Evenin all,
Im going to take the little puppy (the zed that is) for a run this weekend and wondered if anyone could recommend some routes around the Coed Y Brenin area? Also if anyone round that way fancies coming along?
Route recommendations to start with please.
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Anyone fancy a trip out this weekend?
Started By Dash, Nov 09 2006 08:32 PM
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3 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 09 November 2006 - 09:45 PM
Can't go wrong really. A5 is superb when quiet. A494 into Bala has some wonderful switch backs and probably some of the smoothest tarmac in the UK, A458 is a real joy (with a couple of hairpins 
).
Got to do family things on Sunday, but I'll be around if you need somewhere for a brew on the way back.
).Got to do family things on Sunday, but I'll be around if you need somewhere for a brew on the way back.
#3
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Zedling
Posted 09 November 2006 - 09:55 PM
Welcome to my world 
Get a map out:
You're in the MK region aren't you? There's a good piece of road between yourself and Oxford
Stay north of Oxford, toward Witney (didn't realise road could be so twisty in this area!!), then head west on the A40 toward Gloucester.
Nearing Gloucester, I would then head down the M5 a few junctions before goping back west towards Tintern Abbey - a lovely piece of road.
Make your way towards Brecon, nice fast A roads, via Abergavenny. Before you get to Brecon turn right on to the A470 toward Builith Wells, Rhyader and then Llangurig all the way to Dolgellau. As far as Llangurig, the countryside is absolutely desolate, very few villages, and new high quality tarmac. The road is quite often wide enough to allow two trucks to pass comfortably so you can push on at a rate, and the bends, switchbacks and straights make for a hugely enjoyabledrive which is occasionally quite technically challenging. The road beyond is less wilderness like, but equally brilliant.
Before Dolgellau is Dinas, a big mountain with some extremely fast straights on either side of it, on fairly shallow inclines and declines. Dinas itself is steep but not very long, and miserable if you get stuck behind a bus. If there is no bus, you'll be laughing your a** off
At Dolgellau head north on the A470. This bit of road has a few good bends but is often pretty straight, and can be done at a fair pace!
Before you get to the junction with the A487 that heads off west, there is a road directly east, which is the A4212 towards Bala. Legendary. It's not on the route I'm describing, I keep trying to incorporate this road onto a nice relatively circular route of North Wales that includes everything else but it involves doubling back, but that's no great disappointment on these roads! The B4501 and B4407 come off this road - I haven't been on them in a while so can't remember how good they are, but anecdotally from other people they sound good!
Head past the A4212 junction and continue north on the A470 though Blaenau Ffestiniog till you get to Betws y Coed. Take the A5 west towards Capel Curig. At Capel Curig turn left onto the A4086, which is Llanberis Pass. Drive along this as far as you please (I usually go as far as Llanberis itself), then turn around, and go back the other way. You can repeat this as many times as you like There is a great pie and chip shop much loved by climbers in Llanberis called Pete's Eats - stop there and fill up
Get back to Capel Curig. Here there are a number of options. You could head back the same way you came up, or head out eastward on the A5 all the way to England, which is no bad road by any means, but lots of mobile cameras (well there are when I'm out there!)
I would head down the A5 as far as the B4501 then head south till you meet the A4212, which you can then do in both directions. Head east after that till you get to Bala. Head down either side of the lake that takes your fancy till you get to LLanuwchllyn. Then head south on a little B road that for the life of me I cannot remember the number of. Basically it's single track for about half of it, if you go through Y Bryn then it's the right road. Keep heading south towards LLanymawddwy. It's becomes a very steep incline followed by a very steep decline. At the top it's absolutely desolate. Apparently it's the highest pass road in Wales, and very few people go there. A great place for a sunrise (don't ask!) - can get some great sky views if you have the time, the camera and a warm windbloc fleece!
The decline is pretty hairy, as it's narrow, and the drop to the side is very steep!! This road isn't for speed, just to pootle along admiring the scenery, and hoping like hell no-one is coming the other way in a big hurry! Near the bottom there is a nice small left handed hairpin that you can get your a** around sideways in a controlled way (low speed, 10mph max) if you absolutely must
You're now back at Dinas. Go back up it the other way and down again. rather than follow the A470 south again, head east on the A458 towards Welshpool, then south on the A490 towards Churchstoke. The alternative is to stay on the A470 a little way and then get the A489 to Newtown and continue on to Churchstoke. Both routes here are absolutely magnificent. If heading in to North Wales from the midlands it makes sense to do one in and one out.
At Churchstoke continue on the A489 till you hit the A49, which is a big-ish A road, with some dual carriage way bits. By now I'm usually pretty tired s welcome the fact that it's easy driving, although lots of roundabouts are fun!
Head south past Craven Arms, Ludlow, Leominster, shortly after which you can take a left turn on the A417, and this will take you, via Ledbury and a short bit of the A438, to Gloucester. The A417 is just lovely
Not as demanding as most of Wales, but just sweet sweet sweet. It's hard to believe there are roads this good so near to big cities like Gloucester.
Was that any help? Just my 2c Almost every road on that route (except the M5!!), on it's own in isolation, is eye watering in both beauty of scenery and driving thrills. Add them together and it doesn't get better.
By the way, depending on what day you're going, I might follow from Gloucester You're welcome to a brew in any case
Get a map out:You're in the MK region aren't you? There's a good piece of road between yourself and Oxford
Stay north of Oxford, toward Witney (didn't realise road could be so twisty in this area!!), then head west on the A40 toward Gloucester.Nearing Gloucester, I would then head down the M5 a few junctions before goping back west towards Tintern Abbey - a lovely piece of road.
Make your way towards Brecon, nice fast A roads, via Abergavenny. Before you get to Brecon turn right on to the A470 toward Builith Wells, Rhyader and then Llangurig all the way to Dolgellau. As far as Llangurig, the countryside is absolutely desolate, very few villages, and new high quality tarmac. The road is quite often wide enough to allow two trucks to pass comfortably so you can push on at a rate, and the bends, switchbacks and straights make for a hugely enjoyabledrive which is occasionally quite technically challenging. The road beyond is less wilderness like, but equally brilliant.
Before Dolgellau is Dinas, a big mountain with some extremely fast straights on either side of it, on fairly shallow inclines and declines. Dinas itself is steep but not very long, and miserable if you get stuck behind a bus. If there is no bus, you'll be laughing your a** off
At Dolgellau head north on the A470. This bit of road has a few good bends but is often pretty straight, and can be done at a fair pace!
Before you get to the junction with the A487 that heads off west, there is a road directly east, which is the A4212 towards Bala. Legendary. It's not on the route I'm describing, I keep trying to incorporate this road onto a nice relatively circular route of North Wales that includes everything else but it involves doubling back, but that's no great disappointment on these roads! The B4501 and B4407 come off this road - I haven't been on them in a while so can't remember how good they are, but anecdotally from other people they sound good!
Head past the A4212 junction and continue north on the A470 though Blaenau Ffestiniog till you get to Betws y Coed. Take the A5 west towards Capel Curig. At Capel Curig turn left onto the A4086, which is Llanberis Pass. Drive along this as far as you please (I usually go as far as Llanberis itself), then turn around, and go back the other way. You can repeat this as many times as you like
There is a great pie and chip shop much loved by climbers in Llanberis called Pete's Eats - stop there and fill up Get back to Capel Curig. Here there are a number of options. You could head back the same way you came up, or head out eastward on the A5 all the way to England, which is no bad road by any means, but lots of mobile cameras (well there are when I'm out there!)
I would head down the A5 as far as the B4501 then head south till you meet the A4212, which you can then do in both directions. Head east after that till you get to Bala. Head down either side of the lake that takes your fancy till you get to LLanuwchllyn. Then head south on a little B road that for the life of me I cannot remember the number of. Basically it's single track for about half of it, if you go through Y Bryn then it's the right road. Keep heading south towards LLanymawddwy. It's becomes a very steep incline followed by a very steep decline. At the top it's absolutely desolate. Apparently it's the highest pass road in Wales, and very few people go there. A great place for a sunrise (don't ask!) - can get some great sky views if you have the time, the camera and a warm windbloc fleece!
The decline is pretty hairy, as it's narrow, and the drop to the side is very steep!! This road isn't for speed, just to pootle along admiring the scenery, and hoping like hell no-one is coming the other way in a big hurry! Near the bottom there is a nice small left handed hairpin that you can get your a** around sideways in a controlled way (low speed, 10mph max) if you absolutely must
You're now back at Dinas. Go back up it the other way and down again. rather than follow the A470 south again, head east on the A458 towards Welshpool, then south on the A490 towards Churchstoke. The alternative is to stay on the A470 a little way and then get the A489 to Newtown and continue on to Churchstoke. Both routes here are absolutely magnificent. If heading in to North Wales from the midlands it makes sense to do one in and one out.
At Churchstoke continue on the A489 till you hit the A49, which is a big-ish A road, with some dual carriage way bits. By now I'm usually pretty tired s welcome the fact that it's easy driving, although lots of roundabouts are fun!
Head south past Craven Arms, Ludlow, Leominster, shortly after which you can take a left turn on the A417, and this will take you, via Ledbury and a short bit of the A438, to Gloucester. The A417 is just lovely
Not as demanding as most of Wales, but just sweet sweet sweet. It's hard to believe there are roads this good so near to big cities like Gloucester.Was that any help? Just my 2c
Almost every road on that route (except the M5!!), on it's own in isolation, is eye watering in both beauty of scenery and driving thrills. Add them together and it doesn't get better.By the way, depending on what day you're going, I might follow from Gloucester
You're welcome to a brew in any case
#4
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Zedling
Posted 10 November 2006 - 07:31 AM
q
Fantastic. im going up after the AGM and staying overnight in Coed Y brenin and will be around all day sunday then coming back sunday night.
What day suits you?
drop me a pm with a contact number and we'll talk.
Fantastic. im going up after the AGM and staying overnight in Coed Y brenin and will be around all day sunday then coming back sunday night.
What day suits you?
drop me a pm with a contact number and we'll talk.
