Guiding on the Slate trails (Video)
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 8:32 pm
A couple of weeks ago Escape Goat Allen asked if I could show him the buildings in my Slate video from July. A date was picked and Sunday afternoon saw Al, John Climber meet me in a nice quiet layby on a back lane not far from Beddgelert. I warned the pair of them to expect big climbs and Welsh weather...
What I had planned was a route I'd done many times a few years ago on a skinny 26" MTB, we were all on fat bikes and it was great to have Allen ride his for the first time on this ride.
After a quiet mile on the lane we soon headed on the old highway where the humidity was already taking its toll.
20200816_173202 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We soon got the short pedalling out of the way and the next few miles were on foot...
20200816_174425 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_183117 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_185751 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Once near the summit of the double track the open mine shaft was producing some very cool air which Allen loved for cooling down..
20200816_190024 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_190958 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Just when they thought we had hit our limit of hike a bike I dealt them with more.
20200816_192211 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We did have some views though
20200816_192614 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
After a brief 'downhill' we had a little more climbing after the soaking of the feet in the usual bog. And to tick Allens box he got to see the buildings...
20200816_194412 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
A short pedal later saw us at the slate hotel, where we each picked room with the usual facilities
20200816_195313 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
At least we had a spare wheel for the bikes
20200816_201815 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We knew there was some wet stuff coming in so pitching against a wall for extra protection
20200816_205055 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Allen opted for the suite with the kitchen island
20200816_210753 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
The hotel staff weren't up to much
20200816_214929 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
It rained through the night but thankfully stopped for us to break camp
20200817_074315 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
As we descended so did the cloud and the heavy rain
20200817_084750 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200817_085555 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Just as they both thought it would get easier as we hit the tarmac, the realisation soon hit us as it was the climb to Stwlan
20200817_104247 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
our spirits were up despite the rain just as we had another gruelling hike a bike
20200817_105858 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
JC doesn't like me anymore
20200817_105846 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200817_110534 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Allen has now seen that fatbikes are friggin ace!
20200817_115206 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
JC loves me really
20200817_115209 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
It was a pleasure gentlemen and like I said the mileage will seem like 3x the amount we did and you'll enjoy it tomorrow
As per usual a film coming soon and you'll get to see how wet it really was....
Cheers
What I had planned was a route I'd done many times a few years ago on a skinny 26" MTB, we were all on fat bikes and it was great to have Allen ride his for the first time on this ride.
After a quiet mile on the lane we soon headed on the old highway where the humidity was already taking its toll.
20200816_173202 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We soon got the short pedalling out of the way and the next few miles were on foot...
20200816_174425 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_183117 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_185751 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Once near the summit of the double track the open mine shaft was producing some very cool air which Allen loved for cooling down..
20200816_190024 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200816_190958 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Just when they thought we had hit our limit of hike a bike I dealt them with more.
20200816_192211 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We did have some views though
20200816_192614 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
After a brief 'downhill' we had a little more climbing after the soaking of the feet in the usual bog. And to tick Allens box he got to see the buildings...
20200816_194412 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
A short pedal later saw us at the slate hotel, where we each picked room with the usual facilities
20200816_195313 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
At least we had a spare wheel for the bikes
20200816_201815 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
We knew there was some wet stuff coming in so pitching against a wall for extra protection
20200816_205055 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Allen opted for the suite with the kitchen island
20200816_210753 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
The hotel staff weren't up to much
20200816_214929 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
It rained through the night but thankfully stopped for us to break camp
20200817_074315 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
As we descended so did the cloud and the heavy rain
20200817_084750 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200817_085555 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Just as they both thought it would get easier as we hit the tarmac, the realisation soon hit us as it was the climb to Stwlan
20200817_104247 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
our spirits were up despite the rain just as we had another gruelling hike a bike
20200817_105858 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
JC doesn't like me anymore
20200817_105846 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
20200817_110534 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
Allen has now seen that fatbikes are friggin ace!
20200817_115206 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
JC loves me really
20200817_115209 by Jeff Price, on Flickr
It was a pleasure gentlemen and like I said the mileage will seem like 3x the amount we did and you'll enjoy it tomorrow
As per usual a film coming soon and you'll get to see how wet it really was....
Cheers