In 2020, with the pandemic raging, I decided to take a truly ‘local’ ride for my yearly holiday. So instead of jetting off to Europe, I set off from my front door in Bristol and kept riding across Wales until I hit Bangor. I was on my gravel bike, so I picked up some gravel routes along the way. It was a 5 day trip, the route is here:
Day 1 https://www.komoot.com/tour/249811433
Day 2 https://www.komoot.com/tour/250243602
Day 3 https://www.komoot.com/tour/250924656
Day 4 https://www.komoot.com/tour/251439292
Day 5 https://www.komoot.com/tour/251953285
This was my first solo tour, and it was more challenging than I was expecting, I worried about meeting strangers in remote locations, breaking something important or having an emergency somewhere with no phone signal. Usually I’d have a sister, boyfriend or group of friends to ride with, so this sudden aloneness made me quite tense and worried. Despite this, I still had a fantastic tour and saw amazing scenery along the way.
The first day, I cycled from Bristol to Glasbury, across the Breacon Beacons. It was a lovely ride. I started early, getting out of Bristol before the rush hour. The sun was shining and the air was clear and I was happy enough until I hit an 8 mile detour that sent me into a bit of a stomp. I crossed the Severn Bridge, and made my way over rolling countryside to Abergavenny. From there, it was a long slow, arduous climb up Gospel Pass and the Breach Beacons. The road is rutted, steep and winding, rising fast over deep valleys and through woods and fields. The last bit is the worst, but you are rewarded at the top with breathtaking views in all directions- wild vistas across Wales, green and gold hills, blue mountains beyond, woods and forests into the horizon. The great shoulders of the Beacons rear up from the land in a spectacular way.
I whooped my way back down the other side of the mountains, loving the blue hued views on my left and the whooshing of wind in my ears. I freewheeled all the way to Glaosbury, and stayed in a fantastic vegan airbnb, with a great range of books and games to entertain myself. They served me a cracking vegan breakfast in the morning, and showed me all the mushrooms they’d foraged the day before- it was a great stay.
The next morning, I set off to Rhayader. This day was very wet, and I got so cold I couldn’t feel my feet at all. I pedalled determinedly through muddy farmland and up long, green roads that tracked across the rolling countryside. The landscape was fresh smelling, verdant and quiet. I passed through the town of Bulltith Wells, which has a beautiful stone bridge, and some hot springs. I stopped for a snack, and watched some excitable dogs meeting each other and winding them and their owners up in their leads. It was an entertaining stop. The rain kept me moving though, and by the time I got to Rhayader, I was soaked. My feet were so numb that I couldn’t walk on them, and ended up staggering around, clutching walls and lampposts as I tried to get to the Spar for an afternoon sugar low snack, looking drunk. I did however, have dinner by myself for the first time. I have never been brave enough for this before. I took a book, and had a relaxing read while I was fed with lasagne, chips and cider.
After this, I cycled to Machynlleth. This day’s ride was through what is nicknamed ‘The Desert of Wales’ because of its remoteness, inaccessibility and lack of roads. It really does live up to the name – I saw barely anyone all day, other than the long line of sports cars queuing up to have their photo taken next to the Elan dam. Despite this, it was a beautiful day of cycling. I found it hard not to stop every kilometre or so to take photos. In the morning, I rode out of Rhayader along Claerwen Reservoir, which has a lovely gravel section all the way along it, with amazing views over the dam. Beyond the reservoir, the route climbs up onto the moors, where it got quite bumpy and rough for a gravel bike. I shared this section with a herd of unfortunate sheep who panicked as soon as they saw me, dashing about 100 metres in front to get away, only to have to run another 100 metres when I caught them. I ended up herding them for at least a mile before they realised they could run off the path to get away. After this section, the route passes the Devil’s Bridge and Nant-Y-Moch reservoir.There is some very remote gravel over this section, as well as one river crossing, which took me by surprise. I opted to cross barefoot rather than get wet shoes (something of a mistake as the water was icy cold even though it was still summer). The end of the day was spectacular, riding through Glaslyn Nature Reserve and onto ‘The Chute’, which is a slippery, rocky ridgeline with a sign that warned ‘extreme caution’ when riding. It wasn’t totally rideable on my bike, but was worth it for the views over Snowdonia. I cried most of the way down, nerves shook and blood sugar low, but made it in one piece in Machynlleth for a Chinese takeaway and a warm hotel room to relax in.
After this, it was a hilly day from Machynlleth to Ffestiniog. I climbed out of Machynlleth on a traffic free pass, which was wonderful and had great views all the way up. I walked some of it, and then almost got killed on the way down by a sheep with a death wish who leapt in front of me as I shot down the mountain. I pulled my brakes, skidded several metres and just about avoided the sheep and falling off. I was much slower after that. I cycled on through a gorgeous forest, Coed y Brenin Forest Park, which had lovely winding gravel roads through remote, quiet forests, with views out over rolling pine trees and oaks. Mountain bikers whizzed past me, with cheerful waves.
From here, there was a hike-a-bike section with a view over an A-road and a nuclear power station, up and up into the mountains to stay in Ffestiniog. The village is surrounded by rearing grey mountains, and a sense of peace and sleepiness. There is no food in the village, so I made do with Uncle Ben’s rice and pot noodles in my room. I walked to the church that night, watching as the sun kissed each mountain with a red-gold flare before sinking into purple gloom. It was a beautiful place to spend the night, in the lap of the Snowdonian mountains.
The colours of Wales are spectacular. The whole trip was windy and cloudy, and I love how a beam of sunlight bursts from a cloud and hits a mountainside like a searchlight. The colours explode beneath it, and the grass, yellow from the summer sun, goes gold and burnt umber, the bracken- dying back- flares to russet and vermillion, the heather warms to royal purple, and the gorse goes canary yellow among it. The rocks glint silver and bronze. The shifting shades and colours explode for just a moment, before the beam zooms off, pulled eastwards by the wind, and the mirage slips back to a rain soaked dullness from before. I could watch the wind in Wales for ever. If I was a painter I’d want to paint it. I make do with a thousand photos instead.
The final day was a whizz to Bangor. This was the easiest day- following easy national cycle network paths around the headland, through orange and black mountains, with wild seascapes and moorlands on both sides. It was mostly downhill, so I freewheeled into Bangor hours before my train was expected to leave, and relaxed there, eating as many pastries as I could buy from Greggs.
It was a fun trip, with really remote sections as well as lots of see. Wales is a beautiful place and a great challenging week on two wheels
