Black Mountains Killer Loop

This route comes courtesy of the mtb-wales website, where this excellent pdf map and directions can be found.

I started at Llanbedr (point 12 on their map) instead of Pengenffordd. This allowed me to take an, ahem, short cut from the saddle below Pen Truma, past the stone cairns, rejoining the route at Blaenua-Uchaf. As you will see below, this was not necessarily a good idea.

I set off from Llanbedr in familiar territory, I used to come on school camping trips to this valley, and confident of making a mockery of the rather generous (or so I thought) estimated 5 hours for this 40 km loop.

The saddle I crossed on the Y Grib ridge

The rocky climb. I cleared this section. Almost.

Descending to the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir.

The first, steady climb to the saddle below Pen Truma was long but bagged without too much fuss. Feeling cocky and with no need to descend all the way to the road at Pengenffordd I decided to follow the more Northerly, less distinct bridle way. The faint track soon disappeared into a myriad of tiny sheep trails and I needed all my considerable tracking skills to discern which was mine.

Parts of the descent to the Rhiangoll stream were too steep to cycle, as was the final section of the climb up to saddle along the Y Grib ridge. A much better downhill saw me re-join the described route.

After a couple of cheap ks on the road I paid for some of the most expensive kilometres imaginable; cycling (briefly), pushing and carrying up the steep, boulder strewn track to the top of the escarpment. Once at the top it was beautiful and worth all the effort. Maybe.

I descended quickly to the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir, pausing only to tumble over the handle bars trying to ride down a rocky gulley. Luckily my soft fleshy belly broke my fall. Sadly on the end of my handle bars.

After a brief tarmac blast a forest fire road climb was thrown in to add variety and an easy change from all the technical stuff. Emerging from the forest it was one last, short push to the ridge just below Crug Mawr. The fast, long smooth descent back to Llanbedr was one of the best going. Whilst not overly technical, the path was always fast and narrow, reminiscent of the trails at the many man centres that are springing up only with more kamikaze sheep.

Eventually I span back to the van, bruised and tired some 5 hours and 5 minutes after setting off.

Posted: 15/08/06