[Closed] Nant yr Arian - is it worth the trip over?

I live nearby, so am probably biased. In fact I probably take it too much for granted to be honest.

Apparently - it's epic.

Yes, worth doing.

I'm a big fan of it, but I lived nearby for a few years... The Syfydrin (or however you spell it) descents out from the trail centre are pretty cut up from water erosion at the moment, but that just makes them even better!

if you're about on Monday feel free to join me 🙂

Oh, also if you're travelling down to do Nant then call in at the Dyfi forest and do the Climach-x too.

yeah - had seen Climach-X and wondered if it was worth it

I'm not great at jumping (well, landing more) but presume there are chicken runs for the bigger stuff?

There aren't really any jumps as such and anything that you can treat as a jump is rollable too.

Nant is my favourite trail centre. The biggest route is a mixture of remote natural riding and all the singletrack from the other 2 routes. The only downside is too many gates to open and horse flies.

I really like it too... It dropped off my welsh must-rides but only because there's so much other brilliant stuff in the area... But I'm looking forward to getting back

Sounds like a plan then - nice ride round Nant (not likely to get the chance again for a while) and then finish it off with a blast down ClimachX

That's Monday sorted. Llandegla on Sunday, Penmachno on Tue, Snowdon and Marin on Wed and Antur Stiniog on Thursday. And that's only North Wales - and missing out Coed y Brenin too 🙂

Pont Scethin route is worth condidering as well. It's got a great 'out there' feel to it, and the terrain is a bit more varied than the natural sections of Syfydrin.

The big one at nant is excellent and well worth the trip 🙂 .. my lad was at aber uni just a few miles away and each time i went to see him , so did my bikes and we`d spend the day there ... love the place 😀

ClimachX is riding well at the moment after tome tlc for the gravity enduro.

Pont Scethin looks good - makes a change from a trail centre. Cheers for that

Nant is fantastic. ClimanchX is quality as well. A bit tailheavy, but can't fault that descent!

We did [url= http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/mawddach-estuary-and-pont-scethin/ ]this Pont Scethin route[/url] but did the top loop clockwise. I would say it works better that way.

I had a quick ride around climachx this week,I really enjoyed it. Final descent is superb. Only took around an hour and 15 minutes to get round, if I'd had more time think I would've gone back up and done the last bit again. Didn't make it to Nant ay Arian.

Saw some of your Strava simon... Torridon is out cos of the weather so off to Dolgellau instead

You got any other recommendations?

Cheers Scrank... that looks good

Might be an option depending on how things go ...

Err no, done The Minotaur with the family and some riding from the campsite, need to come back again some time!

This week? 😉

Nant yr Arian is my favourite trail centre out of those I've been to. We only did the Summit and Pendam trails - really wanted to do the Syfydrin but my mates weren't up for it.

Still in Wales now, heading home tomorrow 🙁

_tom_ - Member
Nant yr Arian is my favourite trail centre out of those I've been to. We only did the Summit and Pendam trails - really wanted to do the Syfydrin but my mates weren't up for it.

^I'd rather stick with the group majority and not go off on my own being an antisocial bastard just because I wanted to do a longer bike ride 😛 we went there the day after doing Snowdon and not everyone had the legs for another ride with lots of pedalling.

Right there see? You just did it again!

Yup, really enjoyed the trails when I rode there a few years go, certainly worth a visit.

Cheers, Rich

Right there see? You just did it again!

I don't really understand the argument you're trying to start here 😆

Im holidaying in Aber this week and rode at NYA earlier.

I rode the Summit trail with Hippity hop loop from the Pendam trail thrown in - that pretty much covers all the single track. It's a really nice trail, some good shape to it and a fair bit of variety. The visitor centre is one of the best in Wales - the cafe is superb, much better than CYB and the Bacud nature trail and play park are great for the kids and their mum while you're out. Mrs Stoner then went for a run on the walking trails and enjoyed it a lot.

The summit trail is billed as 1.5-2.5 hrs which is a bit generous as I went round in 1hr + 15mins for the Hippity hop loop. But it is 100% singlespeedable. The Syfydrin Trail is pretty much the same as the Summit but throws in a big outback loop too which would make for a more substantial day out. Mask of Zorro is excellent fun, but the leg burner on the way back up is not so much 🙁

Id definitely go to NYA as a destination again.

Having ridden Climacx yesterday, Im not sure Id say the same about that one. It's OK but billed as 2-4hrs you can get round in about 1hr15mins and although there's nothing "wrong" about it, there's not much to attract you to it either. The final descent is OK, but not enough on its own.

Mach 3 was a good "out there" ride. Supposedly 3-3.5hrs it took me 3hrs on the SS and that's with a bit of navigational faffing. But it's 100% rideable on the SS and has some great open views - some grassy field climbs were a drag even in short summer grass - shouldn't want to do them in the rain and winter 🙂

If you have a google around then there are some great descents just off the climachx route.

So - Syfydrin + ClimachX in the same day?

I'm not super fit but can probably manage Syfydrin as a day out. Chucking the ClimachX in as well might be a bit much if I plan to ride Sun - Thu.

Is the 'outback' loop at NYA worth doing?

Doing the Syfydrin on Monday after a Mountain Bike Marathon Saturday and a full day at Brenin on Sunday, can't wait to ride it.

Staying at a B&B just down the road from the centre.

think I'm meant to be doing it Monday as well

look out for a blue 06 Enduro with a fat lad huffing and puffing

Did you ride it tmb?

The weather really changed on Monday, low cloud, rain mist, still managed a ride at Nant but only the summit rather than the Syphilis trail.

Must say, awesome trail 😀

Flowing singletrack with some technical parts, overall a cracking ride and will return in the future.

Nant yr Arian closed for 3 months starting next month!
Just in case you are planning a visit.

An area popular with mountain bikers in Ceredigion is to shut for three months while larch trees infected with a disease are felled.

Work to remove the trees from around a lake at Bwlch Nant-yr-Arian, near Aberystwyth, will begin next month.

Will have to squeeze a trip in next week then as on leave!