5th May 2011: Carrog

Tudor Café - fuel up for the hills to come - and so it was as ten of us (Mike M, Dave & Liz P, George, Bryan, Brian, Andy, Ray, Alan and I) set off bound for the “The Grouse” at Carrog.  Taking the Cymau road to Ffrith, the legs were nicely warmed up thanks to two single chevron sections.  A second left along the B road eventually took us upwards via quiet lanes to Rhydtalog, followed by a slow climb past Llandegla to the Ponderosa roundabout.  The back lane off this roundabout, which runs roughly parallel to the A5104, offers stunning views over the Vale of Clwyd and out to sea - or would have done if the weather was clearer, but nonetheless a veritable feast of Clwydian hills were on view.  Rejoining the A5104 briefly, a quick left took us up a slow climb around Llantysilio Mountain to 1400 ft.
Pausing to regain our corporate lungs, and to admire the view over the Dee Valley and the Berwyns, we set off down the very steep descent to the Old Coach Road that would take to Carrog and the pub; - or would have done if my rear wheel had not been punctured - still, as everyone lay on the grass and let me get on with it, I mused that this was the first puncture I had succumbed to in 5300 miles of cycling.  Rapidly descending, we were soon in warmish sunshine on the Old Coach Road and near our lunch stop.  

Photographs by Alan Jeffs

The Grouse pub had an attractive outdoor covered seating area that gave panoramic views of the Dee Valley, the A5 and the smoke from the steam train at Carrog Station.  Lunch for 10 was promptly served and tasty it was too.  One to come back to in the future methinks.  “Are there any hills after lunch?” - well “Yes” is the answer to that question, and we were soon on the back lane out of Carrog ever upwards to rejoin the A5104 at Bryneglwys.  The Tandem Two left us here bound for Westminster Park.  Whereas we briefly rejoined part of the route out to join the Nant-y-Garth pass road near the top of its winding path.  Mike M was the second defector making his way Delamere bound.  The rest of us took the lane to Llanarmon-yn-Lal as the rain started.  They have the right idea here - the local pub was the polling station for the day - a perfect combination of politics and beer.  “Do you want to go home via Caffi Florence or via no café direct to Caergwrle?” - and so left we went via Llanferres to Caffi Florence.  By this time the forecasted light rain came down a bit harder as we sat with our “Coffi a chacen”.  Eventually we had to leave in the rain, climbing up the main road towards Mold before taking the near hidden right by the pub towards Nercwys.  The rain had stopped as we made our way to edge around Hope Mountain by Leeswood and on to Caergwrle.  Brian shot off to the station and was soon into his first pint awaiting the Wirral train.  Alan and George were car-assisted, and so the remaining four took the familiar route back via Kinnerton to Chester.  The loop from Caergwrle was 45 miles with lots of climbing and the Chester group had nearly 70 miles on the clock.
See route map and/or gpx file download.
CA