MTB Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains Weekend with WildBike. Thursday to Sunday

RCC Brecon Beacons & Black Mountains Weekend with WildBike. Blue Skies, Dry Trails, Good Company

In what has become an annual event, we went on a mountain biking weekend with WildBike, this time to the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains in South Wales. This was a new area for most of us so we were looking forward to the usual mix of new trails, great views, good company and comfortable accommodation organised by Rob and the team.

Seven of us turned up at the Bear Hotel in Crickhowell on Thursday evening for an excellent dinner in this old coaching inn which seemed to have an endless supply of dining rooms. We then drove back to the bunkhouse a couple of miles out of town at the end of an extremely steep lane.

Friday morning was warm and sunny and we set off down the Extremely Steep Lane for a 33 mile epic day with 5,000 feet of climbing including a bit of hike-a-bike. Lunch at the pub in the ruins of Llanthony Priory. The final climb up the Extremely Steep Lane (Graham’s Garmin told us it was 33% gradient at its steepest!) was the final straw for some very tired legs and we all collapsed in a heap at the top. Dinner was a WildBike barbecue in the evening sunshine.

Saturday morning was warm and sunny and we set off down the Extremely Steep Lane for a 23 mile epic day with 4,000 feet of climbing including a bit of hike-a-bike. Bit of a pattern emerging here. Lunch at the Dragon’s Back which is the highest pub in the Brecon Beacons but is only open on Saturdays. Main difference today was that most of us avoided the final climb up the Extremely Steep Lane by riding down to the back of the bunkhouse from the top of Pen Cerrig Calch. Dinner at the Dragon’s Head Inn in Llangenny.

Our last day on Sunday was a bit different in that we drove to Talybont on Usk to start the ride. A steady climb up the Brinore tram Road, then across the legendary Gap Road through the Brecon Beacons, between Cribyn and Fan Y Big, before lunch in Brecon then a gentle trundle beside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal back to Talybont.

With Wales proving to be dry and sunny, we had enjoyed an excellent long weekend’s mountain biking. 

Gwyn Williams

Event / Article Type
MTB Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains Weekend with WildBike. Thursday to Sunday
MTB Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains Weekend with WildBike. Thursday to Sunday