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We've done this a couple of time in the standard clockwise direction. Ride up through Mynydd Ddu, down Crug Mawr, up towards Pen Trumau, down Rhiw Trumau, road/track, push up Y Das then back down past Grwyne Fawr reservoir.
But I've always fancied varying it a bit, especially to ride down Y Das. What are the options? I dont fancy the push up Rhiw Trumau, Y Grib is a big naughty and probably not rideable (?).
What about moving the route East to take in Hay Bluff area. Is there any MTB fun to be had around Gospel Pass, or is this just an easy road route back up onto to the ridge? Maybe ride down Y Das then head NE along tracks and lanes to the bottom of the pass on the north side and head back up. But then where? - Offa's Dyke along the ridge or Darren Lwyd?
I do realise it's going to be wet at the moment, especially Waun Fach area...
Y Grib probably is actually rideable once you've pushed up onto the ridge but like you say, it's a naughty one and it is quite popular with walkers. The bridleway shown on the map running from Y Grib to the top of Rhiw Trumau doesn't exist on the ground. The top of Waun Fach is mostly peat hags.
There is a link (the Monastery) from Capel-y-Ffin back over to Waun Fach but it's a bit of a hike-a-bike up onto the ridge (and a skilled descent the other way!). The top of the ridge to the east of Waun Fach is rideable (naughty but nice).
It is possible to ride off-road down the Vale of Ewyas as far as the Queen's Head at Stanton (east side Capel-y-Ffin to Llanthony, west side Llanthony to Stanton) then back up onto the ridge east of Waun Fach.
Pretty much any direct assault up onto the Black Mountains ridges will involve some hike-a-bike unless you're a climbing god. Enjoy 8)
What are those trails at the bottom of the Vale of Ewyas that you mentioned like? I think I've walked up to Llanthony from a campsite to the south once, cant remember if it would have been a good ride.
The decent off that ridge east of the Waun Fach ridge is nice, there's some stunning singletrack around Bal Mawr that then drops down to the car park in Mynydd Ddu.
What will happen to me if I try and ride the Offa's Dyke path - cant remember, is it the one with massive flagstones floating on a bog pit? And is there a good decent down to Stanton?
cheers
Clockwise is the wrong way.....
If you do the route anti clockwise you can climb back over at draen and do the descent back past fordlas fawr
The offas dike path should be ok the descent to pandy is quick .... Best done when its dry or frosts & not on a Sunday.....
Top of Waun fach is always a mess even in really cold weather when the top freezes it retains the consistency of a cheap meat pie.... One wrong step and your through the thin crust in to foul smelling gravy
Vale of Ewyas? Capel-y-Ffin to Llanthony, typical Black Mountains stony, muddy pony-trekking tracks and minor lanes; Llanthony to Stanton, mostly forestry fireroad.
Offas Dyke along the ridge should be mostly rideable but like T1000 suggests, some walkers may take delight in pointing out that you shouldn't be there 😉 I'm not familiar with any route off the ridge down to Cwmyoy or Stanton though I'm afraid.
Another option from the bottom of Rhiw Constable (the track down Y Das) is to head to Felindre then take the road up past Pen Yr Heol chapel and follow the bridleway up and over to Capel-y-Ffin. (But don't try the bridleway out of Felindre in that general direction, it's a quagmire!)
Thanks guys. Took me a while to find Ffordd las fawr on the map, is that decent down the obvious bridleway (obvious on the OS map...) or is that the old Dragon DH route (which I thought had pretty much disappeared)..
I cant find Draen though, where / what is that?
Ffordd Las Fawr - in Mynydd Ddu ,yes?
240212 draen in the vale of grwyney over the ridge then follow the bridleway to fordlas fawr when you get to 269244 pickup the footpath down its a good option or hold on the bridleway then pickup the end of the old mynydd du dh
Draen is the start point for the climb back over the ridge
I've followed the offas dike down to upper pentwyn 319233 you can exit on to a lane there
I've ridden the middle ridge as well up past grwyne fawr up on to the ridge past y fan .. Bal-mawr past coed mawr down to the inn at 312222
Thanks T1000, so that's a climb up Crug Mawr - pretty tough going? Guess there's no easier way though.
If you're doing the normal route anti clockwise, does that mean you climb up Rhiw Truwmau and ride down the Hermitage path? I might give this a go tomorrow if the weather's OK
thats it! its quite a bit tougher than than the usual published route...