WRT 2024: Tall Tales and Dirty Deeds

[MuddyPete]

A place for epic tales of daring-do, or just relaxed bimbling, if you so desire. "Based on a true story" is preferable .

Many thanks to Stu and Dee for another perfect weekend of sunshine, silliness, cake, fun and laughter .

I liked the Ukraine-inspired T-shirt, too. Nice touch .

[MuddyPete]

WRT 2024 LHC under the ever-capable leadership of Reg.
My first WRT: as relaxed and convivial as I hoped.

Saturday - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rOLO8IFoS ... RkamcycW92

Sunday - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rPHF0oLzA ... BmeDVudDkw

Monday - https://www.instagram.com/p/C6rP7ZXolRL ... Uyc2lkaTFo

The awards ceremony was entertaining, with properly useful prizes (especially for the under-12s), rather than shiny tat you might see at more (less?) "prestigious" events.
Lots of uphill, but fewer tussocks than I was expecting.

Highs:

• glorious sunshine

• bumping into "everyone" in the impassable forest and later on in the pub

• meeting Jay and Ian for the first time

• meeting Reg for the umpteenth time

• the "Hot Fuzz" ambience of the Black Lion in Llanfair Caereinion and the stolen police car

• Lake Vyrnwy

• the warp-speed descent from Bwlch y Groes to Pennant

• beer in the sunshine at Dinas Mawddwy

• Reg's Sunday night trail-side bivi site (quiet, lovely view, no midges)

• the playground of bridleways between Comis Coch and Moelfre Fach

• fresh coffee and Bailey's just before the final, stunning descent (with air) down to BB Towers

• Stu and Dee's cakes and hospitality

Lows:

• slogging up the hill from Lake Vyrnwy, thinking it'll summit just ahead as it disappears to the right, only to see Jay in his yellow jersey a mile ahead where the road curved around to the left

• no pickled eggs

An excellent weekend.

[JohnClimber]

Yet another brilliant WRT
It's like a family event from start to finish, but with family that you actually look forward to spending time with

Some of my favourite photos

[Verena]

Looks brilliant

[RIP]

Apart from the weather going horribly wrong that was a nice WRT. The locations of the GRs meant that there was lots of the renowned WRT “bumping into other riders at random” which is one of my favourite aspects.

Our LHC-B group gathered together and off we went, having lost a couple of players, but gained another in the form of Jay whom I met last year at the top of Stu’s valley. Down the road to Llanbrynmair, over the crossroads, up the lane, then turn right along the attractive little valley leading to the climb up to the Gwyddior forest. At the farm we got caught up by the JC Roadshow who proceeded to show us a clean pair of heels up the hill, and then it was along the plateau past the remote Llyn Gwyddior….



… then through the forest with its moss-festooned pines…



Upon arrival at the notorious Passage Of Doom various groups were stacked up trying to work out the best way through to reach the Sunlit Uplands. Here’s Allen’s folks taking the tussock-yomping option…





Finally making it out to smiles all round once we’d counted and ensured nobody had been lost to the voracious bogs and tussocks…



Don’t get too cocky though people, there’s plenty of gloop to plough through before you get to the pub….



A large number of riders were recuperating at the Cann Office pub in Llangadfan, including Taylor/Matt/Burty/Viv/etc, Dr Nick & Co, and Mark and his four year old daughter Emily. I must say that it was nice to see a number of youngsters joining in again this year, big compliments to Mark for doing a similar route to everyone else despite having Emily tagging along in a trailer - she certainly seemed to be having a great time every time I spoke to her!

We decided to head off to Llanfair Caereinion because it had a number of food options and a Spar. To keep off the A458, we took the bridleway diversion round Moel Bentyrch which unsurprisingly turned out to be “Welsh” with lots of obstacles – I note that Stu playfully bunged a GR on it . Anyone else do that one?



Some bare bones (of Bear Boners?) showed that some had already fallen by the wayside….



Not a hugely well-used bridleway then….



A characterful bivvy shed peacefully mouldering into its surroundings… only room for two though, so on we plodded to Llanfair along the quiet lanes…



Heroically resisting a beer immediately we thought it prudent to stock up at the Spar first, which was fortuitous because it closed at 8pm and it was now 8.01pm… the owner kindly stayed open while we raided the supplies and also told us that The Goat was the place for food and that the chippie had just closed. We arrived at The Goat but sadly there was “no room at the inn”, so they rang round for us and found some food down the road at the Black Lion where we’d already been ten minutes ago, although on the way we discovered the chippie was actually open after all. Suffice to say that the Lion was obviously the establishment favoured by the younger clientele of the surrounding area and it seemed a good time was being had by all to say the least. All good fun. But we already had our “spot radars” switched on and noticed an outside seating area which looked “suitable”. I wasn’t really in the right negotiating mood but gave it a go anyway, and the long-suffering Molly behind the bar finally gave us the go ahead. All for nothing though because Pete had chatted to a young lad who recommended the car park of the narrow gauge railway down by the river so we headed there instead! Nothing like winging it. We were just about to set up when someone noticed a marquee which we duly commandeered, although I wasn’t keen on the gravel floor so made yet another snap decision to go for the booking office verandah instead. Quite a chilly night and woken by the rooks at 5am…





On Sunday morning we continued on towards Vyrnwy via the Dyfnant forest, hoping for a second breakfast there, which turned out to be a little optimistic.



Passing up the option of Abertridwr shop, where plenty of other Boners were sojourning, we headed for the Artisan café by the reservoir, with its predictable half hour queue and crowded garden. Pleasant enough in the sunshine though.



Loins were girded for the climb up to Bwlch Y Groes, along with a water top-up from the reservoir. We figured that Severn Trent Water might not miss one pint from the 104 billion pints available….



The climb was hard work for us old codgers but the views were impressive to be fair, as far as Snowdon and the Arenigs one way, and down the Dyfi valley the other…



The Red Lion at Dinas Mawddwy provided a pleasant beer in the garden while we checked the map for the route to our possible bivvy spots near Corris. At this point I had a mutiny on my hands as it was deemed too far in our wrecked state , so a quick change of plan gave the decision to head more towards Stu’s via Cemmaes Road and hope we could find a bivvy spot on the way. To try and gain some mileage we moved on to the Brigands Inn at Mallwyd, which as we discovered a couple of years ago does excellent food. From there we headed down the pleasant Dyfi valley to Cemmaes Road and up the bridleway to Commins Coch trying to scope out a spot as the light gradually faded. In the end it was a case of take the first flattest section and lay the gear out…



Monday morning saw the final climb up the Cambrian Way, with a number of water stops along the way, and round the back of Stu’s for a final high-speed descent to Pennant.

[MuddyPete]

I'm still trying to fathom how Ian kept his danglemug clean .

[RIP]

I'm still trying to fathom how Ian kept his danglemug clean .

Or how it didn't manage to acquire a Stu Jokeshop Poo .

[frogatthefarriers]

WRT - Done. My tenth WRT. Picture heavy - Sorry!

With my son, Mike, we set off on what was to be my shortest WRT ever. Just 15 miles to 1st bivvy, 30 miles to bivvy no.2 and an easy 15 miles back to the Towers. 6200ft of ascents. Ha! the best laid plans of mice and men, eh? In the event we'd got to our prospective bivvy too early to stop, so pressed on for another 5 miles. Including this...





The cooker worked, but only wired to a 13 amp plug, so I guess you could only heat one ring at a time.

And upstairs...






Eventually we found a nice spot with a bit of running water to wash the pots and trees just right for hammocking. But not before this...


... a half mile of world class tussocks, thankfully slightly downhill. Plus a couple of hundred yards of gorse to push through.

The bivvy...



View from bed ...


Breakfast...


Then Llangadfan for second breakfast. We crossed the Vyrnwy here..


... before crossing back again on the dam. I see from other's posts that we were not the only ones to come through here. BB200 came through here back in 2015. October, 100km-ish after starting, so maybe in the dark? Shudder!

For me, one of the nice things about WRT is the variety of wild flowers in the hedgebanks. A small sample...


...Dandelion, Bluebell, Primrose, Celandine, Stitchwort...

Lake Vyrnwy..


We thought to get some iced creams at the cafe, but the queue was too long. We were confident of being able to find some water to cook our evening meal, so didn't fill up at the toilets either. Big mistake. So, we ploughed on, intending to pass through the forestry at Gwrachen and another 5 miles to bivvy. Now, I've been through Gwrachen a few times and it's horrible, with a really boggy track through. Every time, I've thought, "I'm never going through here again", but, ya knows how it is? And here we were. We caught up to MarkW with his little girl in a trailer, pushing up through the most horrendous boggy tractor-gouged terrain. Poor bu$$er! He was spent. We pressed on into the forest hoping to find a way through without getting into the boggy bits but there were so many wind-fallen trees that there was no chance. No running water either, so we didn't have enough to cook a meal, just enough for a cuppa in the morning.

Bed, then, with no cuppa and no dinner. We hung our hammocks at the start of the forest, too tired to worry about being hungry/thirsty. Mike had been feeling a bit queasy since the start, so wasn't hungry. Me, I was starving, but there was nowt for it but drink my Lidl Cognac and go to sleep. Mark had pitched his tent just outside the forest and in the morning, decided to head back downhill to the tarmac. Me 'n Mike pushed through the tussocks in the field below the forest, eventually finding a proper track. A few folks must have been through before us because we saw the tyre marks.

Bivvy no. 2...



Found some usable water at last...


There was one final bit of substandard when a piece of bridleway turned through a forest on a path that wasn't there. Think plantation with trees close together with interlocking branches and thigh-deep moss...




... before rolling down to LBM and a glass of Pepsi at the Wynnstay, which Mike chucked back up in the flower bed. I told you he was feeling queasy all weekend. No, it wasn't the sausages - - he travelled down from home feeling a bit off-colour.

Then back to the Towers to sign back in and collect our prizes from Saturday

Climbing back up to the cars was a real kicker after a hard few days.

And finally, to Stu and Dee for once more setting this highlight of my year up. Thanks so much, both of you.

[MuddyPete]

That, Lu, is the very essence of "àdventure" .

[RIP]

That, Lu, is the very essence of "àdventure" .

Noooo-o-o-o-o, stobbit!

[Mrs Polisherman]

Polisherman, vegancheese, me and newbie, Big Rich, had high hopes of dry dust trails for the WRT this year. Vegancheese even dressed for tropical weather.

Saturday was a delight, including a lovely tussocky descent beside a river and some big, sweaty climbs with the promise of a swim in Llyn Coch-hwyad where we planned to kip. Unfortunately we found the surroundings of this lake impossibly boggy and tussock bound so we forged on to a delightful spot further down the forestry track. With cracking views, a brown water pipe outflow for hydration and a cooling bathe and a flatish dryish sleeping spot this was deemed to be a 7/10 camping spot (a bit lumpy and not great water).

Sunday was supposed to be a gentle day with lots of cafe stops and a pub meal.

After a great start and second breakfast in the cafe at Llangadfan things started to go awry when our bridleways were blocked, first by fallen trees, then later by locked gates and barbed wire fences. This took its toll time-wise and energy wise and we were flagging by the time we got to Lake Vyrnwy. Time spent here faffing with my rear brake (which was making strange noises) ended up with my rear wheel struggling to rotate freely. We gave up on the queue at the cafe and restocked at the lovely Dafarn Newydd Stores instead.

By now we were seriously behind schedule and I was struggling to pedal my reluctant bike uphill which made the going even slower. By the time we reached the pub at Llanfair it had stopped serving food. The fish and chips from the takeaway were excellent though so all was looking rosy again. We has set our sights on sleeping at Llyn y Grinwydden but it was going dark and I was flagging with very tired legs so we stopped at the first flat grassy spot by Nant Melin-y-grug with time to brew up and get midge bitten before the sun went down. This was deemed a 9/10 camping spot (not a great view) as the river was spot on and there was even a rock to sit on.

The ride back home on Monday was spectacularly good (my brake pads had worn down enough to allow the rear wheel to turn freely again!) with the highlight being the traverse and descent down to Dolfach.

Tea and much cake was consumed back at Stu and Dee's (while listening to tales of the daring quests of other Boners) to round off what was deemed to be a great long weekend - 133km, 3054m of ascent and a record 5 checkpoints!

[Raggedstone]

This year i headed off on my own as i wasnt sure how my shoulder would behave . In an attempt to avoid too many impacts or locked gates etc i rode to Llangadfan on a series of beautiful little lanes which i was enjoying so much i arrived 5 minutes after the cafe closed but got i a few things from the shop which i enjoyed on the bench outside . The pre planned route through the forest went according to plan and took me to two of the grid references , as i emerged onto the road the plan went pear shaped the route shown on the map taking me over to the abandonded village above Lake Vrynwy where i intended to bivvy didnt seem to exist . Time to find another way a byway was shown on the map going to the dam so i took that just as i went up it two riders went past me and went a different way we met again with perfect symmetry just before the dam and in time to be shouted at by a local that camping by the lake wasnt allowed .Not to be thwarted i went up through the forest to try again to find the village more locked gates so a retreat to a turning circle on an old fireroad i had spotted on the way up was in order and a good spot for the night it was .Over tea and cake a couple of days later i found out that Liz and her able armed companions did manage to get up there via multiple obstacles only to find nothing there !

PXL_20240504_175609435 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240504_190658889 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240504_191416436 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
When i got up in the morning the sleeping bag was very damp from condensation in the bivvy so i took advantage of the sun to dry it out while having a leisurely breakfast part two couldnt be had until 9 when the shop opened so no rush . it was lovely morning without a breath of wind and the lake was like a mirror .
PXL_20240505_080002169 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240505_080304343 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240505_080334699 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

I met Allen and his group on the way down from the dam then i was joined by the two riders i had seen yesterday at the shop we sat outside in the sun and ate well . Another grid reference was on the track to Llanrhaeadr which was very nice with fantastic views and clearly popular
PXL_20240505_100811034 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I sat on the seats outside the takeaway and ate what i had bought in the Spar as i was sat there the owners came and opened the takeaway we had a chat and he knew my area very well and set me the challenge of finding him some premises in Malvern so he can open a Kebab shop Lots more lanes and non existent tracks later i was in Llanfair Caereinion the chippy was open and i was hungry so food was consumed before heading to the pub at Cefn Coch where i hoped to find a bivvy spot and a couple of pints , there was a wood marked on the map below the pub so i went to look loads of decending later and no wood i carried on eventually i was in Carno a quick visit to the spar where i experienced every bikepackers dream i was locked in dont worry the lady said i will let you out despite my pleading she insisted . With a bit of effort i hoped to be able to get to the windfarm in time for the sunset which i just about did
PXL_20240505_181655288 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20240505_200052542 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I was now thinking about going straight back to my van for the night as it was so close and going out for a ride in the morning before checking in for the excellent tea and cake whch is what i did . A great weekend as always .

[Verena]

Great to read more stories coming in from what sounds like a great weekend