Gyrn Moelfre - Long

This mountain bike route of 21.6 miles starts in Glyn Ceiriog, North Wales, and travels through the hills to the south of the Ceiriog Valley. Stunning scenery and great riding make this loop well worth it. There is lots of great descending on this route but make sure you take your climbing legs as there are plenty of long steep climbs.

1. Start from the car park at the Community Centre in Glyn Ceiriog (GR204379).Turn right out of the car park and follow the main road to the roundabout in the centre of the village. Take the first exit to turn left. A short distance later follow the road right then left across a bridge to the junction directly after (GR202376).Turn right and climb the lane ahead through the trees, ignoring the minor tracks on either side. After quite some time the lane turns left and steepens before leaving the cover of the trees and passing a house on the left. At the junction directly after the house follow the lane right and continue climbing the lane all the way to a three way junction at the top of the hill (GR205354).

2. Go straight on and follow the lane across the top of the hill. The lane soon starts descending then comes to a junction in a dip with a gated track on the right, where the lane turns left (GR211344). Turn right onto the gravel track and go through the gate then at the junction directly after turn right. Descend the wide, rocky track to a gate a short distance later. After the gate descend the steep, wide, rocky track that bears gently left down the left hand side of the gulley. At the junction where the gully opens out, with a grassy track ahead leading to a gate, follow the rocky double track right. Descend the track across the slope of the hill on the right to the next junction then bear right and go through the trees. At the next junction go straight on and descend to a gate and cattle grid ahead. Go over the cattle grid and descend the rough tarmac to a gate at a house (GR198352).

3. After the gate bear left and descend the lane. At the bottom follow the lane over a bridge then climb to a junction with the road near Erw Gerrig cottages (GR195354). Turn left and follow the road as it climbs, bearing right along the valley. Continue following the road for a while, eventually descending to the triangular junction in the middle of Tregeiriog (GR177338). Turn left and descend the lane to a bridge then go across the bridge to the crossroad junction immediately after (GR177335).

4. Turn right and take the track that climbs through the gate to the right of the farm. After the gate climb the steep lane to the next junction and bear slightly right to climb the rutted track between the hedges. At the top of this section continue straight on along the rocky double track. The track soon bears left before coming to a gate at a junction with a lane (GR171327). Go straight on through both the gates and climb the steep rutted trail to a junction near the top. Go straight on and climb to a gate at the top of the hill. After this gate and descend the big, muddy ruts. While it can be quite wet and muddy here it’s usually rideable even in the worst conditions. After the next gate the track eventually comes to a flat open section, follow the ruts 90deg right and drop into the deep gully on the right (GR174314).

5. Descend down the left hand side of the gully on the steep gravel double track. Go through the gate at the bottom and bear right through the stream crossing. If it’s been wet the whole area can be covered in water. After the stream go through the next gate then bear left on the track as it goes around the right hand side of the sheep pens. The track then straightens out for a flat section of double track. Go past the farms on the left then up a short climb to a junction, just above the last farm building. Take the left hand track to go straight on and descend a short way to a junction with a lane (GR178299).

6. Turn left and descend the road, past the farm entrance on the left, to a bridleway that climbs a short way to a gate above on the right (GR178300). Don’t go too fast on the descent as the track is easy to miss. If you cross the stream at the bottom of the valley you have gone too far. Go through the gate then bear right and climb very steeply through the field, keeping to the fence on the right, to a gate in the top right hand corner. Go through this gate then continue climbing steeply through the next field, still keeping to the fence on the right, to a gated junction with a double track (GR181300).

7. Go through the gate then turn left and climb the double track across the side of the hill. After a while the track goes through two gates set close together and comes to field with a small stand of trees straight ahead. Go to the right of the trees and follow the fence, keeping it on the left. Climb through the bottom of the fields to a forked grassy junction, just after a gate near the top of the hill (GR193297).

8. Bear left and descend the fast, grassy double track. The track bears left through a gate, at a sheepfold, before bearing right for a fast rutted double track descent to a farm. Go straight on past the farm and descend the track to a junction with a lane (GR209302). Turn left and descend the lane to a crossroad junction in the dip, then go straight on and climb to the next junction with a lane on the right (GR207308). Turn right and follow the lane along the flat before it bears right and climbs to a three-way junction. Turn right then climb the lane up the left hand side of the valley. Continue climbing the lane to the second track on the left, signed as a bridleway (GR219318).

9. Turn left and climb the double track through the gate all the way to the next junction. Turn sharp right and go through the next gate to continue climbing through the trees. Go through the gate at the far side of the trees and continue straight on along the double track to a junction at the crest. Go straight on and descend a very short distance to a gate. Go through the gate then continue descending a short distance to a junction with a double track by Pen y Gwely reservoir (GR221320).

10. Turn left and follow the track up the left hand side of the small reservoir. At the junction at the far end of the reservoir go straight on past the bridge then climb the wide track through a right then left hand bend. At the following junctions go straight ahead to stay on the double track. The track eventually drops right into a dip then climbs left through a gate. After the gate continue straight on, following the double track through a field. After a short descent to a stream crossing go straight on through the water and climb the double track through a gate. Continue climbing the double track straight on through all the following gates. At the top the track drops to a gate in the trees. After the gate continue ahead and descend the double track to a junction. Take the right hand track to go straight on and descend to a wide rocky junction (GR196333).

11. Turn right and climb the double track to the top of the hill, going through all the gates on the way up. Keep following the double track across the top of the hill where it eventually turns right to a gate in the bottom right hand corner of a field (GR204338). After the gate go straight on and climb through the field keeping to the fence on the right. Go straight on over the crest, past a bridleway sign pointing right, and head towards the corner of the woods directly ahead. Go through the gate at the woods then follow the wide grassy trail that bears slightly left away from the gate then descend through the filed to the barn. Go past the right hand side of the barn then descend the double track, bearing left, to a junction at the bottom. Turn left and go through the dip then climb a short way to the gated junction at the lane by the farm (GR224340).

12. Turn left then immediately right and climb the rocky double track to a gate. Go through the gate and climb the track as it bears left to a gate at the top. After the gate continue along the track as it goes through the trees of Caemor Wood to a junction with a lane (GR219352). Turn left and follow the lane over the top of the hill to where it ends at the previously visited T-junction. Turn right and descend the lane. Go past a junction with the entrance to a farm on the left to the next junction, a short distance later, with a gated track on the right sign posted as a bridleway (GR204359).

13. Turn right through the gate and follow the muddy double track straight on through the fields all the way to where it ends at a junction with a lane. Go straight on and follow the lane to a house (GR213364). At the start of the buildings there is a small gate in the fence with on the right. Go through this gate then bear left and descend through the field keeping just to the right of the gully between the trees. This leads down the left hand side of the field to a gate. Go through the gate for some muddy and rocky singletrack that ends at a junction with a lane (GR216365). Turn left then immediately right at the farm and descend through a small grassy area. At the bottom of the grass take the track on the left and continue downhill on more rocky and muddy singletrack. At the junction with the next lane go straight across and descend the final section of singletrack to a junction with a lane at the bottom (GR220367).

14. Turn left and climb the lane to a junction with a road at the top (GR216369). Turn right and descend the road all the way back into Glyn Ceiriog. At the bottom go right and left over the bridge then climb to the roundabout by the Glyn valley Hotel (GR202377). Take the fourth exit and follow the main road back to the Community Centre car park, on the left, to complete the ride.