12th November 2009: Maeshafn

Today we meet for elevenses at the Tudor House Café in Caergwrle.  The café is already busy serving breakfasts when I arrive but Brian Mac has secured one of the larger tables.  Within a few minutes there are five of us tucking into toasted teacakes and tea.  Bryan suggests that as we are in Caergwrle he has in mind a short but hilly ride that should get us back to Chester in daylight and avoid the heavy rain forecast for later in the day.  After considering the proposed route the idea is agreed and we leave the café just as Dave arrives bringing the numbers up to six.

Bryan leads off along the main road before taking the first left and we are immediately heading steeply uphill towards the top of Hope Mountain!  This is not only steep but also unrelenting and it seems to continue on and on with no end in sight.  But finally we are at the top taking a breather and admiring the views.  After a brief rest we set off down the other side taking a sharp left half way down to Llanfynydd where we cross the main road and head uphill again to the Stone Zoo for another brief stop.  Continuing west towards Graianrhyd we cross the main road and take a steeply descending lane down to the ford over the River Terrig.  While Brian Mac struggles across, the rest of use the adjacent footbridge.  Then its more uphill work until in Graianrhyd we head north up yet another single chevron climb towards Eryrys.  Finally with the worst of the climbing behind us we can enjoy the fast descent down to the Maeshafn turn-off on a delightfully smooth newly tarmaced road. The Miners Arms is reached just as it starts to rain!

We settled down inside with pints of Facer’s Landslide to accompany the spread of food while discussing – no, not wheels, spd’s or gear ratios - but parsnips, beetroot and the advantages of raised-bed cultivation!  By 2.00pm its time to leave and we emerge to find it still raining.  The short route back to Caergwrle is chosen and we are soon heading down the back lanes to Nercwys and Leeswood where we stop briefly to admire the gates before pressing on to Pontybodkin, over the shoulder of Hope Mountain and onto the main road.  Here the group breaks up, some heading back to Caergwrle, others to Hope while I head back to Chester through the Kinnertons to arrive back just minutes before the heavens open.

It’s a while since we did so many hills but despite the hard work I have to admit that I really love this area.

Distance from Chester and back 42 hilly miles.

For route map and/or GPX file download.   

BW