Dolgellau - Cadair Idris - Barmouth - Mawddach Trail.

 Bill, my cycling partner.

Well its was the Old Bastards turn to pick a ride, so what did he pick, a total lung buster starting in the car park at Dolgellau.

First tip, and moan, as you come over the bridge into Dolgellau, go immediately left into the car park. but whatever you do, DO NOT park in the first section, £7.00, what the hell is all that about. Who pays £7.00 to park in a godforsaken village.
Carry on through the car park to the one further down the road at the rugby club where it is only £3.50, more like it.
Dolgellau itself suffers from the English and Welsh problem, these places depend on tourism, so what do they do, they close on Sunday.

Anyway follow the road through the town until you see the one that goes up vertically in front of you, its actually Poth Canol carry on ever upwards to the first fork in the road, go left and carry on to the next fork where you go go right, If you're still going and haven't died at the roadside through lack of oxygen. ( I mean you could always stay at home and practice self flagellation )

Its a strait road from here so just carry on until the road levels out somewhat

Looking up to Cadair Idris

Its just about at this point that you realise why you didn't stay at home and beat yourself up, the view opens out to one which I would challenge you to find better. Spectacular is not good enough. This is one of those rides that changes and gets better as you get in to it ride along just under the summit of Cadair Idris  


Small Tarn at the top of Cadair Idris

 The ride just gets better, and by now you have started to breath again, and takes you over the top to views looking down towards Barmouth and the coast.

Looking Down to Barmouth

 As if this wasn't one of the best rides up to this point then grab your goolies,close your eyes and get ready for one of the best downhills around. Seriously good, so much so that my front brake locked on at the bottom, which incidentally opens out to a main road so watch it. Turn right and follow the road around until you see a sign for Fairbourne on the left, take it, and go down to the Cafe at the miniature railway station. Very aptly named the Station Cafe, the Lemon Squidgy cake was quite good, and if the tea had been in a mug it would of been OK. They should really offer that as an alternative to a cup that is low and wide, the trouble with them is that the surface area of the tea is too big and cools down too quickly. All in all though very friendly service, clean and reasonably priced, well worth a visit.

The Mawddach Trail

 Once you have refuelled, make your way back to the main road and turn left until you see signs for the Mawddach Trail. Follow this back to Dolgellau, real picture postcard views all the way along and plenty of birds to be seen. So I actually think the miserable old bastard made a good pick

Verdict on this ride: TOP



The Monsal Trail

Anyone who has been on the Monsal Trail in the past will know how frustrating it was withe all the interruptions of the tunnels.

Well now its different, all of the tunnels are open and the trail is 8.5 miles from the car park at Wye Dale to Bakewell.

When you come out of Buxton on the Bakewell road the road bend and turns under 4 viaducts for just short of 3 miles. There you will see a sign for the car park on the river side.

Park here and go through the gate at the end of the car park signed for Wye Dale down to the Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire and Lazy Days Tuck Shop. The actual shop hasn't been there that long and the cafe part is still a bit basic on the food side, but makes up for that with friendly and fast service, and if you use this as the middle of your walk or ride the tea is most welcome, all in all highly recommended, and if I were them I would start doing food soon. 

Blackwell Mill Cycle Hire

Take the track at the back of the cafe onto the trail. Turn left, and then just enjoy.

You Can walk all the way to Bakewell as I did, but that does make a 17 mile round trip. The nice thing about thjis trail though is that you can do as little or as much as you like. the is a cafe at Cressbrook, which incidentally must be feeling the pinch as the actual trail now bypasses it.



Looking through the second tunnel to the third

The jewel in the crown is obviously Monsal Viaduct and now you pass straight in to the newly opened tunnel instead of (as anyone who has done this will know) having to climb up to Monsal Head. There is another cafe halfway between here and Bakewell which is very good and can be used as a turning place if you are getting a bit tired. Then there is Bakewell, an ideal place to come down off the trail and enjoy a wide variety of cafes and chip shops to stock up for the return.

If you are cycling then you are stuck to the trail, but if you are walking then on the way back,  just after Millersdale Station you come to a viaduct, just before on the right take the steps into the Dale itself. An absolutely stunning footpath walk starts along the river. Carry on to Chee Dale, which incidentally is obviously, by the number of them, ideal for climbing. The scenery down here is breathtaking, and doesn't abate all the way back to the cycle hire shop which is finally reached over a short footbridge.

 

Stepping Stones in Millersdale

 This short blog doesn't do justice to the trail and if you have been here before the tunnels were opened, or is this new to you then is a must.

One last thing we are planning to use this as the centre section of a bike ride that will start at Parsley Hey on the Ashbourne road, riding over to the trail via the pennine bridleway down to bakewell, and then back on road to Parsley Hey. All in, about 40 miles, which makes for a good day out.

Walkers in the tunnel

The White Water Centre at Bala North Wales

This is a slight departure for me as it involves water and not bikes, but I have just got to say that I have spent a most enjoyable day at the White Water Rafting Centre just outside Bala, North Wales.

It was one of those package adventure trips, and it turned out to be very good indeed. I would so recommend this to anyone, the experience was fantastic. There was seven in the raft and you get to go down the white water 4 times. The staff were both very competent, and extremely friendly, none of the " I know what I'm doing" syndrome.
 All in all a top day out and one to be highly recommended.

Cafe D'Lune outside Lancaster

This photo shows the start of a really good ride that takes in disused railway, canal towpath, and B roads. Starting at the Crook O Lune picnic site at Caton. Following the cycle track until it is crossed above by the aqueduct, take the towpath to Hest Bank and then back along the front to Morcambe.

Stop for a brew on the front, and then take the cycle track back to Lancaster, over the bridge and back up the other side of the river to pick up the cycle track to Glasson.

Back to Condor Green, and take the road to Galgate, under the Motorway and take the Quernmore and then back to Caton and a well earned brew.

If anyone wants a more detailed route with map just get in touch

At Condor Green is the Cafe D'Lune.

We have been to this delightful cafe twice, once when it was slack, (very bad weather) and once when it was heaving. Both times the food and tea have been good and the staff very pleasant. the only down side is that when it gets busy the service cannot cope. We ordered three teas which took about 15 mins to arrive.

Really nice location, nice staff, not good under pressure.

Verdict: Cooking on Electricity.

This is my partner in crime, who climbs hills like a mountain goat, and then has to wait for me, together we have been to quite of Britain both walking and by bike.

This blog is for all the Sunday cyclists out there, I will hopefully share the bests routes that may not be proffesional standard but are the very best for scenery and cafes, but are not designed to kill you.

Along with that, I love taking photographs and walk miles. If I can post some pictures and get some feedback so much the better.

One of my favorite things when out is to find new cafes, and If I can point you in the right direction then cool.