Brecon Beacons ADVENTURE
When it comes to exploring the Brecon Beacons, you can’t beat experiencing it by bike…
Measuring 835 square miles, the Brecon Beacons National Park is massive. It’s one of the largest in the UK and one of the most stunning. Especially when you start getting off the beaten track to see it from the less-travelled lanes and trails that criss-cross it like a spider’s web.
Most people don’t know about these routes and probably never will, unless they join the BMW Off Road Skills’ (ORS) Brecon Beacons Adventure.
Headed by 10-times Dakar competitor Simon Pavey, the training centre is based in the small town of Ystalyfera, just north of Swansea. It’s known for its three-tier adventure bike tuition, which takes place in an enormous private playground, perfectly suited to pushing the limits of anything and anyone. But a less well-known side of the company is its off-road adventures. The popular Brecon Beacons Adventure takes place over two days, twice a year, and is open to anyone who’s completed the school’s Level One training course.
At the booking stage you can choose between any of BMW’s GS-range models. I went with the F800GS – it lacks a lot of its bigger brother’s technology, which means you can’t depend as much on electronics to get you out of trouble, but I fancied a challenge so chose it for the trip.
In my group were eight other riders, plus Simon himself and fellow instructor Chris Northover. A great pair of guys, they led us out in convoy on the local roads.
Ystalyfera sits in a valley, so whichever way you go leads you into the hills. Our bikes were fitted with off-road rubber, so the pace on the Tarmac was steady. Wherever you looked, the views were stunning; lush green pastures with waterfalls and rock faces. Postcard stuff.
ORS puts no pressure on anyone to perform like a Dakar rider; the aim is fun. Despite being in the advanced group, the initial pace on the dirt was slow and considered. Wide tracked and overhung by trees, it didn’t take much riding to feel completely removed from civilisation; it was exciting and unnerving at the same time. Having clocked up a few miles, the trail ended and we found ourselves back on another remote and narrow road.
It had been the perfect warm-up. We’d come to ride trails, but there was a real pleasure in exploring the local, winding roads, which seemed devoid of traffic. Thirty minutes later we pulled up once more. We’d arrived at a hole in a hedge, not much wider than a bike. This was to be our first proper green lane and we set off one by one. The F800 is narrower than the GS, with the biggest advantage being its cylinders tucked away within its frame. The trail descended sharply, the tree stumps on each side of the steep banks etching outwards and catching the cylinders of the 1200cc riders. Now was the time to start concentrating, carefully determining the best route downwards while making sure not to apply too much front brake and lock the wheel.
The addition of deep ruts made the ride even more exciting, bouncing the bike all over the place and giving the impression that the GS was crossed up. It wasn’t, but by the time I’d reached the bottom of the slope, I felt like I’d had 10 minutes on the edge. A river crossing up ahead brought everyone to a stop, offering a much needed breather. Traversing it one at a time, I’d caught my breath and despite a few slides on the slippery stones below the water, the crossing was straightforward enough.
Just around the corner was the next major challenge; a steep climb. With everyone’s bikes dripping wet, the soft soil below was getting a good watering, which made the challenge of rounding an uphill corner and racing up a harsh climb even more difficult. This was where some people got stuck.
The disadvantage of traction control is that it reduces the machine’s output and costs you momentum. A number of the R1200GS riders had elected to keep the aid switched on and they stopped halfway up. Heavy throttle hands only made it worse, digging the rear wheels into the ground. Chris and Simon had their work cut out, yanking bikes out of ruts and showing riders the best techniques to make it to the top. Progress was slow but eventually everyone was up.
Hundreds of acres of trails, varying in altitude and complexity, were to be our play pen for the next few hours. It felt like a lottery win.
Despite all three groups being in the forest at the same time, the sheer vastness of the complex meant that we seldom saw one another; the only sightings often being across the valleys. Simon and Chris had got the measure of our group’s ability and went out of their way to help us have the most enjoyable few hours possible. Gradually increasing the pace of the ride, along with the technicality of the terrain we were riding, it wasn’t long before we were made to feel like proper adventurers. Having never met any of my fellow riders before the day had started, it was great to see how quickly they’d dismount their own machines to get stuck in and lift me and my bike up, each time I toppled over. As the riding went on, the frequency of assistance increased as we began to take the bikes down ridiculously tight and complex routes. From riding down stone-based streams, to bashing bracken in forests, it was relentless and it felt epic.
Throughout the ride Chris and Simon had been offering sound advice, whether on how to pick the bike up or how to master hill starts; the information was delivered in a clear and non-patronising way. At one point we arrived at a fallen tree – some two feet in diameter – blocking our path. I thought it crazy when Simon suggested we ride over it, but that’s exactly what he did and he showed that it was possible. One by one, we each rode our bikes up and over this natural obstacle, witnessing some funny and terrifying scenes along the way. But the point is that we all achieved what none of us would have considered before that day. Without realising what was happening, we were upping our game.
Fed and rested, the following morning saw a prompt start, kicking off the second and final part of the tour. Everyone’s confidence was up and there was a hearty feel to the morning’s first trail, which turned out to be fast and mostly loosestoned. Because someone fancied a swap, I’d also managed to land myself an R1200GS. The differences between it and the F800GS were considerable, with the bigger bike being much torquier and easier to ride. The clutch felt lighter and the weight lower, and easier to manage.
The suspension, set in Enduro mode, absorbed imperfections better and the power and versatility of the motor meant I had to worry far less about which gear I was in. It also felt more comfortable when sat down on the branching stretches of roads. The other advantage to the bike, as I was soon to discover, was that when you fell off it the cylinders meant the bike was propped slightly off the ground, so was easier to pick back up. The ride back to base was sobering; the caked mud on our bikes and kit a reminder of a memorable weekend of adventure bike riding. Everyone had had a great time and already people were talking about booking onto the following Brecon Beacons adventure. As we all gathered to be awarded a certificate of completion and biking goody bag, it became apparent that a large proportion of those who’d been on the event had already partaken before, and were likely to do so again.
TEN The number of Dakars Simon Pavey has contested