Rhayader, Wales

Distance 23km (14.3 miles) Climbing 725 metres (2,378ft) Time 1hr 30mins to 2hrs 30mins

Route summary This beautiful and peaceful part of Mid Wales provides a rough and remote ride with superb views and some big hills Start/Finish Car park off the B4518, Rhayader (grid ref SN 967/678, postcode LD6 5AR) 1

Head south-west on the B4518, and turn left onto the cycle path on the edge of town (large blue signpost). Follow this until it drops to a road and a ‘Give Way’ sign, shortly after crossing a side road. Leave the cycle path here, turning right to cross the main road and join a minor road on the other side. Head uphill past a house.

2

Keep left at a fork and then bear left to ignore the rougher track ahead/right. After a long, gradual climb on the road, keep left at the fork, past a cottage. Take the bridleway turning on the right through a gate, and go uphill gently until the hills get steeper, just beyond another gate.

3

Cross a stream and turn right on a faint track (not left on the more obvious track) up the steep valley (you may have to walk this), with a stream on your right. At the top, bear left around a boggy section, then right, to head downhill on some singletrack. Bear left across a stream, uphill, and then there’s a steep drop down with a technical rocky bit at the top. 4

Turn right on the road at the bottom, by the reservoir edge, and shortly afterwards join the NCN cycle path. Keep left at a fork, passing the dam, and follow along the side of the reservoir, past Craig Goch dam (to your left), when the track starts to climb steeply uphill.

5

The track becomes faint but improves at the top, before dropping down to a ford and climbing up to a road. Turn left on the tarmac and continue for 1km, then go right on a wide track at the top. Keep ahead on this, with one small climb.

6

Follow the red arrow markers (left then right) downhill, all the way to a house. Keep ahead, through a gate, to a road. Turn right on this, then left at the T-junction, to the B4518. Go left, to cross the bridge and return to Rhayader.

LOCATION DETAILS

The Elan Valley is also known as ‘The Little Lake District’ due to its stunning mountainous scenery and chain of manmade reservoirs. It isn’t as busy as the Lake District though, and makes a nice, quiet alternative. There are plans for a couple of waymarked MTB trails here, so stay tuned.

GETTING THERE

Rhayader lies on the A470 between Builth Wells and Llangurig, and can be reached by heading north from Abergavenny on the A40, A479 and then A470, or south then west from Shrewsbury, through Newtown. The car park is on the south-west side of town, just over the river.

MAPS & BOOKS

OS Landranger 147: Elan Valley & Builth Wells. Wales Mountain Biking by Tom Hutton (Vertebrate Publishing).

FACILITIES

Brynteg Guesthouse is nice and bike-friendly (01597 810052, www.bryntegbedand breakfast.co.uk) or try the Elan Valley Hotel (01597 810448, www.elanvalleyhotel.co.uk). There’s camping at Gigrin Farm, south-east of Rhayader (01597 810243). Clive Powell’s bike shop in Rhayader is very good, and o ers bike hire, guided rides and events (01597 811343, www.clivepowell-mtb. co.uk). Head to the Crown Inn in Rhayader for co ee, cake and good food (01597 811099, www.tymorgans. com/the-crown-inn-rhayader). There are lots of other pubs to choose from too.