Amazing Day Biking - Telegraph, Nantlle, Fron and Moel Elio

Me, riding solo.


A day out in amazing weather and amazing riding. What a day, rode up telegraph valley, and down the Ranger path, down the road to Rhyd Ddu, short climb into the Nantlle Valley then BOOM, 4km in 6minutes, swooping down the road. A bite to eat then the climb back up to Y Fron, and up into the quarries, a track leads out the back towards Betws Garmon and a sneaky 'not so legal' footpath practically designed for bikers. There is a peat bog at the bottom, a little warning for you as I found out the cold wet and dirty way!!! following the path and back road leads back to Waenfawr, 2nd Right, then its up, up, up onto Moel Elio, and then a nice fast descent with the interuption of a couple of gates leads back into the top of Llanberis.

Should have taken some more food and water as I am suffering now.

Mince Pies....Amazing Recipe

So this recipe is mine and if you know me you know I like cake... My mum refused to send up some of her baking on Sunday so, I made mince pies this evening.

Makes 18 (12BIG)
Ingredients:
Room Temp Butter 200g
Plain Flour 290g
Brown Caster Sugar 101g (yes, that 1 gram is important!)
Pinch of Salt
1/8 Cup Water MAX
Dash of milk
Oh and of course,
Mincemeat 220g, I made my own last time but I bought a jar this time.

1) Sift Flour, add diced butter and rub togeather.
2) Add Sugar and Salt
3) Try to knead into a ball, if it is very crumbly, add a touch of water (scare it a little). Knead, play with it for a couple of minutes.
4) Break off enough pastry mix to create a ball just smaller than a ping pong ball, flaten in palms and place into baking tray mold. Repeat several times.
5) Add a teaspoonish of mincemeat.
6) Break off balls the size of rasberries and flaten these out for the lids.
7) Brush the milk over the lids, poke a tiny hole in the top.
8) Place in reheated oven at 180c for 20minutes or until suitably golden.
9) Take out and wait 5 minutes, turn kettle on, make cuppa, take pies out of tray, deliver tea, delivery pie, eat and repEAT!!!

MTB - Marin and Elsi 'Old Classic'

Kelly and I, plus Leo for part 2

Part 1, loop round the Marin trail, missing out the dragons back  pigs might fly sections and the climb up from llyn parc meant a quicker loop with less climbing.


Part 2, was an 'old classic' Leo in his youth used to ride these routes before the likes of the marin and even he admitted that it is a real challenge to ride without putting a foot down...personally, it is more of a challenge to not fall or get off, steep, rocky, drop ridden and diffinitely a lot worse if your get your line wrong. The route is from the memorial at llyn elsi down to the junction at betws y coed motors or cotswold rock bottom.

MTB - Elin's Revenge

Kelly, Claire, Martin and I. Thanks Claire for the video and photos.

Another Bikefax special but this time my gripe is 'using movable features as a waypoint'. Download the route in the 'Route Download' section

Frosty start at Betws Y Coed, with Claire opting for shorts, it soon warmed up as we got going an eventually made it up onto the open moorland below Siabod, exellent clear views for miles around, sun shining and great biking. sweeping forest track roads lead down to Dolwyddelan. Picking up the Sarn Helen route back over towards Betws via some 'killer puddles' and plenty of gates, to the final descent which is pretty special, an fantastic rocky, line picking fest with fast bouncy sections and sudden drops, twists and turns. over the crossroads and the trail leads to a bridge with a 'eugh ohhhhhhhhhhhh' ending to it.

Martin tolds us we had burnt in excess of 1000calories so we had chips for lunch. Nice.