2nd September 2010: Pistyll Rhaeadr

This being the August Bank Holiday week the numbers registered for Mike’s ride from Chirk over to the Rhaeadr Falls was down on our usual turnout.  With many regulars away on holiday it was encouraging to hear from two new riders, on the day before, that they intended to join us.  Then while unloading my bike in Chirk, Dave Heath pulled up with his bike on the back and within a few minutes Trevor, riding with us for the first time, was introducing himself.
We headed off to the Coffee Shop to find Dave Hill eating breakfast having cycled all the way from Chester.  Then Mike and Clive arrived, and finally Dave Matthews to make the numbers up to a respectable seven riders.  After a few minutes of chat Mike brought us to order and led off towards the impressive Chirk Castle gates where a left turn onto a track immediately stamped his signature on the ride.  We then followed the Ceiriog Valley out to Glyn Ceiriog and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog with a minor deviation along another track enjoyed by just three intrepid riders while the rest stuck to the road.  This was easy riding, through beautiful countryside in perfect conditions engendering, what was perhaps, a false sense of what was to come: but not for long!

Photographs by Mike Morley and Bryan Wade

Immediately out of Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog the road ahead rose uphill into the distance: gently at first then steepening and finally maintaining a constant gradient for another mile. We all made it, although I suspect Trevor was beginning to wonder what he had let himself in for.  After a brief stop and a photograph to mark the occasion we continued up the last section of the climb before a long swooping descent down the other side touching 40 mph.  With little traffic we enjoyed the meander along the Afon Iwrch before turning up over the shoulder of Moel Hen-fache through a farm and down to the Afon Rhaeadr for the final stretch to the Falls.

The Rhaeadr Falls café, although small, offered a good choice of food all quickly served at tables looking out over the Falls.  Tea, coffee and cold drinks were the order of day here; so the beer drinkers had to go without for once.  A small price to pay for what was already a superb ride.  By 2.00pm it was time to leave the café for the short walk down to the bottom of the Falls and then the ride back.
The first part back along the Afon Rhaeadr to Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in perfect sunny weather was simply stunning.  I began to seriously consider spending an hour or so at the side of the road taking in the views.  Sanity prevailed and we continued into the Tanat Valley before turning off at Llangedwyn to head north uphill towards Llansilin.  A few miles further we stopped by Bwlch-y-rhiw Farm to read the plaque dedicated to those who lost their lives when a Wellington bomber on a training exercise from RAF Harwell crashed on the farmhouse in January 1943 killing the family and entire aircraft crew.  This was followed by another stop to admire the false OS grid reference painstakingly etched on the gatepost of Rhydycroesau Village Hall.
There was one more climb to go but once over Offa’s Dyke it was downhill virtually all the way back to Chirk arriving at just gone 4.00pm in time for afternoon tea.  43 miles done, back on time, perfect weather, fantastic route and scenery and we even had a bit of culture and history: how do you do it Mike?  A truly wonderful day.
And for Trevor not the easiest of first rides but judging by the way you coped we hope you are up for more.  Manley Mere next for a more typical Easy Riders ride.
For the record the SatMap recorded 2,024 m of ascent!
See route map and/or gpx file download.
BW