Suggest a Snowdonia route please!

[Globalti]

I've got the luxury of a free day next Sunday or Monday when I shall be at the 37th annual reunion of my old college climbing club in Conwy.

I hope to call on an old friend in Port Dinorwic so was thinking of the following:

Start at Glasinfryn just south of Bangor. Take the A5 and old back lanes to Bethesda and on to Capel Curig. Turn right to Pen y Pass and shoot down to Llanberis. Turn right at the end of Llyn Padarn and ride over to Port Dinorwic. Back to Glasinfryn via B and A roads, avoiding the A55.

That looks like about 40 miles and 3000 feet of climbing so ought to be enjoyable, not a chore. Any other suggestions?

 

[Low Gear Guy]

I've got the luxury of a free day next Sunday or Monday when I shall be at the 37th annual reunion of my old college climbing club in Conwy.

I hope to call on an old friend in Port Dinorwic so was thinking of the following:

Start at Glasinfryn just south of Bangor. Take the A5 and old back lanes to Bethesda and on to Capel Curig. Turn right to Pen y Pass and shoot down to Llanberis. Turn right at the end of Llyn Padarn and ride over to Port Dinorwic. Back to Glasinfryn via B and A roads, avoiding the A55.

That looks like about 40 miles and 3000 feet of climbing so ought to be enjoyable, not a chore. Any other suggestions?

Looks good. My preferred route would be back roads to Llanberis then Pen-y-Pass and onto Beddgelert. From there you can go North towards Caernarfon, possibly taking in Nantlle.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Looks good. My preferred route would be back roads to Llanberis then Pen-y-Pass and onto Beddgelert. From there you can go North towards Caernarfon, possibly taking in Nantlle.

I'd second that-I used to work for the YHA in Snowdonia so I know it well. The Nantlle Valley was one of my favourite rides, and you can turn left after Rhydd-Ddu, then through the valley, then onto the cyclepath to Caernarfon , which will take you right back to your starting point.

 

[Globalti]

Thanks for the local advice. I didn't know about the Sustrans route on the old railway.

So: Glasinfryn to Bethesda and via back roads & A5 to Capel Curig. SW to Pen y Pass but continue to Nant Gwynant and Beddgelert. North west to Rhyd Ddu then west to Natlle. Turn north at Penygroes and follow the cycle route to Port Dinorwic then take the B road back to Glasinfryn. About 52 miles and 3400 feet of climb. Sounds perfect.

 

[Crackle]

It's a good route. The least done on the A5 the better. it's not terrible but it's busy and not relaxing and some of the windy sections encourage impatient overtakes but the rest is ace.

 

[Globalti]

I used to climb a lot in Snowdonia so I'm looking forward to seeing the old sights from the saddle of a nice road bike. I walked the Welsh 3000s once in a weekend so this will be easier!

 

[Globalti]

Well it was an excellent day out and the left turn down Nantlle Valley made it better. I had a headwind going up to Ogwen Cottage and down to Capel Curig but this helped me up the climb out of Beddgelert and then through to Penygroes and then blew me at 20 mph for almost zero effort all the way aong the Sustrans railway route to Port Dinorwic where i climbed back over to Bethesda. I couldn't have planned the wind better if I'd tried.

52 miles as predicted and not really too tired at the end despite taking the stiffer hooligan bike.

To take this photo I sat on my gloves on the wall. When I stood up my gloves had disappeared; I searched everywhere thinking they had got blown into the lake but not believing they had already sunk or been blown away. Then I discovered that they had velcroed themselves to my arse!