Mid-Wales Tour 5th – 10th October 2024 – Bob Tinley
Gospel Pass River Wye, Builth Wells Afon Irfon Valley Devil’s Staircase
Dolgoch Hostel Llyn Brianne Overflow Llyn Brianne
Seven riders headed off from Abergavenny for a few days in the most isolated parts of Wales – a route of many rivers. The weather forecast was not promising, but in the end we only had a few minor showers. The main objective of the first day was to cross the Black Mountains via the Gospel Pass, the highest tarmac road in Wales. Although the summit was in the cloud we had good views over Herefordshire and Powis once we had descended below the cloud base.
After a night in a friendly hotel in Builth Wells we picked up food for two days and set off on an undulating road to Llanwrtyd Wells, the home of the World Bog Snorkelling Championships. From there we followed a spectacular mountain road beside the River Irfon ending with the precipitous ascent of The Devil’s Staircase and a descent to Dolgoch Hostel at the end of a mile long track from a very minor road. The wardens welcomed us with cups of tea and we enjoyed a night without mains electricity or internet connectivity.
In the morning we enjoyed a mountain road round Llyn Brianne to its earth dam and stunning ski jump overflow. Having descended for a while beside the River Towy we took a side valley beside the River Doethie, frightening a few sheep on the way. In a panic a ram with a magnificent pair of horns managed to get them caught in the fence. It took three of us to hold him down but we managed to separate his horns from the fence and he shot off without even saying thank you. We transferred our attentions to a phenomenally steep track beside Afon Pysgotyr – the surface was quite good and we eventually popped out on the top of the moors. A bit of isolated tarmac followed with another mile of track to Tyncornel Hostel – we were welcomed with cups of tea and mains electricity but were still in the middle of an internet desert.
Because the rivers were still quite high we decided not to take the route round the Claerwen Reservoir which has a tricky ford on it. We had a magnificent descent down the valley of Afon Brefi and languished for a while in a café in Tregaron. Then it was back to hill climbing as we followed Afon Ystwyth to its watershed with the Elan catchment and descended beside the Elan past the City of Birmingham reservoirs (strictly they belong to Welsh Water but they feed a gravity aqueduct to Birmingham). By popular request we stopped for fish and chips in Rhayader before picking up a couple of bottles of wine and heading 2-miles up to a delightful bunkhouse, Beili Neuadd.
We split into two groups to go home from Rhayader with most riding to Hereford to catch trains home. We stopped on the way for lunch in Presteigne by the lovely River Lugg and for a quick cuppa in Weobley which is a classic black and white Herefordshire Village.
Thank you to everyone on the tour for contributing to shopping, cooking, washing up and looking out for each other on the road.
Towy Valley Towy Valley Pysgotyr Track Towards Tyncornel
Tyncornel Hostel Elan Valley Marina in Rhayader Weobley
Plus some additional photos from Marina Friend
