I've had such an exceptional summer of sun and blue skies, I thought it might be interesting to have an adventure in the rain!
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| Heading down the path toward Brecon... |
At 886 metres (2,907 ft), Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in south Wales. Along with Corn Du at 873 m (2,864 ft), the two summits have links to the Legend of King Arthur as they are often referred to as Cadair Arthur or "Arthur's Seat".
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| Climbing up toward the high pass at Pen y Fan... |
Note: This ride takes me along the highest access road and common starting point to hike the summit of Pen y Fan. Be sure to click the links above to read more about the details of this magnificent mountain!
This ride was not particularly hard, nor was it entirely new. However, I chose a slight variation of a route to Pen y Fan and then an entirely new path down to Brecon which involved some tricky navigation and often walking over very rocky footpaths.
And it was the surprising amount of walking I did that has given me reason to make this ride an official "Bike & Hike" adventure.
Elevation: +4,506 ft / -4,505 ft
Duration: 11:07:08
At Abercycnon I got on NCN Route 478 (The Cynon Trail) to begin my climb north toward Hirwaun. This is where I started shooting photos for there are many old remnants of the industrial past lurking about.
Built in 1811 and in dire need of attention, the Iron Tram Bridge at Robertstown is a lovely example of early engineering developed to service the coal industry. Of special note: the structure is similar to that used with bridges built with wood; the difference being they used iron instead.
As is the case with most of the valleys cycle routes, this is a converted rail line which snakes along the valley floor following the Cynon River. (Note: Aber means 'mouth' in Welsh, so that Abercynon, means mouth of the Cynon River.)
Use of the canals for shipping coal was mostly replaced with the introduction of the railroad and in many places the rail routes ran right along side the canals.
At Hirwaun I entered the main road (A4059) heading toward Pendaryn. Immediately the clouds set in and within the first few miles I was riding into steady rain.
There is something special... almost magical to be out on your bike along a desolate road in such conditions, high in the mountains. The steady rain made the photos ops a little difficult, but I love the look of being in the clouds.
Once at the high pass, the road levels out into a series of rolling hills. The wind however, was mighty strong which made for slow going. Surprisingly, the air was quite warm and the rain pleasantly refreshing. The look on the faces of people passing by in cars was priceless.
The footpath above leads to the top of Pen y Fan. Below; my path heads down the mountain along side a sheep paddock. This first part was very wet and squishy.
You can make out the main road across the valley on the far side. That's the route I've taken in the past... my route today looks far more interesting.
Standing still... looking at the world; some parts moving silently past, some parts standing with me. And it's times like these that I swear I can almost feel the whole of the earth slowly rotating in space.
There's no need to rush. The rain has stopped and I can begin to feel the warmth of the ground rising up. Brecon is roughly five miles south, down the mountain. I'm gonna take my time and enjoy this... soak in this beauty.
"Please close the gate." It would be my honour. Thank you CADW for taking care of this place. I'm walking now and pushing the bike. It's far too rough and slippery and steep to ride. Plus my brakes are caked with grit and my shoes are caked with mud.
It's incredibly quiet. Surprisingly, I can't even hear the cars on the other side of the valley. Mostly it's just the sound of my bike rolling over the path and my own voice as I talk to the sheep (and myself).
Looking through the gate up toward Pen y Fan: I presume you could head up that way? (Looks pretty steep though...)
I guess I've walked a couple of miles now. The path is beginning to level off and the skies are starting to brighten. Soon I'll be back on the saddle.
And there it is... lovely pavement again! It's wonderful to roll along, to feel the smoothness of the road, and downhill too. WooHoo!
Almost down the mountain and the rain starts again... oh well. I'm already pretty soaked and the rain might wash off some of this mud!?
Summary
Somber thoughts on my little adventure drifted through my head as I weaved my way back to Brecon and on to Abergavenny. I didn't see much of anyone... no dog walkers, or joggers, no boats in the canal. Just me on a long and slow ride down the path.
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| Ride Name: | Hirwaun & Brecon | ||
| Start Date: | Mon. Sept. 03, 2018 | ||
| Starts in: | Oakdale, Wales, GB | ||
| Departed: | 07:07AM | ||
| Distance: | 95.3 mi / 153.37 km | ||
| Elevation: | + 4506 / - 4505 ft | ||
| Max Grade: | 14% | ||
| Duration: | 11:07:08 | ||
| Move Time: | 08:35:33 | ||
| Stop Time: | 02:31:35 | ||
| Max. Speed: | 31.8 mph | ||
| Avg. Speed: | 11.1 mph | ||
| Weather: | rain /fog | ||
| Temp: | 17°c / 63°f | ||
Perhaps I'll come back again next year. I'd like to do some camping. I've got it in my head to make Pen y Fan a "Bike & Hike" adventure! Until next time... Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
Cheers! - cm
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