We went on Friday with the intention of getting a night ride in, but unfortunately the 'car park' that is the M42 put pay to that idea. We left Worthing at around 2:00PM and didn't get up to Betws-y-Coed until 7:30, this meant that by the time we'd got to the place we were staying in Llanberis it was 9:00. So we gave it a miss.
Saturday morning was bright and sunny and we discovered that from the foot square 'window' in our room we could see the summit of Snowdon. We had intended to ride Snowdon on Sunday and do Coed-y-Brenin on Saturday, but the weather just made it too good an opportunity to miss. The bike ban was due to finish at 4:30PM for the winter, but we threw caution to the wind and went a bit earlier (I know it was naughty but sometimes you have to take your chances, I'd never seen the view from the top). So the seven of us set off on Saturday morning. We had one super fit guy, Steve, with us and he hung around for a bit before blasting off for the summit with two of the others trying to hang on to his coat tails. He got up in an hour and ten minutes, the other two were twenty minutes behind him. The remaining four, including me, took our time. I took some piccies, we checked out the views and treated the more gnarly sections as trials obstacles and tried to ride as much of it as possible. So we ended up taking two and a half hours, but had a great deal more fun by the sounds of things.
At the top the cloud had rolled in, so we hung around and took some more photo's on the trig point on the top and then the others went into the cafe. Rob and I wanted one last look around and at that moment it cleared for about two minutes. It was fantastic, took some more shots and used up the film! It clouded up so we retired to the cafe for some food and caffeine before the long downhill. After a chat the other three headed for Llanberis, we sat around and chatted for a bit and then went for it. We rode about 99% of it and had a right blast on the way down, with only one injury to Deadly Dave who 'fell off' the path and went about fifteen feet down onto the railway track. That 're-focused' him somewhat and after that he was a bit more careful.
In the evening we went for a night ride Up the Llanberis pas to the start of the 'Pyg Track'. We rode round the bridleway to the two lakes and took some piccies. There were a few walkers still coming down from the mountain in the dark and they seemed amazed to see seven mad blokes on bikes riding a mountain track in the dark! The blast back into town down Llanberis pass on the road was a forty plus job and was totally mad.
Sunday morning we packed up and went to Coed-y-Brenin to do the MBR route. The weather was overcast but OK. The MBR trail was OK, but I think it has been a bit over-hyped by the mag. It was good, but not that good! Way too much fire road and not nearly enough singletrack. Unfortunately Rob took a tumble about half way round and he could ride on the flat but anything else his arm was too painful, so he and I cut it short and met the others back at the car.
It turned out after he'd been to hospital back at home that he's fractured his elbow. He can't wait to get back on though, he's only been riding for about three months but he loves a good bit of singletrack, especially if it's downhill.
So anyway after that we cleared off home, all knackered (apart from Steve), and ready for a good kip!!
Last Updated 16-10-2000
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