Day 1 Holyhead to Bangor 30 miles 1423 ft climbed
Superb first day! Got the local train to Milton Keynes without issue, though lugging the loaded bike up the stairs at Bletchley was a pain! Then loaded the bike on to the Virgin train to holyhead. It's always a bit of a rush as you have to get everything off first and then get it all on the train. They don't hang about! It was a relaxing 3 hour journey to holyhead. It's not picturesque so glad to be starting here rather than ending! The train arrived at 1pm so just in time for some lunch before setting off. I'm using a new GPS for this trip, a Wahoo bolt which has navigation. Very impressed so far. It's a nice meandering route through Anglesey mostly with the wind behind or to the side but the last bit in to the wind. Stop for some refreshments and say hello to the old ginger cat who lives in the shop. Then I find an ancient burial site. Sheep are the custodians now. I use the wahoo to navigate me to the campsite near Bangor, and it sends me over the wrong bridge, not suitable for bikes! Points off! Campsite is lovely, very quiet and not far from Bangor where there is a domino's and I have a free pizza courtesy of wuntu! I add a few extras and get it delivered, a wise move. Looks like a cold one tonight!
Day 2 Bangor to Barmouth 54 miles 2,400 ft climbed
It was a lovely quite night at the campsite in Bangor - this was to become quite a theme for this tour! Darren from the Cycle Touring Festival contacted me and he and Rohini live in Caernarvon. He kindly invited me to their place for coffee and brownies, and they will join me on the cycle today, excellent. After a small campsite breakfast I decided to make a slight detour to McDonald's for breakfast. I used to use these all the time on bike tours but as a born again vegetarian it's less appealling now. Darren and Rohini were cycling up from Caernarvon to meet me so I needed to get back on Route 8. No problem with the Wahoo, and as a fellow Wahooligan I could see Darren's position on my unit! We met up and continued to Caernarvon. We called by their apartment which was lovely and they treated me to some excellent coffee from their machine and Rohini's homemade brownies which were excellent and very filling, great cycling food! Then we cycled past the castle and around the scenic coast route which isn't on the LLC route. How it helps to have local knowledge! It starts to get hot so the layers come off. We continue south and the going gets a bit more hilly and then it's time to part and I'm back on my own again. I want to get to Barmouth which is still quite a way, so I crack on. The tailwind disappears and is replaced by a headwind, typical! Still, I can't complain as the sun has definitely got his hat on. I go through Porthmadog and over the estuary and on to Harlech. The NCN route goes a bit inland but it seems a bit pointless as just unnecessary climbing so I stick to the main road. It's hard going. I had a campsite in mind but they close reception at 5pm and it'c clear I'm not going to make it in time so I call them. As it happens they are busy and still there when I arrive at 5.20. It's a big site, not my usual cup of tea. There is one listed in the Tiny Campsites book, but it's at the top of a very big hill so I don't fancy it. It's a bit chaotic here, but the site manager is a top bloke and knows just what I want - a quiet place to doss down for the night. So he takes me to the hill at the far south end of the site and it's a lovely quiet spot to myself. There's a friendly blackbird and a robin who lands on my tent and sings a little song! The showers are good and then I walk in to town to the hotel for food recommended by them. It's further than I thought as you have to walk back up all the way to the other end of the campsite and then cross the railway. It's worth it though as the food is great - curry mushy peas!
Day 3 Barmouth to Machynlleth 28 miles 4,400ft climbed!
Another quiet night and a great sleep and another beautiful day! While I pack away everything I use my camping stove to make coffee and instant porridge. But I need more sustenance so look out for a proper breakfast in Barmouth. I find a lovely café and hear some Welsh being spoken. I order the veggie breakfast which was delicious and very filling, and comes with coffee for only £6.95 so I leave a tip. Once replenished I follow the route across the Barmouth rail bridge which is stunning and then cycle along the Mawddach trail which is gorgeous traffic free cycling on a trail and see lots of interesting birds on the estuary including shelduck and a red-breasted merganser! I then reach Dolgellau where I had a bit of a disastrous camp a few years back trying out camping gear. It was in March and my sleeping bag was crap so I was very cold. Couldn't be more of a contrast now in this warmth. I stop to say hello to a cat who wants to be friendly but is a bit shy. Then there comes the first big climb out of Dolgellau. LLC follows a small road to the east of the main road which goes over a huge climb and I have to dismount and walk, plus there are lots of gates to open and close. Eventually I reach the top and then descend in to Corris which someone warned me against staying. I continue to Machynlleth and fill up at the Co-op. I've picked a farm campsite 3 miles to the west which is off the LLC route, but the Wahoo navigates there no problem. It's a bit of a climb but worth it as another very nice campsite and the showers are excellent. It's at the top of a hill so has good views. I pitch my tent near a picnic table which is handy for putting things on. I walk in to Pennal for an evening meal and prebook as it's Friday night. It's quite a busy pub and I go for curry with blackberry crumble and ice cream for pudding. The food is delicious but it's bit spoilt by inconsiderate people dining with their Rhodesian Ridgeback dog who make a lunge for my food as they leave! I give them a mouthful and the older Welsh couple who looked a bit uncomfortable are glad they have gone. It's about a mile back to the campsite but it's a lovely evening.
Day 4 Machynlleth to Llanidloes 29 miles 3,100 feet climbed
As you can see from the photos, the weather has been amazing and is getting warmer the further south I go! I've been warned about the slog out from Mach and sure enough there is a very long hill that seems to go on for ever and I have to get off and walk some of it. There are a lot of cyclists out today on this Saturday but all are travelling much lighter than I am. After an eternity I eventually reach the top and enjoy the descent to Staylittle. I wanted to go through it but LLC goes via the smaller road via the Hafr Forest (source of the Severn). It's a few miles further but less climbing and a lovely road. I see the Severn and very tiny it is too, not much more than a brook! It's a beautiful forest and feels like a real wilderness. Apparently there are osprey nesting as there is a large lake nearby. Just as I reach Llanidloes there is a runner doing a half marathon on his own! I stop for lunch at a café and there is a cycle event stopping here. I get chatting to a cyclist and it turns out it is an audax - Chepstow to Holyhead and back - double the distance I am doing in 40 HOURS! OMG!! Luckily for me the campsite is just up the road. The farmer sounded very friendly on the phone and even offered to drop me in town later if I needed to get back, but it's only a mile and flat. The campsite is the best of the trip, really friendly. It's quite large but they let you go anywhere so I find a quiet spot near a field of inquisitive rams. But they are quiet neighbours, just a bit smelly! There is also a large bumblebee nearby, I think it is his nest so I don't get too close so I don't disturb him. There's even a camper's kitchen at this one. A fellow cycle tourist turns up - the first I've come across and he is a Welshman called Dillan and he is cycling in the opposite direction, so we give each other useful tips. I cycle to the well-equipped Spar shop in Llanidloes for dinner and then come back for an early night.
Day 5 Llanidloes to Three Cocks 46 miles 2,600 feet climbed
It's been headwinds for the last few days but with all the climbing it hasn't been that noticeable. Leaving Llanidloes I pick up LLC again and there's quite a climb for the first 5-10 miles along a quite road that runs parallel to the main road. At Llangurig I pick up the Wye Valley which I then follow all the way to Hay on Wye. From here it's mostly flat or slightly downhill but there is a bit of a headwind. The next town is Rhayader where I meet some more touring cyclists, two guys cycling to Aberystwyth and a woman going to Bristol. I have some lunch and then press on - after making a small diversion to the red kite feeding centre. Unfortunately feeding time isn't for another few hours. I had considered stopping at Builth Wells but the campsites weren't very friendly. Plus the Welsh National showground is here and there are always events on so it's pretty busy so I press on. I did stop for doughnuts at a garage but didn't realise they were jam filled so ended up with jam all down my top! Dough!! From here LLC takes the quieter route on the north side of the Wye Valley. I head for the Three Cocks village as Dillan had recommended it. It's a small campsite on a main road but there is a pub very close by. Peter the owner is very helpful and friendly and dead chuffed that I have come here because of Dillan's recommendation. I'm the only one here tonight bar a couple of 'locals'. Sadly Peter tells me the old chap Dillan was talking to the previous night died. This is the sort of campsite I like, no frills but quiet and the road noise doesn't bother me at all and it quietens down at night. I do have a slow puncture however in the rear tyre so decide to fix it at the campsite now rather than leave it til the morning. The nearby pub is excellent for dinner and they open from 9am for breakfast - hurrah!
Day 6 Three Cocks to Chepstow 54 miles 4,100 feet climbed.
It's the last day of the tour but I have the Black Mountains and the mighty Gospel Pass coming up, so saving the best for last. First though I have breakfast at the nearby pub which is great. Then I head a few miles north to Hay on Wye where I pick up the LLC route again. Until this point I have been following route 8, but if you continue with that it ends up at Cardiff so after Hay I take Route 42 to Chepstow. I have a quick look around Hay with all its book shops, the famous literary festival is in a few weeks time. Then I head south for the Gospel Pass. There is a good bike shop en route on the outskirts of town so I stop to pick up an inner tube and use the track pump to get my tyres up to full pressure. I had been fearing the Gospel Pass but it wasn't too bad - certainly the climbs from Dolgellau and Mach were much harder. Eventually you come out on to a big plateau with views of Hay Bluff and other Black Mountains. There are wild ponies and sheep but no houses. It's gorgeous on such a hot day but it must be very bleak in winter. At 1,800 feet it's the highest pass in southern Britain. A foreign tourist at the top asks me if I am the postman!!? LOL! Then it's a longer descent down via the beautiful Llanthony priory and then on to Abergavenny where I stop for some lunch at a Supermarket. A friendly local asks me about my journey as he is also a cyclist. Here the route is quite undulating but I know there is still one more big climb to come. Route 42 seems to go quite a long way round and I use the Komoot app on Wahoo to plot a more direct route and less climbing. I can't escape the big hill though and it is tough after a long day in the saddle. Eventually I make it and then it drops down to Chepstow, past the racecourse where I passed on LEJOG (and also my failed solo attempts!) and then at last Chepstow Castle where a tourist is taking photos so I ask him to take mine! I call in at the railway station to ask about tickets but it's closed. So I press on to the campsite which is a couple of miles south of town. The campsite is in a lovely farm/garden but I am disappointed to find there are no facilities especially as I had called ahead and they knew I was cycling a long way in the heat. I have to make do with a wash in cold water in the sink. I do have the place to myself though. If that wasn't bad enough, the local pub that they recommended didn't do food on Mondays!! Disaster. Fortunately there is a Domino's in Chepstow and they deliver, so I order using the app. What a lifesaver! There are a few spots of rain in the evening, the first of the trip but they don't amount to anything.
The journey home.
I was considering cycling home from Chepstow. I could do it in two days and the weather was still good, but I was tired plus there were strong headwinds predicted from the east so I booked the train online and got an advance ticket price plus was able to book my bike, and then pick up the tickets in the morning. It was a leisurely cycle to the station, where there was a good café. The first train was a sprinter type bound for Nottingham. It was a nice journey along the banks of the Severn (much bigger than when I last saw it!) to Gloucester and Cheltenham and then on to Birmingham where I had to change for the Virgin train to MK. That was a bit stressful as you don't have a lot of time to board the train and only the train manager can open the guard's van. The station staff are supposed to help you but were non-existent. Anway, all went fine and in no time I was back in MK and then the little local train home.
It was a fantastic tour, hands down the best shorter tour I've done. Everything was perfect - the weather, the route and it was the first route where I camped all the way. The campsites (apart from the end one) were some of the best I'd stayed at and were all very friendly and under £10 a night. The road and cycle path surfaces were FANTASTIC! I barely saw a pothole the whole trip. They really put the rest of the UK's roads to shame. It's a really accessible tour and easy to get to the start/finish points.
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