Where to MTB / Camp / B&B in South Wales?

milese

An MTB weekender might be on the cards for next weekend.

We're coming up from the SW so dont really want to travel further than we have to. Does that leave me Afan or the Breacon Beacons? Would like enough to get 2 full day rides with a bit of variety.

Any reccommendations?

We'll then need a campsite / B&B, so if anyone could reccommend either that would be helpful as well!

Cheers!

bomberesque

Afan will keep you busy for 2 days if you've not been before. There's camping on site iirc.

dot1

look up the drop off cafe at afan forest. they have a campsite which we're staying at in a couple of weeks! heard good things about it! £5 per person per night, you cant complain really!

Bikefotos

If you are planning May 30/31, then you can camp at Margam Park as it is the Big Weekend. Good access to Afan and Cwmcarn or the Beacons are not far away. See link - http://www.britishxc.co.uk/index.php?op ... &Itemid=32 .

Or try the MTB-Wales site for accomodation - http://www.mtb-wales.com/modules.php?op ... link&cid=4.

Camping available at Cwmcarn and also some B/B there.

milese

Thanks for the replies. Margam Park looks perfect!

milese

This didn't happen back in May, but we're going to go for it on the first weekend of Sept.

I've just had a look and Cwmcarn is much closer to us than Afan. Is it much smaller than Afan? Will it keep us amused for 2 days, or at least provide a good base rides off the site?

Or is it worth travelling the bit extra to Afan?

llamafarmer

Cwm Carn only has one XC trail, I'd say Afan is well worth the extra distance for the variety of trails on offer. I stayed at Glyncorrwg last week and it's great, pretty basic camping, but if you're only going for the night it's fine. The cafe there is great, you get massive portions of proper food and it's not too expensive.

My advice is take some mozzy repellant and make a campfire to keep the midges away!

P-Jay

Do both! They're not far apart really and they're both world class riding venues.

I only live in Cardiff so don't need to stay over usually, but when we needed digs for the party after the Kona Mash Up we stay at Afan Lodge, it's bloody magic, the food and accomodation are really good.

gregmorris234

How many are going because there are lodges up in Afan situated actually on one of the trails! Afan will keep you busy for more then 2 days there are 4 different trails. The Wall, Penhydd, Whites Level, and Skyline. Skyline is alright, tough but can get extremely boring. Whites Level has to be my favourite one, its basically singletrack all the way unless you do the optional black run. Penhydd is ok but there is fireroad, and its bit of a beginner track so do that first in the day if i was you. Wall is great too, not as good as Whites but still good. If you want you can link the Wall and Whites which makes W2. That's tough but its really good. Everything is sign posted brilliantly. Here is a link for thos lodges- http://www.brynbettwslodge.com/

milese

Thanks again for the replies. Afan it is then.

There are only 2 of us going so a lodge might be pushing it! Camping is fine for us.

llamafarmer

Milese wrote:

Thanks again for the replies. Afan it is then.

There are only 2 of us going so a lodge might be pushing it! Camping is fine for us.

You could always do Cwm Carn in the morning on the way over there if you wanted to add another trail.

Paulie W

I like Afan, all the routes are pretty good but there is a lot to be said for heading into the Brecons and doing some more 'natural' riding. Loads of routes you can do. You can even buy a set of waymarked route cards for the area - I picked some up from a tourist information office in Crickhowell a few years ago but they are avialable from here also: http://www.mtbbreconbeacons.co.uk/