This mountain bike route travels through the
rolling hills on the south side of the Ceiriog
Valley in North Wales.   Stunning scenery
combined with great riding make this 21mile
loop well worth a go. The ride starts in Glyn
Ceiriog, a good place to start, as there are
public toilets just off the roundabout in the
middle of the village, a Spar and a post ride
pint option in the Glyn Valley Hotel.

1.  Start from the car park just up the Glyn
Valley Hotel exit of the roundabout, on the left
hand side after the toilets (GR202378).  If this
is full there is another car park behind the
Glyn Valley Hotel, accessed by the side lane
opposite.  To start the ride head away from the
roundabout on the B4500, towards Pandy.   

2.  Take the right in the outskirts of Glyn Ceiriog, sign posted 'Nantyr 3', and start climbing (GR201374).  A short distance
later follow the road up through a right hand hairpin and continue climbing the road ahead for about 2miles.  At the top of
the hill turn left along the signposted Ceiriog Trail BW.  The BW is on the left of a T-junction with a road on the right.  A
house is also on the junction on the right (GR184371)

3.  Follow this muddy track through a couple of bends before dropping down a steep rocky section and coming out onto
some tarmac.  Continue down hill for 20m to the next junction.  Take the track on the left to continue following the BW. This
section can be a bit muddy but thankfully steepens and becomes twisty and rocky later.  Halfway down the descent go
through a gate, then left through the stream.  After the stream turn right and follow the track as it descends bearing left.
This is a fast section that gets loose and rocky lower down.  At the junction at the bottom (GR191362) turn left on the road
and follow it into Pandy.

4.  At the junction with the main road in Pandy turn right.  About 1/3mile after
Pandy, at Erw Gerrig cottages and the bus stop, take the B-road on the left.  
Drop down this lane and cross the bridge at the houses then follow the left hand
tarmac lane uphill. After the gate on the right turn the track slowly gets better,
evolving from firetrack into a loose tricky climb.  After crossing the cattle grid and
entering the trees follow the main trail as it continues climbing bearing to the left,
ignoring the tracks that drops away on the right.  The track emerges from the
trees, still following the trees on the left, before coming to the final steep section
where it becomes increasingly rocky and loose.  
5.  At the junction near the top, with the lane through the gate on the left, turn right and follow the track a short way to the
top of the climb (GR211344).  The next section is rutted and can be very muddy, but thankfully it’s short.  Go through the
gate, into the next field, and follow the ruts to the next gate.  Go through the gate and ride on the double track along a left
hand bend to the next gate.   After the gate descend along the wide, rocky track.  Go straight on at a junction with a trail
on the left then directly after follow the track 90deg right to descend to a gate at a farm.  

6.  After the gate descend to a junction and go straight on.  A few 10’s of meters later turn left on the double track before
the next gate (GR189336) Follow the double track down through a long right hander to a farm.  Go through the farm
where the track turns into a tarmac lane and descends to a crossroad at the bottom (GR177335).  Go straight across the
crossroad and take the track, uphill, past the right hand side of The Mill.  Climb up the main trail and at the next junction
climb to the right up the rutted track between the hedges.  At the top of this section continue along the main trail as it
bears left and comes to a gate at a lane halfway up.

7.  Go straight across the road and through the gate on the other side to continue
climbing.  Go up the rutted trail and go straight on over the crest of the hill.  The track
starts descending here but is quite rutted and can be muddy, although it’s usually still
ridable even in the worst conditions. Take the 90deg right turn (GR174314) where the
track becomes rocky and a lot more fun.  This descent has slabs, drops, loose rocks and
time permitting, is worth a second go. At the bottom go through the gate, if it’s wet it can
be a stream here, and bear right through the actual stream crossing to follow the track
around the right hand side of the sheep pens.  The track then straightens out for a flat
section of double track to Ty-gwyn farm.  At the farm follow the track straight on as it
climbs to a junction.  Take the left hand track, going straight on, and descend a short way
to the road junction.

8.  At the road turn left and after approx. 80m take the marked BW through the gate above
on the right (GR178300) ).  It is then a short push up through two fields, keeping tight to

9.  The grassy trail flattens and comes to a fork (GR193297), take the left going
down hill.  The track bears left, then after the gates at the sheepfold, bears right
and comes to a farm.  Go straight on past the farm and descend to the junction
with the road (GR209302) Turn left, descend to the crossroads and go straight
across.  Climb a short way to the next junction and turn right.  At the far end of
this lane turn right again and climb the lane up the left side of the valley.  Bear
left to the top of the climb, go past a track on the left, then descend a short way
to the next track on the left (GR225317).

10.  Turn down the sharp left and descend through the farm.  Go through the
gate to the water splash at the bottom then follow the trail uphill bearing right, with trees on the right.  Continue along this
trail to a gate at a crossroad (GR225326).  Go straight on along the rutted, grassy double track as it climbs though the
line of trees.  After the next gate keep to this trail as it descends, eventually bearing left to the gate at Llechrydau Farm.
After the gate bear right through the dip and climb to the gate at the road and turn left (GR223340).

11.  Take the trail 20m down the road on the right.  Follow this trail, which bears left uphill, to the gate at the top where
the trail turns right, flattens, and continues to a junction with a road at Caemor Wood (GR219352).  Turn left onto the
road and after just under 1mile take a right at the junction.  After passing the track on the left leading to the farm, turn
right down the marked BW on the right a short distance later (GR204359).

12.  This double track leads through a few gates to a farm.  At the entrance of
the farm there is a 10mph sign on the right.  Just after this, also on the right, is
some fencing which contains some gates. The BW goes through these gates, not
along the farmhouse driveway.  The BW should then follow a gully between some
trees but it can be very overgrown.  It is possible to ride parallel to the trail in the
field, on the right hand side of the gully.  This leads down the left hand side of the
field to a gate.  Through the gate is a tight rocky section of track.  On the road at
the bottom turn left.  Turn immediately right through the first part of the farm,
through a little section that looks like a dead end at a rickety shed.  I had to have
it pointed out but there is a BW sign at the bottom on the left.  Take the track on
the left and continue down hill on another tight rocky track.  At the road go
straight across for the final, sweet bit of single track.

13.  At the junction with the road at the end of the singletrack turn left  
(GR220367) Follow the lane up a short sharp climb to the junction with the
B4579.  Turn right and follow this road back into Glyn Ceiriog.  Follow the road
right over the bridge to the roundabout in the centre of the village.  Take the first
left to rutern to the car park for the end of the ride.   

The best map to plot this route on is OS Explorer 255.
the fence on the right.  At the top of the second field go through the gate and turn left.  Follow the double track as it
climbs along the side of the hill.  About halfway up the ascent there is a gate with a small stand of trees just after.  Go
high of the trees (following the fence on the left that should now have been completed), keeping them close on the left,
through the bottom of the field to a gate.  Go through this gate and the one shortly after.  
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