Croesor - Rhosydd through trip!!!

(Leo and I)

Described as being something alongt he lines of a death trip in numerous ways this was a trip both Leo and have wanted to do for a while, Leo much longer than me. It was a wet miserable day, no climbing, no snow and I had no bike. That left an adventurous outing down a sketchy mine which requires several abseils, many dodgy bridges and using an inflatable dingy to cross a flooded chamber all underground. Which now has a raft rigged up on a pulley system. I would still take an inflatable in case you get there and it has fallen apart or is no longer there. I didn't think it was too bad, obviously I may have been oblivious to the dangers around me but we had a good trip taking under 5hours underground including plenty of exploration. Could be done in 3.5 if just wanting to leg it through.

Photos of the day and at the bottom a video of Leo.

Building Rory Update

I have just been back through the photos of us building up Rory into a camper and thought you might like to see what we did and the process we went through.

Link: Rory Update

As you can see it does now have a bed in but that is going to change soon. The lining, floor and ceiling are staying the same for the time being...when we can afford to but a window or two in we will but for now there are no spare pennies.

Rory needs a clean but this was
taken on our recent biking trip.

The next build is going to add some more storage, to add a dedicated cooking unit, fixing up some silvers for the windows and hopefully we will be able to add the leisure battery to run lights, charge camera batteries and bike lights ect. We recently bought a bike rack and on our most recent trip it has made a huge difference to our comfort. The bikes will not be living inside from now on which means the inside can now be change to suit that...watch this space!!!

A spot of mining - Penarth Mine

I've been working in an infants school recently so have not been out as much over the last 3 weeks.

I was on my own today but as I have my Mine leader assessment coming up a trip down a mine was needed just to make sure ... 

Penarth Mine

Entrance (left hole) from open pit. 

Me working the winch.

Some pretty funky slate ceiling feature.

Some artefacts plus beer cans.

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An old cart

 A 'Caban'

A bit of an exploration

(Kelly, Claire and Me)

''Its gunna be an interesting ride, a bit of an exploration''

Claire avoiding the bog

A pretty good way to sell a ride.
All I really knew was that we would ride up past Carreg Alltrem and then join a bridleway to take us up onto open access land. From there I guessed it would be good to head over to the top of Rhiwbach Mine and ride down through the workings and from there head back to the car, which was about 7km away as the crow flies, through the forest and trails of Penmachno.

Steady option out the valley

As we left Dolwyddelan, heading up the forestry roads we climbed most of the height to exit the back of the valley but to do so would require a small push up a bridleway which is probably wet and greasy in all but the driest periods of weather. It was a few hundred metres of pushing but it did me we had wet feet fairly early on in the ride. Once on the top we exited onto open access land and tried to find a vague track leading over to Cwt Y Bugail mine. We must have missed the proper track and made our own way over until we found the right route which lead straight to the huge hole in the ground (Cwt Y Bugail). Back on fast double track for a brief descent before turning East towards the mines Manod and Rhiwbach. the double track leads straight to the top of the incline leading down to and through the rhiwbach workings. above the forest is straight forward, beyond that the double track is fast and full of little drops, ruts and a couple of gates to watch out for. once past the third (i think) gate it becomes much more exciting with the riding on a mix of loose stone and bed rock. If its wet it is slippy and will keep you on your toes in all weathers.just follow your nose down through the workings and stay on the double track, don't ride the incline, it will end badly.

Once you have joined the road its up to you we road along the road toward Penmachno, and took a path through a farm and up into the forest, it happened to lead to bottom of  the last but one descent on the Penmachno trail. From here we used the forest roads to cut across to join the 4th piece of single track. following the trail to the road and heading up and over to a crossroads, turning right onto a forest road leads all the way down to the bottom of the Lledr Valley and Claires van. Claire and Kelly say that its one they wont be doing again. I will be giving it another go when the ground is not so water logged.

Descending through the top sections of Rhiwbach mine workings

A natural shot following butties and Hoola hoops

Does my bum look big in this!

Double track across to Rhibach from Cwt Y Bugail

From the top incline down to the forest, if there
 were no gates you wouldn't need to pedal

Looking back up at Rhiwbach