mini-compass (you won't be able to use the sun because it is never seen in Wales)
Take a water filter.
Take the notes below.

If your phone or GPS packs up and you become temporarily orientationally challenged:

1. Ride around randomly until you spot someone with a BearBones jersey. You soon will. Enjoy their company for the rest of the weekend and they'll get you back.

2. Ride downhill until you get to a road. Follow signs to Welshpool or Newtown. Join the A489 and ride west until you get to Llanbrynmair. Make sure your life insurance hasn't expired before joining the A489. Turn left up the B4518 and follow it for 3.7 miles. Turn right at Pennant up Stu's lane.

3. Ride around randomly until you get to a road. Wait several days for a passing vehicle. Flag down, ask to borrow phone ("a gaf i fenthyg eich ffôn"), call Ross Cabs. Ask to go to "Stuart's". They'll know.

4. Try to maintain a sense of humour at all times, and an appreciation of the absurdity of the whole enterprise.

5. Use water filter in streams as required. You should be able to survive for ten days or so. This is normally just about enough time to get back to civilisation(?) in Wales.

6. Refer to the Dave Barter Compendium Of Swearwords frequently, deploying randomly selected words while sitting on a tussock with your head held in your hands.

Instead of all of the above take OS 126, 136, & 137. I guarantee you'll have a lot more fun than if you take a phone and a GPS .

You'll have a great time whatever happens! Good luck with the ride

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/IFeXvGQLwgb

I'm nicking this route off Alex, plenty of climbing and looks a good route if anyone wants to tag on for the ride thats cool. After messaging Alex he said 48mile in there's a nice pub for tea and a pint maybe and a bivvy spot by the pub & river, a bothy at about approx 119mile that can be made before dark (minimum faffin) leaving a few mile on the final day to wrap the route up, the route can also be cut short if needed should anyone or myself feel the need too

a bothy at about approx 119mile that can be made before dark

No bothies this year. I thought I made that pretty clear on the email.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 8:53 am

a bothy at about approx 119mile that can be made before dark

No bothies this year. I thought I made that pretty clear on the email.

Bivvy outside on flat ground it is then but sure there's other spots around to bed down for the night

but sure there's other spots around to bed down for the night

I'm sure there'll be lots of good spots. I try and avoid kipping near bothies for fear of broken glass, old cans and sh1t

Navigation - riding solo with a phone & an old Magellan GPS for company; am considering just riding an anti-clockwise loop excluding the 4 most easterly GR's.

Me and a mate are also first timers and planning on pretty much the same. I'd be up for doing the whole thing but he's been lazy this year and barely ridden a bike so might be a bit much You'd be more than welcome to tag along with us but we'll be fairly slow. I'll be riding a titanium Cotic with Orange forks so come find us and say hello

Daz (also a fellow first-poster)

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 1:37 pm

but sure there's other spots around to bed down for the night

I'm sure there'll be lots of good spots. I try and avoid kipping near bothies for fear of broken glass, old cans and sh1t

Good point

Leerowe76 wrote: ↑Mon May 24, 2021 11:05 pm Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/IFeXvGQLwgb

I'm nicking this route off Alex, plenty of climbing and looks a good route if anyone wants to tag on for the ride thats cool. After messaging Alex he said 48mile in there's a nice pub for tea and a pint maybe and a bivvy spot by the pub & river, a bothy at about approx 119mile that can be made before dark (minimum faffin) leaving a few mile on the final day to wrap the route up, the route can also be cut short if needed should anyone or myself feel the need too

But it only gets 1 (I think) of this years GR's
There are no MBA Bothies in the area of Stuart's GR's this year

Take a water filter.

Can I use my socks?

The advice is most welcome, appreciated.

Brown bear wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 4:33 pm

Take a water filter.

Can I use my socks?

The advice is most welcome, appreciated.

Yep whatever state they're in they're probably an improvement over some of those sheep streams.

As I'm sure you twigged, much of my 'advice' was somewhat tongue in cheek but strangely has more than a grain of truth in it too .