Skyline newbie...tips please!

Iain C

(Posted on Pistonheads too so sorry if you've read it there)

Right, was thinking about doing Skyline this weekend, never done it before and it will be the longest trail I've ridden. I was fairly pooped after Dragon's Back at CYB a few weeks ago but I still had some in reserve so we thought we might have a look at the biggie this weekend. Couple of questions...

-Is it actually worth it? Or is it just lots of distance and fireroads, and one of the other trails would be more fun (I've only done White's at Afan). Good views apparently, is it only worth it on a clear day?

-Is it worth missing any of it out? IE fireroad loops that don't really go anywhere?

-At 46k is it still well marked? Is a map/uploaded GPS a good idea (let's face it you can't get lost on Whites or anywhere at CYB)

-I was very glad of being able to refil my camelback at the Dragon's Back cafe place, is there anywhere on Skyline or do you need to take serious amounts of liquid?

-Any other tips?

Many thanks!

stumpyjon

I did it a few weeks ago. It is different from the other routes, think of it more as a long distance route with some cracking singletrack thrown in.

Is it worth, yes I thought so, but then I like long rides (I've done much longer) and I like ticking trails off lists. That said there are some great bits of singletrack.

Can you get lost? - Yes but most of it is well signposted (buy the route map, you'll want to know what post number you've got up to). The only place I had real trouble with was the start of the Short & Sweet section, the finger post is helpfully 30 yards down the track away from the fire road.

Views I'm not sure about as I was in cloud for most of the day, it gets up to 1900 ft on Rising High & On The Edge. I reckon the views would be fantastic but all I could see was a sea of cloud......below me :shock: . Very atmospheric, you really are on the edge of a cliff.

If I did it again I'd be tempted to use the shortcut after On The Edge which brings you out before Handy Andy (marked on the map). You miss out Excaliber & South Pit which are nice bits of singletrack but you do a lot of fireroad for the privilige.

There is nowhere on the route for filling up, you need to be fully self sufficient.

The final descent got to me, about 6km of techinical singletrack descent with steps and switchbacks. I ended up walking one or two of the stepped sections because I was too physically and mentally knackered to do them without crashing.

It is a good route, White's is the best, Skyline has all the singletrack of White's with extra miles and climbing on fireroads. The Wall and Penhydd are good too, just not big rides like Skyline.

I did it in 4 hrs 50 mins and I don't consider myself to be the fitest rider around. Next time I go down I might be tempted to have a go at W2 but I'm glad I did Skyline first.

shin0r

It's a great track but pretty gruelling. There's a ~7km excellent descent at the very end, what I do is take a shortcut after marker 18 (just past the Granada); take a right downhill instead of a left uphill and the trail becomes ~26km.

Richard2118

I agree with shinOr's comment that the doing skyline up to the first short cut is a better ride than all of it. The whole thing drags as far 2 many fire roads, although good views from some of it.
If you did the short cut you could then do say whites level in the afternoon and do a couple of fantastic trails in a day as apposed to an ok 1. Plus do lunch at the centre in between and fill up , there is nowhere once your out on the trail..