If your idea of a good time is spending days pedalling through miles of rugged terrain and tackling rocky inclines aboard a manual metal machine, this one’s for you. Now you can take on Traws Eryi (Welsh for ‘Trans Snowdonia’), a new 140-mile mountain biking route weaving through Snowdonia’s many peaks and valleys.
Launched on August 23, the route was designed by Cycling UK and funded by Natural Resources Wales. Running from Machynlleth to Conwy, the route connects existing mountain bike trail centres with off-road cycling routes, taking bikers a little bit further off the beaten track. It also has a total 4,424 metres of ascent, which is more than four times the height of Mount Snowdon.
It’s clear that this is not an adventure for the faint of heart. Of course you don’t have to ride the entire route, but if you do, Cycling UK estimates that the route would take four to five days for competent riders on special off-road bikes.
You can take to the tracks independently or ride with Mountain Bike Wales, which offers a four-day guided tour across the length of the route with accommodation, evening meals, kit transfers and return back to your vehicle for £795 per person.
It’s hoped that cyclists will stop at pubs and shops along their route, helping to boost the local rural economy.
Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive, said: ‘North Wales is arguably the adventure capital of Britain and has some fantastic mountain biking trail centres. With Traws Eryri, we wanted to inspire people to venture beyond the forest and explore more of the National Park in a sustainable, active way.’
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