Description
Traws-Bannau Journey
Cross The Bannau Brycheiniog (The Brecon Beacons) Nation Park in 3 Spectacular Days.
Approximately 150 km & over 3,600 m of Ascent/Descent
Overview
The Traws-Bannau or Tran-Beacons fully guided MTB ride. The three-day journey will take you from Llandeilo on the very western edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park to Pandy on the English border. The route covers 150km of predominately off-road riding & incorporate over 3600m of ascend/descent. During our voyage, highlights will include crossing the wild moorland of the Black Mountain, traversing the Sarn Helen ancient byway, crossing the famous Gap, then finish with a full north to south of the Black Mountains.
We will meet on Thursday afternoon at the Pandy Inn near Abergavenny where you can park your car, chill & grab a drink whilst we wait for everyone to arrive. If you are traveling by train, we can collect you & your bike from Abergavenny or Hereford Station. We depart at 5.30pm to complete a 2-hour minibus transfer to the start location & the first nights’ accommodation in Llandeilo & gather for the first evening meal together.
The Route
Day 1 – Llandeilo to Ystrafellte, Approx 55km with 1600m of Ascent/Descent.
We start our route with a mellow ride to warm the legs up to get onto the ridge to follow a mixture of quiet country lanes & byways to Llanddeusant. From here it is up onto open moorland as we cross the wild Black Mountain range, before dropping into the Swansea Valley at Glyntawe. We then cross the valley, climb over Fforest Fawr then the join a short section of the Sarn Helen byway before ending day one at the New Inn in Ystradfellte.
Day 2 – Ystradfellte to Talybont/Bwlch, Approx 50km with 1000m of Ascent/Descent.
On day two we take on two of Wales most iconic routes! Firstly, we re-join Sarn Helen, an ancient byway named after Helen, a Welsh Princess who married Emperor Maximilian of Rome. This will take us to the outskirts of Brecon & on to the central Beacons where we cross though the mountains on The Gap route. From here its down into the Taff Fechan valley & up over the moors, before we descend all the way down to our second overnight location in Talybont.
Day 3 – Talybont/Bwlch to Pandy, Approx 45km with 100m of Ascent/Descent.
Our final day we cross the beautiful Usk Valley, head up onto Mynydd Llangors & encounter some super flowy singletrack. We loop around the back of Mynydd Troed & cross from the Central Beacons range into the Black Mountains. A mixture of lanes & bridleways will take us to the base of Y Das where we climb to the top of the northern escarpment. We now enter the final leg of the journey as we descend the Grwyne Fawr valley on an old cart track through the heather & babbling stream crossings, then we join forest tracks & quiet country lanes to the end.
Once back at the carpark, there will be an opportunity to clean bike & grab a shower. We will gather in the pub for a celebratory glass of bubbly & a late lunch, then say our goodbyes & look forward the next big adventure together!
What’s Included
The price includes transfer of you & your bike from the meeting point to the start, plus car parking for the whole weekend. The 3 nights’ accommodation will consist of 1 night in a hotel & 2 nights in bunkhouses along the way. You will get breakfast, lunch and evening meals in the bunkhouses included. Supper on the first night is intentionally not included so you can choose where to eat or just chill in your rooms. But if anyone is keen, we will make a group booking at a local pub or restaurant.
Your overnight bags, spares & other equipment are transferred with the support van, so you only need to carry snacks & basic spares. Most importantly you will be led by two experienced guides to keep you on track & allow you to concentrate on taking in the amazing views.
Christopher Aldous (verified owner) –
A great trip, route was challenging in places but for every up there are always long descents. I would recommend the trip for those that want to experience the Beacons over the 3 days.
Andrew Hayward (verified owner) –
Raven Adventures provided a superb weekend tour of the Brecon Beacons. Each day we were treated to a different experience- rocks and riverbeds to mountaintop ridge lines and open fields…. And at the end of it all, great food, accommodation and if we wanted, a few drinks in the pub.
All routes were well within our ability and designed to balance the flow of the ride and the ability and desire of the group- in our case a desire for superb views- which we had in plentiful supply.
I sill summarise with “What more can a weekend adventurer want?” – Raven Adventures delivered it all. I will am already looking forward to booking my next guided trip with them.
Val (verified owner) –
A truly fantastic trip.
So well organised from the start to the finish.
Great riding and scenery with perfect weather and good company.
Would certainly recommend.
Si G. (verified owner) –
Superb natural riding across the Brecon Beacons. Perfect route selection used much of the best riding in the National Park. Great variety of terrain providing a range of challenges. Accommodation had been carefully selected to ensure that no diversion from the route was required.