Accidental overnighter in Elenydd

[Dusza]

For the past weekend I have planned a longer one day ride in order to make a shakedown of my gear. It was supposed to lead me around the Tywi Forest in mid Wales and stretch between the Brianne and Claerwen reservoirs. Although the forecast was not in favor of longer errands, on saturday morning I have loaded up my bike with all "dead weight" I had to simulate a typical setup worth couple of days riding and threw it in my car boot to head in the direction of Llandovery.



Despite faul weather the beginning was great, tarmac turned quickly into rubble and dirt roads which climbed into the forest allowing to take occasional sneak peaks onto the valleys and summits of what I think is Elenydd.



I guess that currently the more common name for this area would be the Green Desert of Wales, which describes the desolate and unfriendly moorland surrounding me - it truly is impossible to leave this place having dry feet…



Planning my trip through the moorlands I underestimated the mischievous nature of these hills yet another time. My first encounter that happened exactly one year ago on the Old Monks Trod in Elan Valley welcomed me with a bath in one of the smelly and boggy puddles which first pulled half of my front wheel into its "abyss"… I couldn't be worse so I followed shortly thereafter :)
The first moorland crossing cost me well over 2 hours of pushing and dragging my bicycle, what I got in return were splendid views on the vast and empty spaces around me and a sky which - I think out of pure pitty - spared me bad weather during my whole stay on the moorland.



The second moorland crossing starting just at the southern tip of Claerwen Reservoir seemed even worse and the initially great track detreriorated, scattered into many a direction and finaly dissapeared under water as if it were an old Welsh custom.



Sunset cought my weary self in the middle of nowhere and forced me into setting up camp… I guess all this stuff dangling on my bike wasn't "dead weight" after all. Having all my camping gear and a set of clean and dry clothing made me truly happy and enabled me to get some well deserved rest before heading back home the next day.
Unfortunatelly my battery died just at the begging of the second day, so no photographs - but it was raining the whole sunday so I wouldn’t take to many pics anyway.

It was good, at times hard, next time I'll skip the moorland

Rest of the pics can be found here and this time I've added some english subtitles aswell :):
https://picasaweb.google.com/1028938705 ... directlink

Please forgive me if I made lingual mistakes in my story, I try my best… would be happy to hear if you've found anything in need of correction.

Godspeed
Dusza

[thomthumb]

looks like a lovely trip. i need to get back to mid wales...

[Bearbonesnorm]

the valleys and summits of what I think is Elenydd.

Dusza, you were most certainly in the Elenydd ... not sure about calling it 'unfriendly' though, you just have to remember to work with it rather than against it