Gap Track, Brecon Beacons

More detailed directions for this route can be found here on the mtb-wales website. Although no grid references are given the directions are excellent and the route is easy to follow with the aid of the appropriate OS maps.

As mtb-wales have done such a good job with directions I will simply describe my travails when cycling this route in August 2006.

Although this is not a massively long ride (39km which took me 4 hours, they recommend 5) it packs in as much climbing as many a full day epic. This climbing comes in 2 large dollops; the Brinord Tramroad out of Talybont and the Gap Track itself. There are shorter loops that inlcude the Gap but this longer one is worth it.

The saddle at the top of the Brinord Tramway

From the canal in Talybont I immediately joined the ancient Brinord Tramway. The gradient wasn't great, middle ring all the way, but there was plenty of it. The monotony of the constant slope and lack of bends was added to by the clouds of flies that swarmed around me.

Eventually I emerged from the trees and the path became more interesting, the flies got blown away and I was rewarded with some fine views of Talybont Reservoir.

A good indication of the dry summer that we have been having was when the supposed "mother of all bogs" had dried up. After cresting the impressive saddle I soon reached the Mad Max-esque disused Trefil Quarry. Last time I was here was 14 years ago on a DofE trip. I was happier to be on my bike this time rather than lugging an enormous rucksack of crap.

From the quarry the initial grassy decent was fast and fun. Whereas all those years ago we had slid down on our bags, this time I bombed down launching myself into the air of off the many gullies. After forking off to the right the decent became steeper and more technical, eventually passing under the Brecon Mountain Railway and out to the road. Sadly the cafe in the old goods van at Pontsticill Station was shut so I had to make do with bruised banana and stale water.

Climbing the Gap Track

Looking North from the Gap

Refreshed I took the track along the Eastern shore of Pontsticill Reservoir alongside the railway track and then right next to water on some fast singletrack.

Re-joining the road I immediately started climbing, which steepened when I continued onto the Gap Track once the road had run out. Although the path was very loose it wasn't too steep and the superb views of Pen y Fan and Fan y Big distracted me. Before long I was passing a couple of walkers and cresting the Gap.

The start of the 3 mile descent was steep and loose with loads of sharp, exposed slabs. It was like riding down a ball bearing covered flight of stairs. On my own and at 600 metres above sea level this certainly concentrated the mind.

Having safely negotiated this obstacle the rest of the downhill was brake boilingly fast and fun. I pitied the cyclists pushing up the other way (especially as one was wearing jeans) but not enough to stop to console them. The fun continued even after I reached the road. It is not often that I am grateful for mountain bike handling and disc brakes on tarmac but this was true on this narrow, tightly twisting lane. It is also not often that 2.1" knobblies lock up on dry asphalt.

After I gave up slip streaming a minibus (I couldn't see far enough ahead to dodge the fresh horse shit) I soon arrived back in Talybont.

Posted: 15/08/06