This mountain bike route of 18.2 miles travels through the hills on the south side of the Ceiriog Valley, in North Wales. On this ride you will tackle four big climbs and four big descents, on a mixture of loose rocks, muddy ruts, slate bed rock and grassy fields, with a bit of tarmac to link it up. It’s a great ride with lots to keep you concentrating on the trail ahead but don’t forget to look up once in a while, the views are stunning.
1. Start from the car park by the community centre in Glyn Ceiriog (GR204379). Turn right out of the car park and follow the main road to the roundabout in the centre of the village. Take the second exit, ahead and slightly left, to go past the front of the Glyn Valley Hotel, then the public toilets on the left, to follow the B4500 towards Pandy.
2. Take the second lane on the right, sign posted 'Nantyr 3' (GR201374). Climb out of the village, then after a while follow the lane through a right hand hairpin. Continue climbing the lane ahead for about two miles, first going past a lane on the left, then straight on at the four way junction. At the top of the climb the lane comes to a four way junction by a house, with a lane on the right and a muddy track on the left, sign posted as the Ceiriog Trail bridleway (GR184371).
3. Turn left and descend the muddy, rocky and rutted track. After going though a couple of bends the track drops down a steep rocky section before coming to a junction with a lane. Go straight on to the next junction a short distance later (GR185367). Turn left to continue along the Ceiriog Trail. Follow the level double track through a few bends between the hedges. The track soon becomes rutted. Soon after the trail steepens, where the ruts give way to loose rocks and running water. Halfway down the descent, directly after a gate, bear left through the stream. Directly after the stream turn right and follow the track as it descends through the woods, bearing left. This fast section of the descent gets rockier the lower it gets, before finishing at a junction with a lane at the bottom (GR191362).
4. Go straight on and follow the lane down to a junction in the bottom of the valley, in the middle of Pandy (GR195359). Turn right and follow the lane along the bottom of the valley. Not far from Pandy bear slightly right at a junction just after Erw Gerrig cottages, to continue on the lane along the valley. Follow the lane as it undulates for a couple of miles until it eventually descends to a triangular junction in the middle of Tregeiriog (GR177338).
5. Turn left and follow the lane out of the village then go over a bridge across the river. Directly after the bridge turn right at the crossroad, to the gate on the right hand side of the farm (GR177335). Go through the gate and climb the tarmac to the next junction. Continue straight on, past a track on the left, and climb the steep, muddy, rutted track between the hedges. At the junction at the top of the ruts go straight on and follow the rocky double track, keeping to the line of the hedge on the right. Continue climbing and bear left to a gated junction with a lane (GR171327).
6. Go through the gate on the opposite side of the lane and climb the rutted track. At the junction near the top go straight on. Go through the gate at the top of the hill then descend the big, muddy ruts. While it can be quite wet and muddy here it’s usually rideable even in the worst conditions. After the next gate the track eventually comes to a flat open section, follow the ruts 90deg right and drop into the deep gully on the right (GR174314).
7. Descend down the left hand side of the gully on the steep track that soon becomes off camber slate bedrock with ruts, drops and loose rocks. It’s great fun but can be quite tricky when wet. Go through the gate at the bottom and bear right through the stream crossing. If it’s been wet the whole area can be covered in water. After the stream bear left on the track as it goes around the right hand side of the sheep pens. The track then straightens out for a flat section of double track. Go past the farms on the left then up a short climb to a junction, just above the last farm building. Go straight on through the (bodged together) gate and descend a short way to a junction with a lane (GR178299).
8. Turn left on the road and descend past the farm entrance on the left to a bridleway through a gate above on the right not long after (GR178300). Don’t go too fast on the descent as the track is easy to miss. If you cross the stream at the bottom of the valley you have gone too far. After the gate bear right and push up through the two fields, keeping tight to the fence on the right. At the top of the second field go through the gate and turn left. Follow the double track as it climbs across the side of the hill, keeping to the fence on the left. After a while the track goes through two gates set close together and comes to field with a small stand of trees straight ahead. Go to the right of the trees and follow the fence, keeping it on the left. Climb through the bottom of the fields to a forked grassy junction, just after a gate near the top of the hill (GR193297).
9. Bear left and descend the fast, grassy double track. The track bears left through a gate, at a sheepfold, before bearing right for a fast rutted double track descent to a farm. Go straight on past the farm and descend to a junction with a lane (GR209302). Turn left and descend the lane to a crossroad junction, then go straight on. Climb a short way to the next junction and turn right (GR207308). Follow the lane to the junction at the other end and turn right. A short distance later go past a track on the left then climb the lane up the left hand side of the valley. Bear right then left to the top of the climb then go past the junction at the crest, before descending a short way to the next track on the left (GR225317).
10. Turn sharp left and descend through the farm. Descend the rocky double track away from the farm to a gate then ford at the bottom. After the ford climb the steep rocky double track as it bears right around the trees on the right. Continue along the double track to a gated crossroad (GR225326). After the gate go straight on and climb the rutted, grassy double track between the line of trees. After the next gate follow the double track over the top of the hill then descend, eventually bearing left, to a gate near Llechrydau Farm. After the gate bear right through the dip and climb to the gate at the lane by the farm (GR223340).
11. Turn left on the lane and go past a track on the right. Follow the lane over the top of the hill then descend to a gate on the left, at the head of a deep gully on the left, where the lane climbs off to the right (GR211344). Turn left through the gate, then immediately turn right and descend the wide, rocky track to another gate a short distance later. After the gate descend the steep wide rocky track. After initially bearing left, keep bearing right around the line of the hill and go past all the tracks on the left. Go though the woods and over the cattle grid at the far side, then continue descending the rough tarmac to the gate at the house (GR198352).
12. After the gate bear left and descend the lane. At the bottom bear right over the bridge and climb to the junction with the road near Erw Gerrig cottages (GR195354). Turn right and follow the road for 1.5 miles, through Pandy, all the way back to Glyn Ceiriog. At the roundabout in the centre of the village take the third exit and follow the main road back to the community centre car park to complete the ride.
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