After being stuck at home due to Covid-19 lockdowns, I could remember every detail of every local walking and cycling route with my eyes closed. Back in 2019, me & UoNCC friend David dreamt of an adventure across France and Spain, something I began preparing equipment for, earlier in the year. By the time lockdown rules were lifted, I was ready and eager to go on medium distance adventure.

There were few places I was keen to visit; Llyn peninsula, Barmouth, and a remote track next to a reservoir. Camping and using remote trails meant I could limit my exposure to the virus, visit places I wouldn’t have otherwise and truly test out my gravel/all-road bike. A 3 day loop I could complete from my doorstep. Continue to see how I got on!

Monday 31st August - Chester to Llyn Peninsula

I set out early (~6:30am) to make most of the sunshine. Relaxed pace was quite pleasant. For late August, it still felt quite cold, especially in the shade. Taking familiar roads I reached & stopped at Corwen for second breakfast, before carrying on towards Llyn Tegid/Bala Lake. Climbing began outside Bala, ~70km into the trip, legs felt strong.

At some point atop the hill I realized this is the same road, where I witnessed a flipped car not too long ago. Combined with fast moving traffic, I felt slightly nervous. However, as with all most, beautiful roads, they come with some level of danger, so I embraced it with open arms.

Quick descent via Bleanau Ffestiniog and slog up to Porthmadog, grind up one of the main roads in the peninsula was quite tiresome as the temperature evidently jumped from just above 13°C, to what felt like low to mid 20s.

Sandwich & coffee at Pwhelli offered a much needed refuel and would be the last proper meal I’d have, until breakfast the following day. Bars and sour sweets + nuts & berries had to suffice me through the night. The Mynydd Mawr Caravan and Camping site offered spectacular views, definitely worth a visit.

Having said that, this area is being slowly destroyed by influx of foreign 2nd/3rd home owners, which is displacing locals and making this place ever more inhospitable. Please be a responsible visitor when exploring this beautiful corner of the world and support locals.

~167km, ~2134m asc, 8h21min moving time, Strava Activity

Tuesday 1st September - Llyn Peninsula to Nant-Y-Moch Reservoir

Woke up to one of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen. Fresh and crisp sea breeze combined with orange glow of the sun was all I could ask for. Unfortunately, my stomach asked for more than views, but all that was on offer was feast for the eyes and steep hills for the legs. Began by riding Northern/Central part of the Llyn peninsula eastward, and if there’s a definitive way to cycle through this part of the country, this would be it (based on my singular experience).

Making my way down the coast was fairly mundane, albeit certain viewpoints and stops were quite notable. Got a wonderful sub from a sandwich shop & coffee from a café in Porthmadog. Harlech coke & snickers stop by the castle was quite nice too. Planning the route from my office chair I envisioned trying Harlech’s famous steep road, but on the ground with all of my camping gear, that seemed like an outright daft idea.

I reached Barmouth, a place which on my first ever visit years ago, left a lasting impression due to generosity and goodwill of a certain chippy manager. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to thank him for his help that day in-person, but suppose that’s cause for return in the future. If you’re ever here, stop by The Mermaid fish bar.

Heading out of Barmouth I went up one of the most mammoth climbs I’ve ever laid my eyes upon. It turned out to be a hike through and through. From tarmacked 25%+ inclines at the bottom, to rockfalls & muddy trails at the top. Yet I thought I could conquer the beast on two wheels… Regardless, the hike-a-bike was one of the most fun I’ve done to date. With only dampener being, that it took absolute forever to complete.

Views back down to the valley and Cardigan Bay were incredible and worth every sweat covered step it took to get there. One note I’d like to add is that the trail passes through a field, marked with an ominous “bull” sign. I was lucky to not bump into it.

Following a rapid descent, one of the most scenic roads this island has to offer was ahead. Flat, winding country lane surrounded by large cliff faces, a scene you’d expect to find in further flung places.

I rushed to grab some delicious gas station pasta, before beginning yet another climb up to a reservoir high in Cambrian mountains, as the light vanished behind my back. Severely fatigued and in the dark, I failed to find a quality wild camp spot…

	~174km, ~2306m asc, 10h11min moving time, Strava Activity

Wednesday 2nd September - Reservoir to Welshpool

After 3 blocks of 2h kips in a lay-by, I woke up at 4am next to reservoir I reached night before. Hurriedly pitched tent began to collapse on me as I put on all my layers. The mild weather window was closing and from initial forecast there was just enough time for me to return home before heavy rainstorm rolled in.

Ride very rapidly turned into a full fledged hike. Climbing up rockfalls, dodging sketchy looking mud & puddles, and even a river crossing. Freezing mountain water, halfway up your calves in early hours of the day does quite a good job at waking one up. This wasn’t the gravel ride I was expecting, but it was so much better and will be the part of the day I’ll remember the most, as I deeply enjoyed it.

After escaping grueling trails of the reserve/Cambrian mountains, and rejoining long missed tarmac, I was able to pick up speed and start making up lost ground. Paved gradients weren’t much more forgiving and proved very energy sapping. Being en-route home didn’t offer any respite as multi-day fatigue had me feeling truly depleted. To make things more interesting, that’s when the rain started and continued to intensify. Every ‘stop-and-stretch’ turned into planning session for where I could happily terminate my trip, with final conclusion being Welshpool.

~78km, ~1368m asc, 5h13min moving time, Strava Activity

While I had failed in my quest to do a complete, start-to-finish trip entirely under my own power, in every other respect, this trip had been a massive success. Personal takeaways:

• Have real food, not snacks available for dinner and breakfast
• Wildcamping is quite fun
• Going off the beaten path is more often than not, worth it
• My bikepacking setup works quite well
• All-road/gravel bike stands up tough trails
• Knowing when to stop is not a failure, just sensible decision making, and shouldn’t be frowned upon

General notes about the route:

• Good gearing is a must, plenty of steep inclines
• Water is easily available, I did not use my backup water bottle the whole trip
• Trail heading N/NE of Nant-Y-Moch is time consuming, especially in the wet (due to altitude, may remain damp days after rainfall)