Skyline trail

Crayfish

This trail is tough. You need to be in form. Skyline is rated as a RED on the MB Wales website, whereas W2 is rated Black. We have done both and swear that Skyline is more demanding than W2. Don't believe these ratings.

Check it out (and look for Part 2 as well):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1TtAeICSvo&feature=related

Crayfish

Here is Part 2 for those of you sad enough to be interested (like me) :?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHpp7ZWekbU

VWsurfbum

part 2 is blocked? good vid. surprised how good your mount is at the stem, might try that myself?

Raymondavalon

VWsurfbum wrote:

part 2 is blocked?

Yes as it contains content from WMG or Warner Music Group owned by Sony who are almost Nazi like when it comes to someone using one of their songs or any filmclips of theirs without their God given permission

part 1 was great, looks like an awesome trail

Crayfish

Raymondavalon wrote:

VWsurfbum wrote:

part 2 is blocked?

Yes as it contains content from WMG or Warner Music Group owned by Sony who are almost Nazi like when it comes to someone using one of their songs or any filmclips of theirs without their God given permission

part 1 was great, looks like an awesome trail

Thanks. Part 2 is not blocked for me though - is it just muted, or does it just not play? That's wierd - are you in the UK?

Tom Barton

I'm a local (live in Swansea) W2 is easier than Skyline in terms of fitness, Skyline has more climbing (2000m) whereas W2 works out a fair bit less (1300-1400m or so). Skyline is also a couple of kms longer too. But personally I put it down to the looong fireroad climbs, seem to sap your enthusiasm more than single track climbing!

Maddydog

I ride both trails and would say the following.
W2 is rated black as the climbs are harder, longer and more technical plus the descents are faster and far more demanding you can also add the black run on whites which extends the ride.If you start from Afan the trail is longer anyway.

Skyline is more of an epic ride with most climbing on fire roads after the whites climb and the last descent is the most demanding so as everyone says you need to be on your game as after 26 miles your last 2 are the ones that make you smile if you are fit enough to stay with your bike.

Both are great rides but W2 is a trail centre ride and Skyline we save for nice days for a change.

Thewaylander

Maddy also as a local i would disagree,

W2 has no reason to be balck the single track is slow and poor bar on the Wall section the climbs are very easy on both, and only half on single track.

When it comes to decents Skylines has W2 hammered, with the final decent being flowing and fast everything whites isn't, Skyline's only down side can be a bit to much fireroad to spin you out to the great bits,

Silversladey

Skyline is easier than W2 but I would definitely class them both as RED,

Skyline is Basically a great start (Whites Climb) followed by 2 and a half hours of mainly Fire road and views, finishing on the best descent at the whole trail centre .

Thewaylander

Silvers no way is skyline easier,

There are far more technical sections to it, i mean you can add the black play loop in too as it passes it in the same spot as W2 and the slab drops through that end decent is way past anything on W2..

In fact i find nothing remotely challenging on the W2 trail

Silversladey

Thewaylander wrote:

Silvers no way is skyline easier,

There are far more technical sections to it, i mean you can add the black play loop in too as it passes it in the same spot as W2 and the slab drops through that end decent is way past anything on W2..

In fact i find nothing remotely challenging on the W2 trail

Must have been all the diversions in place on Skyline when I rode it, I found them both ok to ride nothing to hard.

on a different subject rode a mix of Brechfa Red and Black a few weekends ago total 40km, much better than anything at Afan, Brechfa is where is the place to ride, miles ahead at the mo.

weeksy59

i love that section on Vid 1. Nice choice.

Thewaylander

Can't agree more loads of good trails at Brechfa..

andrewjoseph

I haven't seen the vids, but the full skyline trail is about 45km long. last I heard the furthest parts (above the rhigos) are closed.

jimpy

afan forest park website states that all of skyline is open, can anyone confirm ??

weeksy59

Well there's a section about 65-70% into it whre they chopped down ALL the trees in the whole section... a while ago.. so i can promise you that's not open....

Their interpretation of ALL open and mine often differs.

AMcK

Does anyone know when (if) Skyline is due to close for good? Can't seem to find a definitive answer - varying between end of this summer to well into next year...

Heading to Afan first weekend in October, mainly to ride Skyline if it's still open (to tick off the list as a trail to be done) and then on to Cwmcarn the next day (done that before, but love it). Will it still be open then?

andrewjoseph

Singletrackmind, the club that started the trails at Afan, keep getting different estimates to when the trail will be closed, with suggestions that new trails will be put in place before the turbines are erected, or after.

The tree fungus has effected FC plans and this also has to be dealt with.

There has been a change of management with Dick retiring and it seems we are not kept up to date as we once were.