Rachael’s experienced a string of disappointments in her recent hikes, and today unfortunately continued the streak. She started out on an out-and-back to Clywedog Reservoir north of here, but came across a barricade traversing the Alt Goch that I walked through last night. She called me to discuss it while I was out on my bike, but in the end she just walked back to the room, took a break for a few hours, and then went out for a second walk. Nothing terrible, but a disappointment. We’re both rooting for her to have a great outing tomorrow - she’s overdue.
So I feel a little guilty to report that my ride was spectacular - an out and back north to the divide where the road crosses the spine of the Cambrian Mountains and drops steeply to the Irish Sea. Its essentially a hill climb on the way out and descent on the return, but there are plenty Of steep lumps along the way in both directions to change the pace. An excellent route all the way back, on another road I was sorry to turn back from when the time came for it.
I’m only a mile or two into the ride when Rachael calls. The timing is good because I’m stopped admiring this building anyway.
While I was talking on the phone with Rachael I noticed that some common swifts were swirling around the building and apparently nesting under the eaves. Swifts are generally impossible to get a decent shot of because they’re so fast and in perpetual motion, but I watched the roofline with the camera cocked and finally got a halfway decent capture.
Along the Severn. I should have included a shot of the road itself, a singletrack narrow enough that it feels almost like a bike path. The surface is good, the grades manageable.
Another view across the Severn. We’ve really gotten lucky on weather here in Wales, with another beautiful day today - nearly windless, clear, comfortable.
I was focused mostly on the seeping - I considered taking a video - but it’s really colorful too. I’ll have to start looking more closely at the bogs and mosses here.
Eventually I leave the trees behind as I approach the crest of the mountains. It’s steadily uphill the rest of the way to the summit but at a manageable pace.
Really exceptional cycling country. Like along the Elan, it feels like I could be in a national park. Would have been, if the preservationists had won the dispute.
View are enormous when I reach the crest. I stop for a few shots but don’t stay long because there are a couple of vans parked here with guys flying their drones. Instead I drop down to a viewpoint I saw on the map that must be just a couple of bends down the road. Down is the operative word, and I keep wondering whether I should stop and limit my losses since I’ll have to climb back up again.
The viewpoint is definitely impressive when I come to it. It’s a memorial is dedicated to Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, one of Wales's most well-known and respected broadcasters, war correspondents and environmental champions.
That’s the road, continuing on down below. It’s like the spot where I turned back descending along the Ystwyth a few days ago - a part of me would be pretty happy to keep dropping and ride all the way to Machynlleth. If we ever come back maybe I’ll do that and make an overnighter out of it.
When the time comes to start back up, a biker comes up the slope, pedaling slowly while standing up. I consider walking it but there’s a man parked in the car at the viewpoint wryfully smiling my way so pride takes over and I tough my way up. 17%? Something like that. Enough to challenge me, definitely.
When I get back to the vans the biker is loading his wheels into one and the others are putting away the drone. I understand now - they’ve been making a video of his ascent. As I pass the biker shouts out congratulations and holds out his hand for a slap, which I manage to meet without falling off the bike. Meet you at the pub, he shouts as I continue on.
I’ve got one last add-on to my plan before heading home - an out and back to a small tarn, the Glaslyn Wildlife Reserve. It’s about a mile and a half getting there and the same distance back over a rough gravel track with occasional wet patches, but I’m glad I went. No new birds,but I do get another nice shot of a skylark. But mostly it’s just such an exceptional spot to be, up here on top of this corner of the world where all the local rivers cascade from. From where I stand it’s about one mile to the source of the Severn and another three to the source of the Wye. Looking off to the northeast the outline of Mount Snowden rises above the ridge.
An exceptional spot that would be worth returning to. I’m sure it must be amazing in late summer when the heather is in bloom.
5 months ago