I had arranged things so that i didnt have any work for the next few months as i had applied for planning permission to build an extension at home, much to everyones surprise it was refused so i had time on my hands . I had been wondering about having a go at the Big Bear route and despite some warnings that the undergrowth may be a bit of an issue i decided to have a go anyway no point delaying so after the planning news on Monday the 15th i was packed and ready to go on the Wednesday .

Day 1 47 miles 6535 feet of climbing

PXL_20240717_093931806 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I set off from Knighton at 11 after a 20 minute wait in Boots to pay for a tube of toothpaste the GPS asked if i wanted to navigate to the end of the route i said yes and much to my surprise 2 minutes later it was all over when i reached the garage ! So i started again some nice riding took me into the Radnor forest and then onto a sunken track taking me out to the road near Bleddfa i have ridden it a few times in the past and it was never like this , about 400 metres of slurry around boot height with a large herd of young cows to add more fun to proceedings . It was a pivotal moment this early in the trip !! Lots of nice riding followed and as i worked my around Red Hill i met a couple walking the first people i had seen out and about . The track took me out to one of my favourite roads with great views across to the Brecons as they used to be known .
PXL_20240717_162834844 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Then onwards across Rhulen Hill and LLandeilo Hill on tracks i have known since my teenage years and past a famous local landmark
PXL_20240717_170057591 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr .
I was begining to feel hungry so i decided to go to the Pub in Erwood for some food and a beer which is just off route i got chatting to the locals who knew all the people i had known all those years ago which was nice its a lovely place to be so why move anywhere else . It turned out to be the only civilised evening meal of the entire route .
PXL_20240717_181317174 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
My intention was to get beyond Llangammarch Wells and find somewhere for the night well that didnt happen i was going well and as i reached the main road that goes to Upper chapel i saw two big white clouds rising from the ground i was a bit confused i carried on around the lanes towards the Epynt ranges with automatic gunfire and explosions for company a new experience . The light was going and after some climbing on tracks i came out in a large field a mixture of grass and thistles with paths going in every direction whichever way i went i was off course then two steps back course found ! as it was now dark and after about an hour of messing about i decided i would have to wait for daylight so found a nice flat place and bivvyed with the gunfire etc to lull me to sleep it was then i thought that the white clouds were probably smoke bombs .
PXL_20240718_040942640 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

Day 2 51 miles 7057 feet of climbing

I had a decent night and was up around 6 for breakfast i packed up quickly and resumed the search for the way out extremely well hidden behind a huge clump of thistles i found a gate with a tell tale blue arrow next to it . I dont think the gate had been opened for a long time but after a stern talking to it moved enough to let me through this was one of the days better gates I had moved into Bracken country but the way was mostly obvious a long descent took me to this fine example of gating nice view though .
PXL_20240718_053000411 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
The next section was a proper pain there were new fences everywhere that went straight across the line of bridleway so lots of lifting of the bike getting pedals stuck in the wire and swearing followed for the next hour or so i devoeloped a great respect for the attributes of new barbed wire during this period , i was thankful that i had given up the night before as this would have been almost impossible in the dark. I have to say the OS maps app came into its own here and eventually i got back to a track that was obvious on the ground and one of the 6 gates actually opened without falling on the ground Back on the road and on to Llangammarch where there was a post office with shop so bought some food and got excited by the sight of a coffee machine until i saw the out of order sign . A bit further along the road there is a campsite with a coffee shed with an honesty box so i made the most of that by drinking tea . As i was riding through the forest towards Halfway i caught up with two ladies with a pony and trap and despite my best efforts they refused to swap modes of transport . A little further on a little Jeep caught me up and stopped a very nice elderly gentleman asked me where i was going i said Halfway he said i was going the wrong way i reasurred him i knew that and as with a lot of the route i was taking the path of most resistance . He told me that about 400 yards off the track i would take there was a place under the cliffs where at the end of the 16th century catholics went to worship to avoid persecution so i went to have a look no Catholics but what i think was a peregrine .
PXL_20240718_111222984 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
A very late Breakfast was enjoyed in LLandovery followed by a trip to the shop for a resupply despite having been through town a lot of times over the years i didnt realise there was a castle .
PXL_20240718_133811635 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
It was getting hot as i climbed up to Mynydd Mallaen an area i had never been to before 4 hours and 5 miles later i had well and truly been there !
PXL_20240718_180644434 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was cooked now and running short of water a cold drink and a fill up was in order at the Pub just up the road no such luck it was only open Fri, Sat and Sunday . I found a spring on the roadside so filled up and on into the woods above Llyn Brianne for the night as i was makind dinner i was joined by a very curious wild pony who did its best to pick up any unguarded bags after a while it got bored and headed off i was sure it would be back but was not seen again . Surprisingly considering the distance i had another night of gunfire and explosions for company .
PXL_20240719_050734757 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

To be continued

Raggedstone wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2024 10:34 am the GPS asked if i wanted to navigate to the end of the route i said yes and much to my surprise 2 minutes later it was all over when i reached the garage !

It turned out to be the only civilised evening meal of the entire route

Reg's attempt cancelled

To be continued

Very much looking forward to it

Looking forward to the next installment. I can't remember the barbed wire fences from when I did it, or the rubbish gates..

Keep it coming!

I would guess the new fences have only been there a matter of months Steve and I guess the gates have deteriorated otherwise you would definitely remember one or two of them

Enjoying this so far, sounds like the typical Welsh riding experience of obstacles of various kinds and ill-defined trails. 'Paths of most resistance' should be the cycling guidebook name! Await the next instalment, and I think you should do a kit list/bike check too! It's a nice looking stooge...

This Is brilliant thanks Kevin.

4 hours and 5 miles later i had well and truly been there !

should be inscribed into cow poo then baked and made into a doormat for Stu. Looking forward to the rest...

NB, I had to read it twice as I thought I was the only one that takes ages making any progress on poor trails. The BigBear is firmly on my jobs list so reading these stories is always an inspiration/encouragement (or the opposite obviously).

Awaiting the ultimate happy ending, although I know it'll get worse before it gets better

I thought I enjoyed all of it except 1 field. Maybe I have rose tinted memories...
There weren't any really horrible bits that I remember.

Day3 60 miles 8625 feet of ascent

I awoke to find i had been feasted upon by biting things nothing like a good scratch to get the blood flowing and a sign of things to come. Breakfast in the sunshine and then onto the days first obstacle they had gone to great lenghts to make sure there was no way around so over it had to be.
PXL_20240719_070803528 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I have riden this track a few times over the years and this was the first time i had come across locked gates the next two were as well and the final one was open as a farmer was at the buildings above the track. I had heard on here that there was a toilet at Soar y Mynydd Chapel so i went and had a look and indeed there is unfortunatley the time wasnt right. The Chapel was open so i went in and had a look around there was one prayer book on a pew and i wondered if this told a story of a very small congregation but apparently not it seems to be very popular when there is a service and it has been visited by a few well known people.
PXL_20240719_073401920 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was quite surprised by the washed out condition of the track over to the Ty'n Cornel it wasnt like this the last time i rode it at some points what was left was very narrow and needed care to avoid heading into the ravine its deeper than the photo suggests it is.
PXL_20240719_082338137 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was enjoying a nice little lane after the Hostel and just starting to climb towards the forest section which would take me towards Strata Florida when a convey of vehicles in various states of repair came towards me the guy driving the first one shouted at me " your cardio must be off the scale " a complete departure from what people usually shout at me and somewhat bewildering At the top of a steepish climb there is a phone mast with a nice wide track to it and beyond its not that way behind me is a rusty old gate and a feint path so a bit of jungle bashing later i emerge onto the aforementioned track for a long but enjoyable ride out to the Devils staircase road. This is one of my favourite roads on a motorbike so i knew what was ahead it was also very enjoyable on a bicycle but required a bit more effort. Back into the forest towards a track that a few enjoyed last October particularly in the dark !! Though i joined it above the horrors that lie in waiting for the unsuspecting, a few damp patches later and it was downhill to Strata Florida.
PXL_20240719_130146626 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
On the way down i met a lady walking her dog she was the third person i had met in over a hundred miles its getting busy out there we had a chat she said the visitor centre was open and tea was available so off i went with renewed vigour i spent about an hour and a half drinking tea eating biscuits and talking to a wonderful lady about the history of the Abbey and lots of other stuff a proper oasis on what was the hottest day of the trip should anyone else need refreshments they close at 3.On the climb up to the Teifi Pools i met my first mountain biker coming the other way had a quick chat and onwards it was now getting very windy as i emerged onto the road and onto the Trans Cambrian route for a while.
PXL_20240719_160056961 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
More good riding and into the valley i had decided i was going to get to Nant y Arian or beyond before the day was over. I made a deliberate effort to not study the route in detail before i started and to take it as it came i new some of the areas well and some not so well this was the latter, there was a lot more climbing than i thought before the long climb back out of the Vale of Rheidol towards NYA and time was going faster than i was so when i reached the long climb it was almost dark. What i had learned by this point was that you can be stung on a bite and more than once. As i went through the gate at the end of the farm yard i was confronted by a fallen tree across the track there were a few paths going up a bank so i used them and after a struggle got back on course beyond the tree. On the first day i encounterd a track of slurry this was much worse and deeper as it was fairly steeply uphill after a couple of fields worth of this i made it onto a better track it was short lived and i checked with the OS app if i was on the right route obviously i was, i think this was when i lost a glove so could the next one along keep an eye out please, it was now a very mudddy track with every gate surrounded by a large puddle but i reached the road in the end and just after midnight the trail centre, there were a few vans in the car park i assume with people sleeping in them. After a quick look around i found a flat spot and put up the shelter in the drizzle had some food and lay down 5 hours later i woke i dont think had moved a muscle, morning showed me i could have done better
PXL_20240720_051142852 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

Day 4 39 miles 3327 feet of ascent

I was so tired when i arrived i didnt eat properly so i had a very good breakfast which one of the early morning dog walkers dog seemed determined to share not a chance the front brake had been making strange noises so i put some new pads in before i left. I went to the cafe/visitor centre for a look and was surprised to see that they were only open between 11 and 3. Familiar tracks to me and quite a few others took me towards Nant y Moch as i was dropping down to the road i was amazed to see two seperate groups of vans parked up the second one had about 20 off road motorbikes getting ready to go. As i turned onto the bridleway i met yet more people walking they warned me there was a lot of water ahead there was after working my around the increasingly larger lakes and to the noisy accompaniment of swarms of nearby bikes i joined a nice track and headed along that barely able to believe i was going the right way just after a tin hut the going got worse the next bit has been ravaged once i joined up with the Mach3 route it was good riding again and took me to a spot i love
PXL_20240720_104741789 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
A little further on i encountered this fine beast and asked for an opinion on the route and my progress so far the reply was non committal
PXL_20240720_111546880 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I think its pretty obvious which way i have to go
PXL_20240720_112258189 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Then i was in Mach straight to the cafe for a very late breakfast again and some much needed charging i got some supplies and inspired by by Reg and Lu's back to back breakfasts on the Slate 2 tour had an early dinner from the fish and chip shop. It had now begun to rain and a few minutes later it was tipping it down it had been forecast so i had wet afternoon making my way to Bryncrug the track across the top was more like a river. There is a campsite near Bird Rock so decided i would stop there and have a shower and an earlier night. I ate what was probably my favourite ever easy dinner Idahoan mash with Tuna and a lime dressing sachet i doubt it will ever be as good again. To the shower and a bit of washing the water was cold i thought sod it and went in and came back out a lot quicker the rain was much warmer but standing in the middle of a campsite naked may not have been recieved to well so a bit went into the shower at a time then a beer and bed.
PXL_20240720_200751797 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

Arrgh! Strata Florida!! I actually thought the route avoided it and stuck to the parallel forest road....

Well done, seems an awful lot of type 2!

It does mostly Phil it's just the qualifier at the start going in October's direction

Day 5 68 miles with 9550 feet of climbing

After a very well lit night at the campsite i got up early and had the feeling i was being watched
PXL_20240721_042540089 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Breakfast was had with a nice sunrise
PXL_20240721_043532285 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was away before anyone seemed to be up and started the climb up and out of the valley on route 8 it was a beautiful morning and i was feeling good and it didnt seem to take to long before i reached the top and got the great view down to Barmouth and beyond
PXL_20240721_075920171 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was in Dolgellau for a second breakfast at the appropriate time for a change the cafe i found in the main square was clearly the place where all the young people go and judging from some of the conversations they were hoping a good breakfast would offset the effects of the previous night I was dissapointed to find the Spar closed it had been for some time but is due to reopen soon so i was directed to the co-op for a resupply. I had ridden the next part of the route into and through Coed- y- Brenin before and it was as nice as i remembered what i wasnt prepared for was all the people on bikes they seemed to be everywhere i saw this waymarked post and obviously there hadnt been any room left for Stu to put the Big Bear waymarker!
PXL_20240721_112746951 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was soon on the main road away from Trawsfynydd where there was a garage with a shop so stopped for a welcome cold drink and a snack, a bit more main road where i was nearly taken out by some moron towing a caravan got me back onto more relaxing tracks to LLan FFestiniog along one of the lanes i saw this and was curious there is an enterance around the side and room for one with a bit of a tidy up.
PXL_20240721_122845589 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I did the Slate trail route a couple of years ago that used the next lane up to Manod quarry so i knew it was along climb which got steeper as it went some puffing and panting and walking got me there in the end it was now down an impresive incline into the Rhiw-bach quarry. Lots more pictures on Reg and Frog's Slate 2 report.
PXL_20240721_162553306 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I stopped at a house in Cwm Penmachno where a lady was doing some gardening and asked for water we had a good chat and were soon joined by her husband so the quick water stop took quite a while. i was hoping for a sit down meal and some charging time at the pub in Penmachno but no food Sundays i had a think about it and carried on. It was one of those days when cycling was coming easy so i thought about keeping going through the night as it got dark i went to switch the light on and it was dead yesterdays rain had done for it i carried on with just the helmet light but stopped at 2.30 as i wasnt sure how much longer it would keep going and set up my bed beside a wall that protected me from the wind but not the rain that started around 4.30 as i had just gone for mat and quilt i was soon up
PXL_20240722_040500491.MP by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr


Day 6 48 miles with 7414 feet of climbing

Up and away after a quick breakfast i was hoping to find somewhere in LLandrillo for more food which i did courtesy of the shop that had the decency to open at 7 in the morning and had a hot drink machine that worked breakfast 2 was enjoyed in the luxurious bus stop along with disapproving looks from a couple of dog walkers definately room for 2 on a filthy night if needed. I had been wanting to go over the Wayfarers route again for years i have to say it was a bit different this time there was a little wooden hut with a book in it to sign there was no sign of that just a nice signpost and memorial plaque
PXL_20240722_082529418 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240722_084808017 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
A bit of a battle with some unruly railway sleepers followed and i was then in LLanarmon DC i didnt see anywhere for refreshments so carried on knowing there was a shop, cafe and chippy in Llanrhaeadr Y M i arrived at lunch time and headed to the cafe as i was definately needing to charge stuff they were only doing tea and cake so again i was thwarted. A visit to the shop and chippy and away on pretty much the same route that i did on the WRT to Llanfair Caereinion where another chip shop awaited as did a couple of pubs, i thought i would just make it back power wise so had more chips while charging the gps and flattening the power bank. I was having an earlier night tonight and knew roughly where i was going to stop which was somewhere on the track crossing over towards Caersws from Adfa. I thought i was seeing things but there appeared to be a vehicle off the track into the rough stuff it wasnt an apparition a vehicle was indeed parked with a large ariel attatched to it some way from the track but no sign of anyone around. There was a flat area near some gates that looked promising after last night it was going to be the shelter after a bit of experimentation i dedided i could get the pegs in. The spot stayed with me for the next few days as it was heavily scented by sheep water but i slept well.
PXL_20240723_052654997 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr


Day 6 and a bit 42 miles 4255 feet of climbing

I was planning on having a good breakfast at the cafe just outside Caersws so i wasnt in a great hurry to get going but the aroma was starting to get to me so i cleverly got there before they opened but the people that ran it were there and agreed to make me a cup of tea and eventually after a lot of begging a bacon sandwich. Well i thought i knew the various ways up to the wind farm but no there was another option i was enjoying having dry feet again a short lived pleasure as Stu had found another short little used bridleway into the wind farm which was obviously a thinly disguised bog. I tried to count the turbines when i had reached solid ground but couldnt but there are a lot of them and not a single one rotating and it wasnt lack of wind.
Good riding to the Kerry ridgeway followed
PXL_20240723_114421912 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Lots of ups and downs took me onto the Offas dyke path and the home run i couldnt help smiling as just to my left was the infamous Turnip field from the BB200 on the descent down to the lane. I knew there would be a sting in the tail or in this case a stinging in the tail and everywhere else as it happened but i made it with 1% left in the gps and 4% on the phone.
PXL_20240723_155320602.MP by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

According to my Gps i did 355 miles with 46763 feet of ascent

Amazing stuff. So much going on that I'm having difficulty absorbing it all while reading it. Goodness knows how you handled the sensory/happenings overload while actually riding it!

Once again, very well done Kevin and enjoy your membership of a very elite club

Wow! That sounds like a proper Bearbones mission. Thanks for the great write-up.

I enjoyed the write up. Well done!

Fab

Beast of a ride that, well done

Thanks for all the nice replies it almost makes me want to do it again

Your trip sounds much tougher than when I did it. Well done and a great write up!

That's 3 of us who've finished the route now (you, Mike and me) and I think it's a cracking route either to do in one go or to dip in and out of.

Wow, epic trip! Well done for completing despite all the setbacks (mainly food related). I feel exhausted just reading about it.