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Will be in the area in a few months with friends, and would like to do a nice day out in the mountains on the bike, away from trail centres and the like - are there any nice loops in and around Snowdon, etc? Nice techy descents, nice views, keep an somewhat unfit crew happy for four or five hours?
Pont Scethin loop is fun but maybe a bit shorter than you want.
Maybe combine with Cadair Idris for a truly epic day.
Pont scethin can be linked to from CyB centre go out along ponderosa & dreamtime, then r along the road, over the Eden and then up the Gamlan, there's a track that crosses to the a bank and runs over to Llyn Cwm Mynach, there's a bridle way between Garth gell and Hendreforion which drops you into the scethin loop.
Prepare to heft your bike up some points on Idris, but the view from the top is great.
Point Scethin is good too and you can get a pint at the Ysthgethin Arms.
Neither are really AM I would have said though.
What are they if not all mountain?
You'll be standing on top of a bloody mountain.
Am I missing something?
I know it goes against the not a trail centre comment, but I did the Beast for the first time yesterday and really enjoyed it. The trail was in good condition despite the weather and pretty much empty.
Some of the rocky sections were pretty good fun and the later singletrack sectiosn were fun too (and felt quite natural). Only bit I wasn't too fussed about were the fire road climbs.
Aside from that, I don't really know the area that well to recomend other routes.
iolo - Point Scethin I find to be more 'hilly' than mountain at least on one side. Cadair only gets really mountainous towards the top, lower down its all grassy singletrack on fairly gentle incline with some fire roads...but yes Cadair by its definition is a mountain.
I've not done it but surely the push up Lanberis to top of Snowden and down Rangers/Telegrapgh is the definitive AM ride in the area.
The Pont Scethin loop is in the next issue of Singletrack. We do it the 'right' way round, too 😉
iolo - Member
Pont Scethin loop is fun but maybe a bit shorter than you want.
Maybe combine with Cadair Idris for a truly epic day.
Saw a Dan Atherton vid clip of Cadair Idris, looked like just the ticket.
Is it easy to find and follow?
Ok...which way around is right then?
Apparently the Ranger is in the process of being sanitized / destroyed
Maybe I did Pont Scethin the wrong way around then as I thought it was rubbish.....? Lots of pushing up, bog trotting and unmemorable (as I cant remember them) descents
Not sure when Atherton did it but they had airlifted lots of rocks to protect it when I was there in Aug which made the top section coming down a hoot (really loose boulders)...but a pain in the arse (literally) going up.
My downtube took a bit of a battering.
If you are coming "in a few months" be aware of the Voluntary Restrictions on Snowdon in place to add to everyone's enjoyment. Details [url= http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/visiting/Activities/Cycling/voluntary-restrictions ]HERE[/url]