The Llangollen Badi

North Wales Mountain Bike Route Guide


Region:

Ceiriog Valley, North Wales

Difficulty:
Difficult
(Requires advanced skills and fittness)

Distance:
10.4 miles

Map:
OS Explorer 255

Route Text Download:
The Llangollen Badi

GPS Download:
GPX and KML
(available via the full MapMyRide page for this route, on the right hand side of the page)

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The Llangollen Badi Route

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This is a 10.4 mile mountain bike route that starts in Llangollen, North Wales, and heads into the Ceiriog Valley and back. It consists of two big climbs at two steep, rocky descents that finishes with it's name sake, the infamous Allt y Badi. It may be short but don't underestimate this ride, it's not for the faint hearted!

1. Start from the short stay car park in the centre of Llangollen (GR214420). Use the pedestrian exit from car park, at the diagonally opposite corner to the road entrance, to reach the traffic light controlled junction of the A5.  Follow the A5 straight across the junction then at the next junction directly after, turn right (GR216419). Immediately after turning right take the road on the left that climbs through the houses. Stay on this lane and go past a number of junctions with roads on either side.  After some time the road crosses a small bridge, over a stream, in a dip. After this continue along the road and climb past the houses on the left. The road then thins to a singletrack lane that comes to a junction (GR220411). Go straight on and follow the lane as it goes through a long left hand bend between the hedges. Continue along the lane to a four-way junction, with two dirt tracks, where the lane turns sharp left (GR234411).

2. Turn right and climb the steep, loose and rocky track to a gate. After the gate continue up the steep, loose climb that will be a push for most, to the next junction (GR237408). Turn right for a slightly less steep section that comes to a gate at the woods. Go through the gate and continue climbing through the woods. After the trail emerges from the trees follow the rocky, rutted double track all the way to the gate at the top, while enjoying the views across the Vale of Llangollen on the right. Go through the gate and follow the muddy ruts for a short distance to a gated junction with a lane (GR227398).

3. Turn right and follow the lane a short way to a junction with the second lane on the left (GR224397). Turn left and descend the lane, which soon bears right to a junction in the bottom of a dip. Go straight on then climb the lane as it bears left to the next junction (GR223388). Take the lane on the left that soon starts to descend gently towards some trees on the left, where the lane steepens and comes to a junction with a lane on the left.

4. Turn left and descend a short distance to a junction with a rocky track on the right just before a house ahead. Turn right and descend the steep, loose and rocky track that usually has water running down it. Lower down follow the main track through a sharp left hand bend for more loose descending that finishes at a farm. Go straight on through the farm, where the track becomes a lane. Follow the lane down to where it ends at a junction (GR231385).

5. Turn right and descend a very short distance to the next junction at the start of the farm buildings. Turn right and follow the muddy, grassy double track between the hedges as it bears right along the valley. Continue along the track to a forked junction at a house (GR231379). Climb the steep track on the right. The track soon flattens off for a nice bit of singletrack through the trees. At the next junction bear left and descend the double track to a junction with a lane (GR228376).

6. Go straight on then at the following four-way junction turn right (GR226374). Climb the steep lane, which after a while goes past a four-way junction at some buildings on the left, to a forked junction. Take the lane on the left that soon goes between some houses before climbing steeply to a junction (GR218378). Turn right to continue climbing then follow the lane up through a left hand hairpin, past the junction on the right. After the lane emerges from the trees it goes through a wide right hand then left hand bend. It then bears gently right for a while before coming to a signed and gated junction with a grassy double track heading off between some hedges, just before the lane reaches a crest (GR218384).

7. Go left through the gate and climb the grassy double track. Go through the gate at the end of the hedges then continue climbing the trail through the fields, going through a few gates while keeping to the line of trees on the left. At the end of the fields go through the small gate, just to the left of the large gate to a three-way lane junction (GR215394). Go straight ahead from the gate and follow the lane, as it gently descends along the top of the hill, to a crossroad junction at a farm (GR205393).

8. Turn right and descend the lane for a while until it transforms into a dirt track directly after passing a farm on the right (GR210405). This is the start of the final descent on the Allt-y-Badi. Follow the track straight on down the wide, steep and increasingly rocky track through the trees. After some time go across a short section of concrete, followed by a section of BIG, loose boulders to a junction (GR215410). Turn right and descend the rocky track between the hedges. Go straight on at the next junction after which the track becomes a tarmac lane. Descend the lane through a number of bends to a junction on the edge of Llangollen (GR219413).

9. Turn left and follow the lane past the housing estate on the right and descend over the small bridge. Descend the lane past a number of junctions with roads on either side to the four-way junction with the main road (A5) at the bottom. Go straight ahead to the traffic light controlled junction on the main road directly after (GR215419). Turn right and follow the road through the centre of Llangollen to the next junction, by the Spar. Turn left and follow the road to the entrance to the short stay car park on the left to complete the ride.