Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 1 Home to Lledr Valley YH
Sunny and warm
20 miles (▲ 255m ▼ 120m)
16 Participants:Ben Barlow (13, Saltash), Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt (15, Fleet), Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne (16, Birmingham), Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver (12, Stow-on-the-Wold), Jasper Oliver (11, Stow-on-the-Wold), Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
To make things easy for participants and their families we have always used trains to get participants to the start of a tour, but this year the task of organising the travel proved quite a challenge. The sixteen participants on this year’s epic tour came from multiple locations in the South, Southwest and Midlands, they all needed to get to North Wales for the start of the tour with their bikes and luggage, North Wales is not easy to reach by train and most trains these days have a limited number of bike spaces which need to be booked in advance. Michael is always up for the challenge, however, and after many long conversations with the booking clerk at Torquay the arrangements were all put in place.
Ben was first off the mark for Group 1, catching the 06:20 train (Train 1) from Plymouth. Michael, Craig, Ryan and Oliver joined this train at Newton Abbot at 07:00 and picked up identical twins Jasper and Casper Oliver from Cheltenham on the way through at 09:13. We amused ourselves on the long train journey with some video interviews and Monopoly. We reached Birmingham New Street at 09:54, changed there to catch Train 2, the 10:04 to Stafford, changed again at Stafford at 10:35 to catch the 10:40 to Crewe and arrived at Crewe at 11:05. Meanwhile Kieron and Alasdair caught the 09:50 from London Euston, Train 4, and the rest of us joined their train at Crewe at 11:47, making nine in total, with nine bikes. Alasdair updated us on camera with his news since we saw him last summer in Scotland, and we recounted the tale of his accelerated boarding of the ferry at Raasay. This brought the whole of Group 1 to Llandudno Junction by 13:03, with no delays, no nasty guards and no damaged bikes. We settled down on the grass outside the station to enjoy our packed lunches.
But this was just half the story. Tao, the co-leader on the tour, had to get Group 2 to Llandudno all by himself. He caught the 08:05 train from Newton Abbot to Crewe along with Luke and Llewellyn. Daniel and Tom caught the 08:12 train from Basingstoke to Birmingham, arriving at 10:43, met up with Fergus and James there, then all four were waiting on the correct platform at Birmingham New Street when Tao’s train stopped there at 11:24. Tao got them all to load their bikes into the train before it left at 11:34 and the seven of them continued together to Crewe, arriving at 12:32. They then caught their final train, the 13:17 from Crewe, ate lunch on the train and arrived at Llandudno Junction by 14:29, where Michael and the rest of Group 1 were waiting for them on the platform.
Now that all sixteen were together we could start the tour, and we couldn’t have wished for better weather. We followed the B5106 south through Gyffin up the Conwy Valley. Soon after riding through Dolgarrog Michael stopped to capture a very tranquil scene, with sheep relaxing in the shade of some trees on a grassy hillock overlooking the Conwy river, with swans searching for food the riverbank.
Soon we reached Betws-y-Coed, which at 15.4 miles from Llandudno meant there were only 5 miles remaining. The weather was superb, everyone was hot and the River Llugwy passing under Pont-y-Pair bridge looking very inviting with its waterfalls and rocks. Luke, Tom and Daniel were very keen to make the most of the water, so while they did some diving and jumping the rest of us looked on with our ice creams. This was indeed a very enjoyable and lazy stop, but there was no rush for time.
Eventually Michael managed to prize everyone away from the scene and we rode the final five miles down the A470 to the quiet and peaceful Lledr Valley, which true to the hostel description was definitely away from the crowds. The hostel, Lledr House at Pont-y-Pant, was a former quarry-manager’s house and quite interesting, but the main feature that interested us was the enormous grassy play area opposite the hostel that went right down to the River Lledr. We showered first of course and enjoyed our provided evening meal at 7pm, then we spent the rest of the evening down by the river in the warm evening sunshine, playing frisbee, wading in the river and taking some great video shots. Tao got a little frustrated that the frisbee kept getting dropped in the river, as he was the one tasked with getting it out! This was the perfect way to get everyone fully integrated and was one of those very memorable, uniquely happy tour events that will never happen again.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Oliver and Craig, part of Group 1, on the 07:00 train from Newton Abbot to Birmingham New Street
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Jasper Oliver, also part of Group 1, on the second train of the day, the 10:04 from Birmingham New Street
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Casper Oliver, part of Group 1, on the second train of the day, the 10:04 from Birmingham New Street
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ben Barlow from Saltash, part of Group 1, on the 10:04 from Birmingham New Street, the second train of our journey
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
10:42 Oliver Lindley, changing trains at Stafford station along with the rest of Group 1
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
12:10 Alasdair Green, joined by the rest of Group 1 on their fourth and final train of the day, the 11:47 from Crewe
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair, Kieron and the rest of Group 1 have lunch outside Llandudno Junction station while awaiting the arrival of Group 2
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
14:29 Group 2 arrive at Llandudno Junction station
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The River Conwy as seen from the B51067 between Dolgarrog and Trefriw, 9.5 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A tranquil scene on the River Conwy between Dolgarrog and Trefriw
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A swimming and ice cream break at Pont-y-Pair Bridge, Betws-y-Coed, 15.4 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Fergus Worthy at Pont-y-Pair Bridge, Betws.y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom takes the plunge into the River Llugwy at Pont-y-Pair Bridge, Betws-y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan and Jasper on the rocks at Pont-y-Pair Bridge, Betws-y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The aquatic members of the group jumping into the cool water of the River Llugwy at Pont-y-Pair Bridge, Betws-y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The group riding along the A470 near Coed-y-Celyn, 16.7 miles into the ride with just over three miles to go
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao retrieves the frisbee from the River Lledr just opposite Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The group enjoying the fabulous play area opposite Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom does some strange moves to retrieve the frisbee from the River Lledr opposite the youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Our colourful dormitory at Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Original 2016 edit, scaled to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Map of today's route, with video points marked
Tuesday 29 July 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 2 Lledr Valley to Pen-y-Pass YH
Sunny start, turning cloudy and windy
15 miles (▲ 355m ▼ 135m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
After making our own breakfasts in the self-catering kitchen we gathered outside Lledr Valley youth hostel in the morning sunshine knowing we had a really easy ride of just fifteen miles to the next hostel. The only problem was that we needed to complete that by soon after lunch so we would have time to climb Snowdon in the afternoon. Still, it wasn’t too much of a challenge.
We retraced yesterday’s route back to Betws-y-Coed, where we bought a few provisions for lunch, and then continued on the short distance to Swallow Falls where we stopped to take a look. There was a large car park and the Swallow Falls Hotel, but when we followed the paths through to the falls themselves they were just mildly interesting, not really spectacular. Still, it made an interesting excursion.
Continuing on through Capel Curig we were impressed with Llynau Mymbyr, two large lakes which actually started out as a single lake many years ago until a delta built up across the middle. We got our first views of Snowdon in the distance and were looking forward to the climb. First we had to eat lunch however, and the only suitable location was just off the main road on the approach to the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel near Nany Cynnyd.
The last couple of miles involved climbing up to Pen-y-Pass youth hostel. This was a well-equipped hostel and actually allowed daytime access, as Michael’s video shows. We weren’t interested in using the facilities though, so we just locked away our bikes and prepared for our afternoon walk.
Four members (Luke, Llewellyn, Daniel and Tom) decided not to walk up the mountain, which sadly meant that Tao had to stay behind to keep an eye on them. The remaining eleven of us set off up the Pyg Track, one of the easier climbs to the top which happens to start right from the car park opposite the hostel. It was sunny when we started out and we got some fabulous video shots during the climb, including some impressive lakes high up in the mountains. The total climb from the hostel was around 705m, and it was 3.4 miles to the top. We had several breaks along the way however, which gave us time to enjoy the scenery.
When we reached the Llanberis Path near the top, the steam train of the Snowdon Mountain Railway chugged past taking up some tourists who couldn’t manage to walk. It didn’t seem quite right that people could reach Snowdon by train, but anyway, we had climbed it the proper way and felt proud of our achievement.
The cloud was thickening as we climbed the last few metres, and when we finally reached the summit there was thick mist all around, obscuring all the wonderful views that we might otherwise have enjoyed. We all stood on the summit at 1085m above sea level just to say we had, then headed straight for the café that was situated right next to the train station. Again, it didn’t seem right to have a commercial café on Snowdon either, but in view of the unpleasant weather conditions we were actually quite pleased to be in there.
We left the café around 5.30, and the walk down took nearly as along as the walk up. We just about made it back to the hostel in time for the provided evening meal which was at 7pm. We then spent the rest of the evening exploring facilities that we don’t always expect to find at hostels – lounge, TV room, games room, lockers and a drying room.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ready to leave Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Craig McCracken outside Lledr Valley youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The lower waterfall at Swallow Falls, 6.8 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Fergus and James at Swallow Falls, near Betws-y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The upper waterfall at Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Returning to the bikes at Swallow Falls
(Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llynau Mymbyr, Capel Curig, 10.4 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A good view of Snowdon on the approach to our lunch spot
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Lunch just off the main road approaching Nant Cynnyd, 13.7 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The road to Pen-y-Pass, 14.6 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Oliver at Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The smart and welcoming interior of Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The bulk of the group start the 3.4 mile walk to the top of Snowdon via the Pyg Track that starts opposite Pen-y-Pass youth hostel, 365m above sea level
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel, one of the stay-near-the-hostel brigade, tries to befriend an animal again like he did last year - he seems to have lost the knack
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
0.3 miles into the walk
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Stop for a breather at 0.9 miles into the walk, now at 518m above sea level
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
First view of Llyn Llydaw, 1.1 miles into the walk, 572m above sea level
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View back to Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw, 2.7 miles into the walk and 825m above sea level
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Snowdon Mountain Railway steam train heads up to the station at the summit
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
We finally reach the cloud-enshrouded summit of Snowdon, 3.4 miles from the youth hostel and 1085m above sea level
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan at the summit of Snowdon
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
17:25 Refreshments in the Summit Cafe on Snowdon
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Original 2016 edit, scaled to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Map of today's route, with video points marked
Map of our walking route up Snowdon's Pyg Track, showing most of the video points
Wednesday 30 July 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 3 Pen-y-Pass to Kings YH
Sunny spells with cloudy periods
43 miles (▲ 310m ▼ 560m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
After breakfast at Pen-y-Pass youth hostel on a sunny morning James was searching high and low for something important but just could not find it. He left his details with the warden in case it turned up.
We had a large mileage to do today, but there was a lot of downhill involved, particularly in the morning, we didn’t leave until 9.50. We then stopped twice on the way down the hill for photos and videos of the fabulous views to Llyn Gwynant, the first allowing us views back up to Pen-y-Pass as well as down to the lake. Luke took photos for the group as Michael only had a camcorder on the tour. There is a hostel by the lake called Bryn Gwynant which Michael would have loved to stay at, but it was just too close to Pen-y-Pass so we sadly couldn’t stay there this year.
Some more downhill and flat riding brought us to Beddgelert, where we quickly found an excellent café, Lyn’s Café, in Church Street. We took it in turns to sit at the sunshade-adorned tables for various refreshments, which for some included tea and scones. It was an interesting village, so Michael wandered around a bit with his camcorder before setting off to give the slower riders a head start.
Next stop was Pont Aberglaslyn, a bridge at Nantmor offering great views up the Pass of Aberglaslyn. We then pressed on at a good speed and didn’t stop until we had covered nearly 20 miles, just under half the day’s total mileage. We found a comfortable grassy verge in the quiet village of Ynys and had a peaceful lunch there, with Michael wandering around with his camcorder. Fergus did his best to avoid being videoed by swearing on camera, which he thought would be enough to ensure his footage was deleted, but sadly he was mistaken!
Continuing onwards we soon reached Harlech, announced by sight of the impressive 13th Century Harlech castle. On the far side of the town we could look back across the enormous Tremadoc Bay, a huge expanse of sand and waves that made an impressive sight.
After a few more miles we reached Barmouth, a good-sized town with lots of shops which was the ideal location to stock up with communal milk for our breakfast tomorrow. Fergus dutifully stowed some of the milk in his capacious panniers, as did several others, and we bought any snacks we needed to keep us going for the last ten mils.
There was a slight chance in Michael’s mind that we might be able to take a shortcut to the hostel over the Barmouth Bridge, an old single track wooden railway viaduct across the estuary that is 820m long. But either it was closed or there was a toll charge to cross, and anyway it didn’t look very safe, so we opted to go the long way around the estuary, crossing at Penmaenpool Bridge. This route took us through Glan-y-Mawddach, where we stopped for some bike adjustments and then watched with amusement while Fergus tried to untangle his bike from Ben’s bike!
At the head of the estuary we had to cross the Penmaenpool Bridge, another wooden contraption that didn’t feel totally safe, but we seemed to arrive safely on the other side and took some video shots of it before continuing the last few miles uphill to the hostel.
Kings youth hostel was indeed a very interesting place, quiet and peaceful in a secluded wooded valley with a large river running through its extensive grounds. After showers and sorting out our dorms we settled down for the evening meal at 7pm, but this was not as impressive as the hostel – most of us didn’t think a lot of it at all actually.
We then had a few hours to enjoy playing frisbee in the grounds, and, in Ryan’s case, having a very short swim in the icy waters of the River Gwynant. When someone threw Michael’s Aerobie high up into a tree by the river, it took a lot of attempts and some ingenuity to finally get it down, by throwing a very large branch at it. A few members - possibly Llewellyn and Oliver - got told off by the warden for doing something during the evening, possibly climbing one of the drainpipes to retrieve the frisbee from one of the hostel rooves? If you remember, please let us know.
It seems that the evening meal was more than just unpleasant. After settling down for a quiet night’s sleep, two people started to feel sick and this kept Michael busy several times during the night. All most unfortunate.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Preparing to leave Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
09:45 James outside Pen-y-Pass youth hostel, concerned that he has lost one of his possessions
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
09:45 Daniel Talbot prepares to leave Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Pen-y-Pass Cafe, just opposite the youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
09:58 Luke, our Tour Photographer, takes a photo of Llyn Gwynant from the road just below the youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
09:58 Luke's photo of Llyn Gwynant from the road just below Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
The group on the road below Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
10:06 Luke takes a closer photo of Llyn Gwynant further down the road
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
10:06 Luke's closer photo of Llyn Gwynant
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
10:07 The group at our Llyn Gwynant viewpoint on the descent from Pen-y-Pass youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Morning tea at Lyns Cafe, Beddgelert, 8.6 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Some just had ice creams at Lyns's Cafe, Beddgelert
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Pass of Aberglaslyn, seen from Pont Aberglaslyn, Nantmor, 10.1 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Fergus trying to get the video recording stopped at our lunch spot at Ynys, 19.9 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn Holmes at our lunch spot at Ynys
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Lunch by the roadside in the village of Ynys, 19.9 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Harlech Castle, 22.2 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tremadoc Bay as seen from the road south-west of Harlech
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
A shop stop at St Anne's Square, Barmouth, 33.2 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Craig, Oliver and Tao wait for Fergus to stow the communal milk into his pannier at St Annes Square, Barmouth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Fergus tries to separate his bike from Ben's bike at Glan-y-Mawddach, Barmouth, 34.9 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Penmaenpool, 40.1 miles into the ride and very close to Kings youth hosstel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom wonders whether the hills across the estuary are Snowdonia National Park, at Penmaenpool, 40.1 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan takes the plunge in the icy waters of the river Gwynant which runs through the grounds of Kings youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Someone managed to get Michael's Aerobie ring stuck high up in a tree by the river in the grounds of Kings youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn and Daniel watch the Aerobie retrieval attempts from the comfort of our dorm at Kings youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
21:33 Kings youth hostel
(Oliver, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
21:33 Desperate attempts to retrieve the Aerobie from the treetops
(Tao, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Original 2016 edit, scaled to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Map of today's route, showing most of the video points
Thursday 31 July 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 4 Kings to Borth YH
Rain all day
33 miles (▲ 510m ▼ 615m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
Our light and airy dorm at Kings youth hostel gave us a very comfortable night’s sleep with the windows open, but waking up to the sound of heavy rain outside did not encourage us to get up too quickly. It was still raining when we had finished breakfast and were ready to leave, so our plan to climb Cader Idris didn’t look like being a runner. Our two members who had been ill last night (Casper and one other) were feeling somewhat weak as well, so when Kings youth hostel kindly allowed us daytime access to the Common Room we took advantage of that and stayed there for an hour or two to see what the rain would do. It was funny to see Luke playing a card game that allowed him to inflict damage to poor Llewellyn at various points in the game!
The rain didn’t really stop, so eventually we were forced to set off regardless, but at least our time in the rain had been reduced. We still had to climb a rather nasty hill from Dolgellau, but after covering just over sixteen miles we reached our backup-up attraction, the Centre for Alternative Technology at Machynlleth. I believe Casper felt too unwell to cycle this morning, so he took a taxi.
This gave us an opportunity to spend another couple of hours in relatively dry conditions whilst looking around the interesting site, located in an old slate quarry and set up to show how alternative technology could help save the planet. Everyone took a look around to some extent, although people went around in their own groups. The shop made an interesting finish to the visit, but when we finally left we were all a bit cold and pleased to get cycling again.
After riding another seventeen miles or so, which was mainly downhill or flat, we arrived at Borth youth hostel, back on the coast again. This was an Edwardian house overlooking the sea, with a large, clean and safe beach just across the road, but today it really wasn’t beach weather and we were all very happy to get inside the hostel for hot showers and a hot meal.
Unfortunately the sickness bug that affected two people last night spread to Fergus and one other overnight tonight, meaning we had another disturbed night.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
The depressing sound of rain outside our dormitory before breakfast
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel Talbot playing cards in the Common Room at Kings youth hostel while we wait for the rain to stop
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
James does some quiet reading in the Kings youth hostel Common Room while we wait for the rain to stop
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Multiple card games in the Common Room at Kings youth hostel while we wait for the rain to stop
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn prepares his hand to be punished by Luke's pack of cards in Kings youth hostel Common Room - all part of the game apparently
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
It's still raining but we finally have to leave Kings youth hostel and make the best of it
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
The Cliff Railway at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan in the Cliff Railway at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A scaled-up model of soil bugs at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair is surprised by a very large mole approaching him from the side of a tunnel at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Sampling herbs from the herb garden at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao tries Sage from the herb garden at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao at the water turbine exhibit just before his helmet ended up in the watery bog behind the fence, much to everyone's amusement
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan and Tao transmit wave energy to the other end of this very long tank at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Baby chicks at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao is recycled at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Four of our members are lifted by wind power at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan pedals hard to pump water up to the high tank at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Oliver checks out a solar panel in the shop at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Preparing to leave the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
19:05 Oliver tastes the very good soup at Borth youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Original 2016 edit, scaled to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Approximate map of today's route, showing video points
Friday 1 August 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 5 Borth to Tyncornel YH
Wet start, cloudy later
37 miles (▲ 905m ▼ 590m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
Waking up next to the seaside it was disappointing to see rain outside our dorm window for the second morning in a row. Was this all we could expect when we visit Wales? To make things worse, Casper had the sickness bug last night so he was understandably feeling a bit weaker than usual this morning. We had breakfast and got ready to leave, hoping the rain would stop by then, but of course it didn’t.
To keep things as easy as possible we followed the B4353 out of Borth, and then joined the A487 from Rhydpennau. This took us through Aberystwyth, which would have been interesting to explore if the weather had been better. We offered Casper the opportunity to get a taxi to the hostel today, but he seemed to think he could cope, although later he maintained he just forgot to ring the taxi.
We pressed on to Llanilar for lunch on the verge, where Luke tried to open his tin with Michael’s pocket-knife can opener, found it too complicated and ended up trying to puncture the tin with the pocket knife by brute force. There were lots of questions about tonight’s hostel: people knew it had no mains electricity and were wondering if it had any form of heating! Michael assured them there was an open fire, which encouraged everyone in the miserable weather.
Drier now but still cloudy, we continued along the main road to Lledrod and then on to Tregaron, where we stopped to buy provisions in case the shops at Llandewi Brefi were closed. We would be staying in the most remote hostel in England and Wales tonight, and after the small village of Llandewi-Brefi there would be no more shops until tomorrow afternoon. Michael had a chat with several on video, where James had recovered to about 75% of his usual fitness after his rough day yesterday and Tom provided excuses about why he hadn’t rung his Mum.
We continued on to Llandewi-Brefi, visited the single shop that was open and then headed on up into the hills along a road that got progressively narrower as we climbed. The scenery was great although everyone wondered why there would be a hostel all the way up here. Soon the narrow road ran out of tarmac, turning into a track for the final mile to the hostel. This really was going to be a special night where we could really “get away from it all”.
As there was no electricity, lighting was provided by gas lamps on the walls of the kitchen and the common room. There was an open fire going in the common room which was very inviting and gave us a chance to dry out our wet shoes and warm up.
Incredibly for such a remote hostel, there was actually a shower at the back of the hostel. It was heated by gas on a gravity feed, and in order to get enough water flowing to ignite the burner, a hot tap had to be left on in the washroom at the same time as the shower was running. The consequence of this was that if anyone came along and turned off the hot tap, whoever was in the shower suddenly got doused with very cold water. As it was clearly quite tricky to operate, only a few people used it, the rest managing with the washroom sinks. We then set about the business of cooking our meals.
What followed is another of those magical moments from South Dartmoor CTC’s touring adventures. The kitchen was tiny but everyone was bustling around preparing their various meals. Some managed quite excellent culinary preparations while others contented themselves with pot noodles or rice. Once prepared, we walked across the hall from the kitchen to the common room and settled down to eat our meals either on the large dining table or on the chairs in front of the fire. The atmosphere was just very special, and most people felt this was the best hostel of the tour.
After the meal, some played cards, others sat outside to watch the sheep traversing the hills along their well-defined sheep tracks, some did calligraphy with the pen set purchased at Machynlleth and others just relaxed by the fire, reading books and chatting. Getting away from electricity and modern conveniences like television seems to bring out the best in everyone. Except perhaps Luke, who had somehow broken one of the gaslight mantles and been charged for it by the warden!
At the end of a wonderful evening we used the washroom by candlelight and headed upstairs for Michael’s ghost story – several were asleep long before he finished it. We then had a great night’s sleep where the only sounds were the occasional sheep out on the surrounding hills.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Raining again as we look out of our dorm window at Borth youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Preparing to leave Borth youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Borth youth hostel on a very wet morning
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Fergus looking rather wet and miserable outside Borth youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
View along Borth beach from just opposite the youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn Holmes by the beach opposite Borth youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Lunch near Pencastell, Llanilar, 14.6 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Luke uses brute force in his attempts to use Michael's pocket-knife can opener at our lunch spot near Llanilar
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A provisions stop at Tregaron, 26.5 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom Hunt sends a message to his Mum via video link at Tregarron
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
James Lyne at Tregaron
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Start of the long climb into the remote hills from Llandewi Brefi, this shot taken near Cwm Dulas, 32.3 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View back towards Llandewi Brefi from Cwm Dulas
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair perseveres up the hill despite being cold, tired and wet - 33.2 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Near the top of the climb, 35.4 miles into the ride and just 1.4 miles from the youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
End of the road - it's a rough track for the final mile to Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tyncornel youth hostel, the most remote hostel in England and Wales, with no electricity
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Organised chaos in the tiny Members' Kitchen at Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Craig, Luke and Llewellyn prepare their evening meals in the kitchen at Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Meals together in the Common Room at Tyncornel youth hostel
(Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Some prefer the cosy fireside for their evening meal
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel contemplates the world in the glorious solitude outside Tyncornel youth hostel, with only the distant sound of sheep to distract him
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel tries the calligraphy set bought from Machynlleth the day before yesterday, a fine thing to do at Tyncornel, the remotest hostel in England and Wales
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Michael puts his feet up by the fire after a long, wet day
(Thomas, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
All the sheep around Tyncornel youth hostel seem to stick to the well-trodden sheep tracks when traversing the hills
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel and Llewellyn are justifiably proud of the top marks awarded to them for kitchen cleaning duty
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Card games and fireside chats at Tyncornel youth hostel before bedtme
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
With no electricity, evening ablutions have to be carried out by candlelight, which makes for an interesting experience
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Original 2016 video edit, scaled to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Map of today's route, showing all video points
Saturday 2 August 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 6 Tyncornel to Bryn Poeth Uchaf YH
Cloudy with sunny spells
18 miles (▲ 660m ▼ 625m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
After a very comfortable night’s sleep in the cosy upstairs dormitories of Tyncornel youth hostel we were very happy to see from our windows that there was absolutely no rain this morning, so when Oliver had finally given up stopping Michael’s camcorder using the controls on his watch we had a good breakfast and set everyone on the various chores needed to leave the hostel as spotless as we had found it yesterday evening. Amazingly the hostel drying room had worked wonders on our shoes and cycling clothes overnight.
One of the uncertainties about today’s ride was whether the 2.4 mile track eastwards from the hostel was suitable for cycling with panniers – if it was, we could cut off a 12-mile detour which would make the day one of the easiest of the tour. Well our warden, Roger Kidd, nicknamed "The Shepherd" by our youngsters because of his stick, had walked the track many times and reckoned we could do it without too much difficulty, so after a final farewell to the hostel we set off along the wide track into the remote Elenith Mountains, not quite sure what to expect.
There was one particularly nasty climb from the Doethie Fack river, so nasty in fact that a support team was despatched to help Alasdair up the climb – Fergus carried his bike up, Luke carried his panniers and James carried him! It was a shining example of how teamwork helped us all get through the ride quicker and happier than might otherwise have been the case. While everyone took a rest we were able to admire the raw beauty and isolation of the surrounding hills.
Soon we had reached the steep descent to the road at Soar-y-Mynydd, which required some care as the track was stony with some sharp turns. At the bottom there was a bridge over a river, but of course some riders couldn’t resist the challenge of riding right through the river, and to be fair they did the club credit by getting through with style.
The next part of our ride took us around the enormous reservoir known as Llyn Brianne. From one end to the other was more than seven miles of quiet country roads, and the views were spectacular in the afternoon sunshine. We probably stopped somewhere along the way for lunch. As we approached the Carreg Clochdy viewpoint, some of our Devon youngsters recognised a walker who just happened to be the caretaker from South Dartmoor School in Ashburton!
Next stop was Rhandirmwyn, where the village post office and stores was the first and last shop we saw all day. It provided us with ice creams and other provisions that we would need for another remote hostel this evening, and as we were quite close to the hostel now we were in no hurry to leave.
Michael had found an interesting track short-cut of half a mile on the map that would cut off a 1.5 mile road detour, so we all took it. The climb was only 75m, but the track was rough and not so enjoyable with panniers on the bikes. Most people thought it well worthwhile and relaxed at the top to enjoy the view, but they anticipated that Fergus would not be enjoying it and implored Michael to capture his reaction on video – Fergus did not disappoint.
The final part of the ride involved a short section of road to Hafod-y-Pant farmhouse and then a mile-long track up to the hostel. The warden lived at the farmhouse, so we stopped there to wait for the last members to arrive before ringing his doorbell. While we were waiting there, a woman came out of a nearby house and asked us if we'd all like a cup of tea! Well that sounded like a great offer, so of course we said yes. She eventually brought out trays of tea and biscuits, and when we had started drinking it she said "right, that will be 50p each please".
When the warden came out to take our hostel cards, he saw what had happened and said "yes, well she does do that quite often".
To say the last mile was a track is probably not quite correct, as it looked more like a section of hillside loosely bordered by bracken. There was even a stream to cross at one point. It was indeed tranquil up here in the hills however, and we couldn’t wait to see what kind of youth hostel could possibly exist all the way up here. Several, including Fergus, wondered how many hostellers would be insane enough to walk up here anyway.
When we eventually arrived, we were stunned by the beauty of the place. The hostel had no electricity and was powered entirely by gas cylinders, used for both light and heat. Downstairs was a single large room which served as kitchen, dining room and common room, with an open fire in the hearth. Climbing the very steep staircase took us to the two cosy dormitories that had been booked for our group. There was even a shower out the back, although we had to take it in turns to use it, so some didn’t bother. We had a fine evening cooking our meals and chatting by the fire.
Before dusk a few went out the back and discovered that it was actually quite fun to ride full pelt across the grass and dive head over handlebars into the soft bracken - they coined the phrase "Bracken Jumping" to describe it. Midges were out in abundance however and nobody had brought midge repellent, so we didn't stay outside too long. This really was a very special hostel, located high in the Elenith Mountains, and we were privileged to spend a night here in its final full year before it closed permanently in 1998.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Preparing to leave Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Our friendly warden, Roger Kidd, nicknamed "The Shepherd" by our youngsters, tells us what to expect on the track we are taking from Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Our warden, Roger, chats with Michael as we start out on the 2.4 mile track shortcut from Tyncornel youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Our track heads east through the remote hills of mid-Wales towards Soar-y-Mynydd
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The track crosses the Doethie Fach, 0.4 miles from the hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Taking a well-earned rest at the top of the rough climb at Nant-y-Benglog Head, 1.0 mile from the hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Support Team generously help Alasdair up the climb
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair and Tao descend to Soar-y-Mynydd at the end of the the track
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn crosses the river with style at Soar-y-Mynydd
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao riding around the enormous, picturesque Llyn Brianne reservoir
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llyn Brianne reservoir, as seen from just before the Carreg Clochdy viewpoint
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Fabulous views of Llyn Brianne reservoir from the Carreg Clochdy viewpoint, 7.2 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The valley beyond the Llyn Brianne dam, 11.2 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A refreshment stop at Rhandirmwyn Post Office and Stores, 15.5 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Waiting for the last two to arrive at the top of the steep track short-cut at Blaen-y-Nant, 16.6 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Taking a well-earned rest at Blaen-y-nant, 16.6 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The final mile of off-road path from Hafod-y-Pant farmhouse to the remote Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel, 17.7 miles from Tyncornel
(Craig, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Supper in the cosy kitchen / dining room / common room at Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The other end of the kitchen / dining room / common room at Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View from the front door of Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel showing the only access path to the hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom prepares to do some more "Bracken Jumping" behind Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View from behind Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel, which must be one of the most incredible and remote hostel locations in the UK
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
2016 Video edit of today's ride, rescaled and re-rendered to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
First half of today's route, showing all video points
Complete route of today's ride as far as the final one mile track from Hafod-y-Pant to the hostel, although the track shortcut taken to Blaen-y-Nant cannot be shown
Location of Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel - Google Maps does not recognise the path up from Hafod-y-Pant farmhouse to the hostel
Sunday 3 August 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 7 Bryn Poeth Uchaf to Ystradfellte YH
Very wet
32 miles (▲ 510m ▼ 570m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
If there was a compensation for waking up to the sound of yet more rain outside, it was to wake up in a small, cosy attic dorm in a tiny hostel set deep in the Elenith Mountains of Wales. For obvious reasons nobody was in any particular hurry to get up, so Alasdair entertained us by showing us how he could reach his top bunk in the absence of a ladder.
We had a leisurely breakfast, took our time to get the bikes loaded and hung around under cover at the back of the hostel for as long as we could, but eventually the time came when we had to leave. Heading back down the hillside path to the Hafod-y-Pant farmhouse to collect our hostel cards was easy enough, and the ride wasn’t especially long or hilly today, but with the bad weather it wasn’t particularly pleasant, which probably explains why Michael didn’t risk getting his camcorder wet for most of the day.
We were mostly riding downhill to Llandovery, and when we passed Llandovery hospital Michael decided to get Ryan checked out as he had some sore patches on his face. Impetigo was diagnosed, so he was prescribed some ointment and some pads to keep it working.
From Llandovery the route was gradually uphill through Trecastle and Sennybridge, and then more seriously uphill as we approached the Devil’s Elbow, a nasty hairpin climb that would take us into the Mellte valley. When we stopped on the first hairpin for a video Michael was impressed by the positivity emanating from the tour members considering the challenging weather conditions. Everyone seemed to have a bright and cheery disposition despite being soaked to the skin and having trainers that were full of water. Everyone in the group deserved credit, especially Luke and Llewellyn how once again stepped in to make things easier for Alasdair by carrying his panniers.
Once we passed the Devil’s Elbow it was all downhill to Ystradfellte hostel, another very simple hostel with the bare minimum of facilities. The woman who ran the hostel didn’t seem to like the fact that we were all dripping wet, but since we were in the annexe across the road she probably thought that would keep most of the water away from her main building. At least there was a drying room!
The very special reason for visiting Ystradfellte youth hostel was not so much the luxurious facilities available at the hostel, but the location. Literally around the corner was a path that led down to the Mellte river where there were some of the finest and largest waterfalls to be found anywhere in the UK, and yet most people in the country don’t even know they exist. Michael was keen to check out the waterfalls as soon as possible while we were wet, as there wouldn’t be time in the morning and he knew people wouldn’t want to go out in the rain again once they had showered. A few decided showering was more important than seeing waterfalls when they were so wet and miserable, but the rest headed off immediately.
We were not disappointed. Following the path we visited three spectacular waterfalls, looking all the more impressive because of the large flow of water in the river. Michael had been to them before, but this was the first time with a video camera, so now we could show the people back home (and the ones who stayed at the hostel) the true wonders of the River Mellte. The camcorder ran out of battery power after the third waterfall, but we had seen enough and decided to head back rather than walk on to the fourth and fifth.
Never had hot showers and hot meals been so welcome as they were this evening.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Bryn Poeth Uchaf hostel, located high up in the Elenith Mountains of Mid-Wales
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The first floor dorm at Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel is so compact that the only way Alasdair can reach his top bunk is to climb the built-in storage shelves
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Jasper tries out Ryan's Romany touring bike outside Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Final bike preparations at the back of Bryn Poeth Uchaf youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
It's raining and everyone has been staying dry in the covered area behind Bryn Poeth Uchaf hostel, but now, unfortunately, we really have to start cycling
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Partway up the hairpin climb at Sarn Helen, just below the Devil's Elbow, 26.9 miles into the ride on a very wet afternoon
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The last few riders pedal bravely up the hill at Sarn Helen, just below Devil's Elbow
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn, like all the riders today, remains remarkably cheerful despite the extremely unpleasant weather conditions at Sarn Helen
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair as cheerful as ever despite the unpleasant weather, although his good spirits are partly due to the generosity of Luke and Llewellyn in carrying his panniers
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Jasper - or is it Casper? - on Sarn Helen, just below Devil's Elbow
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Continuing the climb to Devil's Elbow, with the under-14s leading the way - accompanied by James who is hoping for some kind of shop at Ystradfellte youth hostel!
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View from the Devil's Elbow, on the way to Ystradfellte
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Climbing the last part of the hill to Devil's Elbow in the pouring rain
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
The Sgud Clun-gwyn waterfall, or Falls of the White Meadow (Upper), the first waterfall seen on our evening walk along the river Mellte
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao gets up close and personal with the Falls of the White Meadow (Upper) on our evening walk along the River Mellte
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan at the Falls of the White Meadow (Upper) on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Falls of the White Meadow (Lower) on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Falls of the White Meadow (Lower) on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
James and Alasdair at the lower reaches of the Falls of the White Meadow (Lower) on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Looking back to the Falls of the White Meadow (Lower) on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Our third enormous waterfall, the Falls of the Woollen Washer, on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The Falls of the Woollen Washer, on the River Mellte near Ystradfellte youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Offiical video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
2016 Video edit of today's ride, rescaled and re-rendered to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Map of today's route, starting from the farmhouse below Bryon Poeth Uchaf youth hostel and showing the hospital stop at Llandovery and the video point at Devil's Elbow
Monday 4 August 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 8 Ystradfellte to Capel-y-Ffin YH
Wet
37 miles (▲ 915m ▼ 810m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
We had been impressed last night to find that Ystradfellte youth hostel actually had something useful, a drying room. We had all been drenched to the skin last night, so we hung up all our shoes and wet clothes in there to dry overnight. When we returned there this morning to collect our items we were dismayed to find that they were still wet! The warden apparently likes to save electricity so she turned off the drying room before she went to bed last night! To say that Luke was annoyed was a serious understatement, as like the rest of us he was faced with the choice of wearing wet cycling shoes all day or wearing his dry evening shoes on the bike with the risk they would get wet too if it rained. Michael had previous knowledge of this warden, however, so he was not at all surprised.
Unfortunately Craig couldn't find his wallet this morning, and after searching high and low he still hadn't found it when we were ready to leave. We told the warden about it, but it was never found. Still, Craig had spent most of his money already, so it wasn't the end of the world.
Well the outbreaks of rain returned soon after we set off, and that set the tone for the rest of the day. Ryan’s Romany touring bike had developed a problem with the freehub yesterday, and when we reached Brecon today we had our first chance to visit some proper bike shops to effect repairs. Michael managed to buy a new Shimano HG20 rear hub from Biped Cycles in Free Street, Brecon, which cost around £18, then bought a set of spokes, a new cassette and a new Sedis chain from the Brecon Cycle Centre in Ship Street. Over lunch in Brecon he then dismantled the old wheel and built a new one with the new hub and spokes but the old rim, which still had plenty of life left in it. It was all finished in under an hour and the bike then worked fine, also eliminating a strange noise that had been coming from the hub.
We were now late of course, with 16 miles done but 21 miles to go, and the weather was really not encouraging. We made fairly good progress, but then we had another problem. Llewellyn got a puncture at the back, somewhere soon after Talgarth, and Olly stopped to help him fix it, knowing we were short of time. Unfortunately nobody else knew they had stopped until we got to Hay-on-Wye, so the rest of us waited there for them to arrive. We waited, and waited, but they didn't turn up. We retraced our steps and there was no sign of them right back to the place we had last seen them. We saw a sign to the youth hostel that was actually a short-cut, so we decided the two of them must have actually turned off the road they were on even though we had not been waiting at the turn-off (it is one of our core rules that we ALWAYS wait if we are turning off a road). Michael rang home at Buckfastleigh in case Olly had left a message, but none had been left. Shame we didn't have mobile phones in those days!
It was now very late and there was no way we would get up the long hill to Gospel Pass and the youth hostel in time for supper, especially in view of the rain that was still hanging around. We took a vote on it and everyone agreed this was the time to spend a little money on some transport. Michael phoned around some taxi firms and eventually found a firm that had a transit minibus that could be used to take everyone and their bikes up to Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel, but it would take three trips to do it. Michael and Tom went up in the passenger seat on one of the trips and took some video along the way of the wonderful scenery we missed out on. It cost us £56 in total, but shared between all of us that was only £4 each.
When we arrived (just in time for supper), Olly and Llewellyn had showered and were sitting down comfortably in the common room waiting for supper! They had been rather surprised when they arrived at the hostel and found that we weren't already there! Michael wasn't too happy with them, but as Olly said, the sign clearly pointed to the youth hostel, he had no reason to think we would have taken a longer route by going on to Hay-on-Wye, and after waiting there quite a while and seeing nobody he felt it was reasonable to assume we had all gone on up.
Capel-y-Ffin was a small hostel in the Black Mountains that turned out to be very cosy and warm. We had an excellent evening meal provided at 7.30 and spent an enjoyable evening in the hostel common room, where Tao took great pleasure in using Olly’s watch to repeatedly switch off Michael’s camcorder using the IR codes Olly had programmed – so annoying!
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Ystradfellte youth hostel, where one of our dorms was located
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The annexe to Ystradfellte youth hostel, on the other side of the road, where our second dorm was located
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The "drying room" was switched off last night, and Luke is not at all happy that he has to wear wet shoes today
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
18:22 Michael takes some video shots from the front seat of the transit van taking us and our bikes up the long hill from Hay-on-Wye to Cape-y-Ffin via Gospel Pass
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
22:11 Llewellyn buys some snacks from the hostel shop at Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
22:15 The group in the cosy hostel Common Room at Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
2016 Video edit of today's ride, rescaled and re-rendered to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Approximate map of today's route, showing bike repair stops in Brecon and video shot location from the taxi on the way up to Gospel Pass
Tuesday 5 August 1997
08:00 - 23:00
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 9 Capel-y-Ffin to St Braivels YH
Wet
36 miles (▲ 510m ▼ 700m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
After a good breakfast at Capel-y-Ffin hostel we gathered outside, admiring the magnificent Black Mountain hills all around us and wishing weather conditions had allowed us the opportunity to climb to the top of the hill behind the hostel last night. When Llewellyn had finished lubricating his headset with Michael’s GT85 and Tao and Olly’s assistance, we set off in dry conditions, but the heavy cloud did not bode well for our ride.
True to form we had a good deal of rain during the day. The ride was mainly downhill out of the Black Mountains, but there was a bit of a climb through Llanvihangel Crucorney. We had to stop for repairs at Tal-y-Coed Court near Llantilio Crosseny when Alasdair’s chain got jammed – Tao was Chief Engineer for this job, splitting the chain in order to rectify the problem. Meanwhile Michael continued to bribe Llewellyn with chocolate bars to continue carrying Alasdair’s pannier for him.
Next stop was Monmouth, where Tom found a Pound Store and bought himself some Cadbury's Hot Chocolate power for .. £1. He liked it so much he bought loads of sweets and left himself with just £2 for the last day. We found a reasonable café at 7 Church Street that got us out of the rain for a while and gave us a welcome rest, then after some video shots on Wye Bridge we set off for the final eight miles or so to St Briavels.
The youth hostel at St Briavels is a genuine medieval castle including original features including a prisoner’s cell, chapel, hanging room and 30-foot dungeon. Ryan was particularly keen to get a video riding into the castle.
After showers we had one of the best evening meals of the tours provided for us at 7pm, consisting of home-made pizza that everyone rated very highly indeed – Tao even thought it was better than his Mum’s pizza!
It’s not often we get the chance to spend the night in a real castle, so we spent the rest of the evening exploring some of the castle’s more interesting features.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Llewellyn attempts to free up his headset outside Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The rear courtyard at Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View to the Black Mountains from Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Preparing to leave Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Heading down the long driveway from Capel-y-Ffin youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao repairs Alasdair's chain at Tal-y-Coed Court, Llantilio Crosseny, 19.7 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Michael and Ryan in the cafe at 7 Church Street, Monmouth, 27 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The group on Wye Bridge, Monmouth, with Monmouth School in the background
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Jasper realises he finally turned into a proper cyclist by the end of the tour
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan rides into St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Supper is served in the Castle Dining Room at St Briavels youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao assesses the home made pizza to be better than his Mum's at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Michael prepares to enjoy his vegetarian pizza at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Michael's home made vegetarian pizza at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
2016 Video edit of today's ride, rescaled and re-rendered to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Approximate map of today's route, showing all video points
Wednesday 6 August 1997
08:00 - 18:15
Tour: North, Mid and South Wales
Day 10 St Briavels to Home
Cloudy start, wet later
22 miles (▲ 295m ▼ 445m)
16 Participants:
Ben Barlow, Tao Burgess, Ryan Edmondson, Alasdair Green, Kieron Green, Llewellyn Holmes, Thomas Hunt, Michael Jones, Oliver Lindley, James Lyne, Craig McCracken, Casper Oliver, Jasper Oliver, Daniel Talbot, Luke Whiting, Fergus Worthy
The final day of the tour started with Michael conducting interviews over breakfast, concentrating on those who would be leaving us at Bristol. Everyone agreed that the bad weather had made the tour far less enjoyable than it could have been – this was the second worst weather we have ever had on our tours – and yet everyone had managed to get some enjoyment from it. There was general agreement that Tyncornel had been the best hostel, with St Briavels a close second, and Kings probably the worst, due in no small part to the bad meals, unfriendly warden and sickness bug.
When Oliver and Tao had finished having fun with the camcorder in Dorm 2, we congregated in the courtyard garden for some group photos and videos and then headed off for our 22-mile ride to Bristol Parkway station. As usual, there was rain in the air.
First stop was Tintern Abbey, where the café tempted a few but not enough to warrant us going in. On the way down the Wye Valley we also stopped at Lower Wyndcliff car park and a few of us walked to the nearby viewpoint for some great views of the River Wye.
There wasn’t time to stop at Chepstow, but we did stop a couple of times on the Severn Bridge – crossing it on the cycle path hanging off the side was an interesting experience. Olveston then provided lunch and the opportunity for a couple more video interviews before we headed off for the final few miles through Almondsbury and Bradley Stoke to Bristol Parkway station, where we arrived with time to spare.
First off were Daniel, Tom, Kieron and Alasdair, who caught the 15:00 train to Reading and Paddington. James used the short interval to interview Michael for a change, which he thought was only fair since Michael had been interviewing everyone else. Next off were Casper and Jasper who boarded the 15:14 to Cheltenham, where their Granny would collect them and take them back to their farm at Stow-on-the-Wold. Their train left late, at 15:23, and the rest of us then caught the 15:28 train to Newton Abbot and Plymouth where the final interviews took place. We arrived in Newton Abbot at 1720 and Ben continued to Plymouth for 1806.
As Michael said at the time, we had been very unfortunate with the weather on this tour. Perhaps choosing to go to Wales was the reason for that, as the only tour with worse weather was also to Wales, in 1991. At least on this tour we had fairly good weather for the first three days. Unfortunately, however, with cycle tours, you have to take the chance on the weather otherwise you would never go anywhere, and this year we came out unlucky. Nevertheless we had a great group of youngsters, saw some fabulous scenery, climbed Snowdon, stayed in some truly amazing youth hostels in some amazing locations, saw some incredible waterfalls at Ystradfellte and had some wonderful shared experiences that will stay with us for a very long time.
(No notes were written for today's ride at the time, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)
Fergus Worthy engages with his interview over breakfast at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Jasper Oliver at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ben Barlow at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel Talbot at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tom Hunt at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Alasdair Green enjoying breakfast at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
James Lyne at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The State Apartment dorm at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
View towards the courtyard from the platform outside our second dorm at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao performs his Panier Packing Ritual in out second dorm at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Oliver, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The extensive grounds of St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Oliver, Tom and Llewellyn outside St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Luke and Daniel at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Thomas, Le Clic 170, 135)
Fergus Worthy at St Briavels youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Daniel Talbot in the courtyard of St Briavel's Castle youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
The courtyard at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
The group assembling at St Briavels youth hostel for the group photos
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
The group at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Another group photo at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Luke, Le Clic 170, 135)
Another group photo at St Briavels Castle youth hostel
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A final group photo at St Briavels youth hostel
(Tao, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
A stop at Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley, 4.4 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Daniel and Casper check out the view to the Wye Valley fro the Lower Wyndcliff viewpoint, 6.8 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Crossing the original Severn Bridge, 11 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Riding along the cycle path of the original Severn Bridge
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Kieron does his interview at our refreshment stop in Olveston, 15.9 miles into the ride
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Casper does his interview at The Street, Olveston
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
15:00 Daniel and Tom say farewell as they leave Bristol Parkway station on the 15:00 train to Reading, along with Kieron and Alasdair
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Michael gets interviewed at Bristol Parkway station by James Lyne
(Oliver, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Ryan does his interview on the 1528 train from Bristol Parkway to Newton Abbot
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Craig on the 1528 train from Bristol Parkway to Newton Abbot
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Tao, the tour co-leader, on the 1528 train from Bristol Parkway to Newton Abbot
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Oliver does his interview on the 1528 train from Bristol Parkway to Newton Abbot
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Llewellyn Holmes on the 1528 train from Bristol Parkway to Newton Abbot
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
Official video of today's ride - 2021 Full Remaster
(Michael, Sony CCD-TR8E, Hi-8)
2016 Video edit of today's ride, rescaled and re-rendered to 50fps, included only for quality comparison with latest video
Approximate map of today's route, showing all video points