Mtb'in Snowdon! The Mountain!
gregmorris234
Posts: 168
Im going to ride Snowdon with my father in October and I was wondering if anyone has done this before? I was also wondering if there were any half tidy B&B's in the area? and if anyone has any intresting stories and comments I would love to hear about them? and lastly I was wondering is it hard to ride?
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Well, it is the biggest mountain in England and Wales. I'll let you think on that one for a bit.gregmorris234 wrote:and lastly I was wondering is it hard to ride?
Although I live in the area, I'm not actually sure of any B&B's, as I've never needed them, but if you're after a hotel, then there's the Royal Victoria situated as near to the bottom of the Llanberis trail as you could actually ever get a hotel - very handy.
Also, there's Premier inn in Caernarfon - just down the road - for budget accomodation.
I also know that there's several B&Bs in Caernarfon although I can't be specific with the names because as I said, I've never used them :oops:
Also, a few guest houses in Llanberis itself, quick list of some here
Hope that helps.0 -
Thanks, By is it hard to ride? I meant yeah its gonna be a lung busting climg but is it technical and stuff? You know what I mean.. and yeah i've looked at a couple of B&B's I was just wondering if anyone had stayed at them and thought they had particular experiences? Have you ever ridden Snowdon yeehaamcgee?0
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Sorry, I didn't mean to be condescending. A lot of folk really have no idea how large and steep a mountain to expect, which I guess is why there's so many fatalities on the mountain each year.You know what I mean..
I've embarrasingly, ridden almost all of snowdon, but got annoyed with all the walkers, and gave up about 15 minutes from the summit!
I'd ridden all the way up Elidir, crossed over into the quarries, descended down into the Llanberis pass, then climbed the pass, then went up the mountain, only to get annoyed, and turn back down again so close to the top
I thought I'd ridden most of it anyway, so decided to enjoy the descent instead.
I've ridden other parts of it lots of times, but never ridden right to the very summit.
That's the trouble with being local, we kind of take our surroundings for granted.
Anyway, the trail most people do, the Llanberis path, is manegable for the most part, but does have a few rocky sections. It gets pretty steep and treacherous towards the top, so don't go expecting a nice smooth footpath, or you could be caught unawares.
If you decide to go up and down via the same path, then there's the benefit of seeing what you're about to ride on the way up, so you're better prepared for the descent.0 -
Thanks alot. I have walked a few times but cant remember what the hell it looked like. Have you seen the new Cafe?0
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no :oops:
Believe it or not, we were menat to record a TV show there last year, meaning we had to park up some massive trucks in the pass, and run fibre-optic links to the top, it was a logistical nightmare.
Unfortunately, (fortunately) it wasn't finished on time.
I really want to go check out the new cafe, but I blew my knee out at the start of the year, so I still can't walk too far without being in agony. Oddly, I can ride fine for hours - so once the voluntary bike ban is over this year, I might go up on the bike.0 -
Better ride I find is: Caernarfon to Waunfawr, then up the STEEEEEP hill to the quarry, thro the gate and then DH, but, just before Llanberis, turn right. This gets tricky, so watch out! Then it's easier singletrack to the bridge, pumping station thingy. Then THE Climb! Up, Up, Up to the top of Telegraph Valley. Total isolation, no walkers/horses...other humans? You'll see the train track in the distance, looks just like Ivor the Engine, TOOT-TOOT!
Take the gate at the top, looking down to the Rhyd Ddu road. Deep troughs here/erosion from water, walkers? Take the Ranger path down, zig-zagging over all the newish water bars VERY SHARP Slate, hairpins, and finish by the Ranger Outdoor hostel. ( Doing it the other way is a better descent, but shit climb.)
If you're up for it, Beddgelert Forest only 15mins away, or Steep climb up to Rhosgadfan, onto Carmel, Cilgwyn quarry, Dinas, then back to Caernarfon or Waunfawr.
Now, THAT'S a RIDE!
No, I've only ever walked Snowdon having lived holidayed/lived here over 25yrs.
I'm sure it'll be there tomorrow when I look for it...0 -
Well thanks for the advice Splottboy. But I think i'll stick to the Llanberis track for now. Just incase I dont get lost! But Thanks. 0
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I rode up and down a few years back - ride up is long and hard with some bits that are unrideable - I was knackered from the day befores riding so only managed about 50-60% riden I think.
Downhill is fast loose and fun for the most part, some steep sections, watch the weather at the top (we went up in May, mid teens at the bottom in the sun, frost and cloud at the summit). We took armour fo the downhill and at the time I found a couple of sections unrideable - think I might manage them these days.Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0 -
i did a charity walk up snowdon about a month ago. the new cafe is not all that special.
it was asolutely rammed in there with not that many seats! does the mountain biking rule of not riding between 10am and 5pm still apply in october yeehaa?0 -
I've ridden up Snowdon half a dozen times or so, but not in the last 12 years at least. I was unprepared for just how easy the climb was, I am not a good climber - trust me. The only tough bit for me is about a few hundred yards before the top there is a real rock garden to traverse, pretty much unrideable, for me anyway. There is also a very steep bit of tarmac near the bottom (from memory).
This was up by the side of the railway obviously, there are tougher ways of getting up there.0 -
Did Snowdon for the first time on a nice sunny evening this June. Up and down the Llanberis path. Pushed the bike up most of the way although about 70% of the climb is rideable if you have the legs for it. It took about 2.5 hours to push up but that did include a few stops.
The descent is one hell of an experience - definitely the most fun I have ever had on a bike It is quite technical and steep in parts though and there are some sections where you can get scary fast and out of control if you start getting cocky (talking from experience ). You need to be an experienced and confident mountain biker to tackle this. It is harder than anything I have come across at North Wales trail centres for example.
If you are riding it at the weekend or during school holidays, I would get up there very early or come down quite late otherwise the ride will be spoiled due to having to avoid walkers.
Recommend that you check the weather before you go as it can get rather nasty up there.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor/mo ... ssure.html
Stu0 -
Thanks for the advice Stu! I cant wait to do it now!0
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Interested to know how you get on, planning on doing this myself sometime soon.
On a similar note Im off up to Fort William next week on holiday, with the bike of course. Has anyone ridden up Ben Nevis?0 -
I've ridden Snowdon a few times over the last couple of years and in my experience i have found that the easiest way up is the Llanberis Path, and the best way down is via the Rangers Path (more technical than the Llanberis Path, but a lot more fun).
Whichever route you choose, i can guarantee that you will love it, and will want to do it again at some point in the future. 0 -
Just got back from there recently. Walked up the Llanberis side. Saw a group of about 8 lads riding down. Would agree with Dodgy about the track on that side. Very steep tarmac bit at the bottom. Gradual incline for about 2.5 miles and then a couple of hundred metres of steep section again about 1/2 mile from the top.
The lads I spoke to who were coming down did report quite a few punctures though.
Tiny0 -
Rode the Ranger path a couple of weeks ago, fantabulistic when you get away from the railway on the beris side, it then feels like a proper mountain instead of a theme park. The futuristic stone cladding of the new cafe blends in nicely with the summit area , the former one was a monstrosity. The curfew is no problem, left lanberis at 7am back just after 10am, on the ranger path you descend to below a col then hike a bike back over to a good descent into Beris.0
