A little Welsh explore...

LeeR · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Karma :

The wet and dirty weekend of September 5th - 7th was the day I finally got around to my first bit of touring. It was only a little one up to North Wales, but it did include camping, drinking, and ascending Aran Benllyn and Aran Fawddwy at the southern end of Bala Lake.

I'd had to postpone for almost a year, due to various work committments, family holidays, and the fact that I broke my foot the day before we were supposed to go last year.

I rode my Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom and my mate Gav rode his BMW R1200GS Adventure. We had planned to leave my house late morning on the Friday, but Gav works as a consultant for a software solution provider and for a while there they owned his ass. Rolling Eyes

Friday - We eventually set off at 16:15 which in hindsight was actually a good thing as it meant we weren't riding in the worst of the rain. However, it did mean that we had to ford many floods on the way to the campsite at Llanuwchllyn.

The route we took from Gloucester went via the B4215 to Newent and Dymock then we picked up the A4172/A417/A49 to Leominster, Ludlow, and Craven Arms where we turned left onto the A489 to Church Stoke. We planned a stop at Harry Tuffin's for fuel and stuff, and then move on to Welshpool via the A490. From Welshpool we took the A458/B4382 to Lake Vyrnwy and then around the lake using the B4393 and finally up over the Cambrian Mountains at Bwlch-y-Groes aka Hellfire Pass!

The weather on the 5th was truely appalling, by the time I'd left the county my boots had been filled and I'd got mud and detritus in my helmet.

We forded at least 12 deep floods before we got to Welshpool, the last and the worst of these was after Welshpool at Glascoed. I was a bit concerned as I went through it as Gav waited before following me through. I asked him afterwards why he'd waited and he replied that he was wondering whether I'd make it and didn't want to attempt it until I was clear. I thought fair enough and the car already stranded was a warning to anyone foolhardy enough to try fording the flood. Anyway press on I did resting my calfs on the crash bars and my feet on the indicators, it was indeed the deepest flood we'd encountered so far. It was half-way up my panniers and lapping my backside, but I only really got concerned when it started to bog down a bit, but I kept on and waited for Gav to catch up.

We stopped at Harry Tuffin's and I sorted my boots out, changed my socks, and nicked some plastic bags to line my boots a lá Charley Boorman style.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/gjtattuffins.jpg

By the time we reached Lake Vrynwy we'd passed numerous abandoned cars and a couple of bad accidents, clearly as a result of the weather conditions. Skirting Vrynwy at twilight was an interesting experience, the lake is an eerie place at the best of times but that night in the fading grey light and light rain it took on a whole new feel. My only regret is that we didn't stop more and take more pictures, the Afon Vrynwy was in serious flood bubbling over the road in places, but we were more concerned with our safety and pressing on to the campsite.

The road up to Bwlch-y-groes was one we didn't really want to miss, but as the lake road was unlit with few signs we stopped several times just to check our position on the GPS. This was when we had our little collision...

I'd been consulting the map/gps/directions and trying to tell Gav we weren't quite there yet. Anyway lids on and plugs in meant we weren't really communicating, so I pulled around him to get a bit closer. This was when I misjudged our respective widths due to panniers and kit. Gav was to say the least a bit annoyed that I'd ridden into him even at such a slow speed. Well his Touratech panniers were intact and after a quick inspection it appeared that my Kappa luggage had not suffered either. So we carried on as friends, tired, cold, and now far more intimate friends one having rear-ended the other.

Bwlch-y-groes was to say the least "interesting", the highest road pass in Wales at 1788ft (545m) and at a 1:4 incline in places, steep. We crossed the pass as it was getting dark, now riding in the very clouds themselves. The road surface is a bit loose up there and as it's unclassified, instead of curbing it is thoughtfully lined with sheep seeking shelter from the elements.

The final part of the journey that night was the steep descent down to Bala Lake. As we passed down the narrow road dozens of bats of various sizes could be seen hunting in our headlights. It certainly raised my spirits and I smiled to myself as I noticed Gav in front, had stopped to let a family of rabbits cross the road, aah!

We finally hit the campsite at 20:45 fifteen minutes before the pub stopped taking food orders. So formalities over we hot footed it down to The Eagles Inn for one of the best vegetarian meals and pint of Purple Moose - Glaslyn Ales I've ever had.

We returned to the campsite and pitched our tents, and after a hot shower I fell asleep oh so thankful that I hadn't dropped it.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/tent2.jpg
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

LeeR · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Karma :

Saturday - was as dreary as the day before but, we'd planned for so long that we we're definitely going to give the mountains a crack. These particular peaks had, due to the weather mostly, thwarted us on at least five previous occasions. In fact it turned out by the end of the day that we had turned back on other occasions in conditions that weren't as bad as the ones we walked in that day.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/thearans.jpg

So we set off and basically walked all day either in rain or cloud, we started out skirting the tarns and streams, but by the end of the day we just waded through them. In spite of having some very capable gear, Goretex boots/gaiters/over-trousers etc... there was so much water that everything was saturated. We weren't exactly wet but then we weren't exactly dry either.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/gjtonab.jpg

We took our lunch break just below the summit of Aran Benllyn, sitting in my bothy bag (mountain shelter). We'd done the easy part now we had to walk across the barren moor that led to the final peak, Aran Fawddwy.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/lrinbothy.jpg

About three and three quarter hours into the walk I had, had enough I knew if I carried on I would eventually be hypothermic and would be in trouble. Gav called out up ahead, the wind whipping his words away I thought he'd said "drink?", I was about to say okay lets have a drink and turn around because I didn't care how far the summit was, I was done. It turns out he actually said "Trig!" as in trig point and therefore the summit.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/afsummit.jpg

I can't say I was as happy as I'd wanted to be, but bloody-mindedness and belligerence had got me to the top, now it had to get me back down. Well it had taken almost 4 hours to get to the top but it only took 2-1/2 hours to get back down. Now I could smile I'd finally done a peak that had defeated me so many times before and after another shower, another meal and more Purple Moose I was elated. I swore I'd never go back, but it's such a beautiful remote peak that I may have to, because I really want to see it in good light, daylight if I can.

The views from the top are simply stunning, to the south west is Cadair Idris and the Mawddach estuary. To the north east the Rhinogs and Porthmadog, to the north Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid) and the heart of Snowdonia itself. But of course I'd seen none of that of this occasion so who knows I may go back when I've achieved a few more goals.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/llyntegid.jpg
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

LeeR · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Karma :

Sunday - Oh dear god will this rain ever stop?

Interestingly Gav's Beamer won't start if left out in the rain so it needed a ghey little cover to keep it dry, my "Jap crap" hadn't moved for the best part of 3 days sat in torrential rain but of course it started first time.

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/bikes.jpg

Well after packing up we decided that cooking in the rain was out, so we rode down to Dolgellau and had a big cooked breakfast at the Little Chef with copious amounts of toast and lashings of tea. Fortified we agreed to set off and after a brief discussion we decided on a slightly modified return route. We would carry on along the A470 from Dolgellau to Caersws and pick up the A489 to Newtown. From Newtown we carried on to Church Stoke and another pit-stop at Harry Tuffin's.

As more rain had fallen and run-off the fields, so the roads had got a lot worse and the A49 between Stokesay and Bromfield was impassable. We took an un-advised detour via the B4385/A4113 I can't believe that the police thought the best alternative route was via Bridgnorth.

The rest of the day was thankfully uneventful, I got home around 14:00 and spent the rest of the day sorting the bike and my kit out. I'd had a cracking weekend, I now loved my bike for even more reasons, I'd cracked a peak that had challenged me for 10 years and I felt I'd learned a few things. Most important of all I/we decided that we'd tour again but that we wouldn't combine it with any mountain walking as together they are a bit fatiguing especially over a weekend in poor conditions.

I've taken a while to write this up because I hadn't collated all the pictures of the weekend. Mine are punctuated throughout the text and Gav's can be found as a slideshow on Flickr I'm the old bald fella he's the younger chap, hope you enjoy. Thumbs Up

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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

salty21 · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Karma :

good read that, very interesting Thumbs Up

makes me want to do abit of touring meself, although im not sure the cbr is the right bike for it lol.
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2Hondas · Nova Slayer Joined: 10 Nov 2007 Karma :

Thanks for writing that up, I enjoyed reading it.

I toured Ireland for 2 weeks on my Hornet in August staying mostly in campsites and loved it. Too many days of rain in a row gets a bit irritating but makes you more thankful when(if) you get some sun.

I'd love to do more of it, maybe just a couple of days like you. I think i'd have to chicken out on the camping in the cold though and stay in Hostels instead.

I'll get around to writing up my trip at some point.

Salty21 - What's wrong with doing it on a CBR? I dont think you'd have any problems at all.
I was going up muddy tracks with tarmac knowhere to be seen on the Hornet and it coped fine, if anything it helps you to hone your throttle control!
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LeeR · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Karma :

Cheers, I'd taken a fleece liner for my sleeping bag and as it was around 8-10 deg C, it wasn't too cold actually. The worst bit was the noise of the constant rain, in fact it was that bad that on the second night I slept with ear plugs in.

Interestingly it seems any bike is capable of touring as Nick Saunders is currently touring the world on an R1 again!
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

Excellent write up! A mate and I climbed snowdon 2 weeks ago up the Watkins path and it was great fun!

We were slightly less hardy by taking a car, and pitching our tent in a barn. But amazing none the less and we'll be doing it again in the summer by bike definitely!

Gaz

neatbik · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Karma :

Looks like good fun was had even though the weather wasnt great..
Lee, a few of us are planning a weeks trip out to europe next year - i cant promise any hiking up mountains but there will most probably some comedy moments.... Laughing

Lone-Wolf · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Jul 2004 Karma :

Wotcha.

Wales - and a nasty two stroke thing

Yep - that "Hellfire Pass" is well worth riding over.
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jackw72 · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Nov 2006 Karma :

Your daughters would have loved those rabbits.
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salty21 · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Karma :

LeeR · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Karma :

Hmm, looks like the Flickr either only works for me because my mate sent me an invite, or if you have an account. So for the benefit of those that don't here's the rest of the pictures:

https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/Llanuwchllyn/Leeattuffins.jpg
Me at Tuffin's
https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/Llanuwchllyn/moretuffins.jpg
More Tuffin's
https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/Llanuwchllyn/moretuffins2.jpg
Yet more Tuffin's
https://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc162/lrogers_album/Llanuwchllyn/navigation.jpg
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