Trail info elan valley.

Mad Hatter · Post by **Mad Hatter** » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:58 pm

Ok I'm away on my own for a few days next month and am looking over maps (os explorer 200 elan valley and other Welsh place names I've no chance of spelling) and spotted a fairly long trail from Rhyd Hengae (824683 ish) to just by Rain Gauge (890730 ish) and am wondering what the crack is with it is:
it open?
Is it doable on my own going lightweight?
Is it linkable?
Am I going to die horribly :laugh:
Is it worth it?
I know there's some local ish boys on here and guys who spend a lot of time that way so any pointers would be appreciated for must do's, I'm reason competent off road (mainly at falling off) and this will be straight off the back off a training weekend at sweetlamb so I'll probably be trying to push myself anyway, within the bounds of not having a death with that is :whistle:

garyboy · Post by **garyboy** » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:23 pm

i think this is Monk's Trode, or clawdd du bach? I think the tro is now lifted, tho it could be seasonsal .. the guys at sweet lamb will know.
I have read of riders getting stuck, in knee-deep marsh,.. pics of bikes part submerged, gangs of riders struggling .. so should be great fun for a solo entrepreneur

ps ... Dave at Stafford Bikes will know ... he knows all that area .. good guy.

beddowsm · Post by **beddowsm** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:29 am

Looks to be the Monks Trod. Don't know its current status, but when the TRO was lifted a year or 2 back we did it. Ace trail. Not easy to follow as the track in places had disappeared. Plenty of bogs and tricky bits. Very remote. Have done it both was on a number of occasions. Mainly on 450's (just about doable solo, but risky) but also dragged a KTM 950 SE and Husq Nuda 900 mad max over it. With a lot of help from my friends.
Wouldn't recommend anything other than small Enduro bike and definitely not solo unless youre capable of dragging your bike from deep bogs should you run into one. As said, was real easy to loose the original track.
Great trail though, very remote.

johnnyboxer · Post by **johnnyboxer** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 7:01 am

Put up a screen shot of the map or pic
Ask TRF they will know or Check Trailwise

Mad Hatter · Post by **Mad Hatter** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:09 am

I had another quick Google and it looks like you guys are right about it being monks trod, think I'll give that one a miss, don't fancy trying to dog myself out of a big on my own :woohoo:

jim-500 · Post by **jim-500** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:31 am

We just moved house down to Machynlleth, been riding the trails around Rhayader/Nant-y-Moch for years. I'd be happy to show you some of the loops down that way in a few weeks if you like...I know some all day loops from the elan valley down to devils bridge, up to talybont, over to aberdyfi etc (thumbs)

SteveR · Post by **SteveR** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:15 pm

When I saw this post Rich, I had a vision of you trying "the Trod" on your Dommie.
If so, take a ground anchor and long wire winch..... Used to be manageable in the summer months, but all depended on the damage over winter, TRO or no TRO. The locals on crossers take no notice of TRO's....

SteveR · Post by **SteveR** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:19 pm

When I saw this post Rich, I had a vision of you trying "the Trod" on your Dommie. :dry:
If so, take a ground anchor and long wire winch..... (thumbs) Used to be manageable in the summer months, but all depended on the damage over winter, TRO or no TRO. The locals on crossers take no notice of TRO's....

Redmurty · Post by **Redmurty** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:59 pm

MH what weekend you doing at Sweetlamb been giving an Xmas present for some training that I keep being told has to be spent :whistle:
cheers Spud

Mad Hatter · Post by **Mad Hatter** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:16 pm

Yeah the dommie can be a lardy old girl in the mud, or up hills, or down hills, or on the flat

nah its a very good bike but the extra effort needed takes away from why I trail ride slightly hence the smaller lighter Dr.
I'm going the weekend of the 5th and 6th of august I think, I'll be going straight from work on the Friday night though so I'll probably miss the morning on the Saturday trying to get some sleep, or drink my bodyweight in red bull :whistle: get in touch with Molly though and ask if there's any spaces left or any other dates, he goes by rally Moto on here, his email address is on the website which you'll find if you Google sweetlamb adventure rally bike academy (or words to that affect) or stick sweetlamb in the Facebook search and you'll find the page. Its well worth it I think, the complex is massive with a good mix of everything and Molly is a good teacher, did wonders for my riding in half a day before (thumbs) (btw I don't get paid to big him up all the time :woohoo: )