k1- rESOLVEN wEST Ridge

Route-as you travel from Glyneath to Resolven on the "old road"  (B4242) where the road runs directly alonsdie the canal there is a track on the Right.  This leads to a long hard climb up a scenic valley into the heart of the forest lining the West side of the valley. There are many forest tracks going off in all directions to explore, but if you keep heading ever-upwards you eventually come to a Col where the road crosses the ridge. At this point there is a cross roads, with a very stony old track heading South-East and North-West. This is the old Roman Road- known as Sarn Helen. 

 The signs are easily missed! This is usually a fairly wet ride with 200 yard long puddles, even in dry weather,  but still  enjoyable. Beware of getting cold and wet in winter!

cycling along the canal

ROUTE - Park in Blaengwrath and work you rway up to the top street. From here there is a path into the forestry. At the T junction turn Left and climb up a long steep forest road over Mynydd Resolven.  Drop down the other side into Hendre Oqen, then climb upwards and to the Right until you arrive at a gate onto the windmill ridge at CefnMawr.

Follow the lovely grassy path on the Right downhill into Pelanna forest. Take a track on the Left which drops down into a very pretty steep sided valley called Nant Blaenpalenna. The trail turns into a forest road along the bottom of this valley. When you come to a gate, turn left over the stream and take a tarmac road on the Left up to Ffechdwn farm

 Ford a stream then climb up to a tarmac road (which is Sustrans route 47). Take this Right for half a mile, and take the second track on the Left. This leads to a lovely descent down a steep lane into Clyne. Here you can pick up the canal path on the Right back to Resolven. 

You can either take the canal back to Blaengwrath, or go through Resolven and take  a challenging but rewarding forest  track through Tyrau woods back to Blaengwrath.

ROUTE.  Just after the lay-by take the Left hand fork  through a small industrial estate, then continue uphill, following the valley of the Clydach Brook. Just past the very top houses the tarmac road turns into a forest road. Continue to follow this up the valley to a hairpin bend, then follow this main track as it winds up hill through the wind turbines. At a major T junction, turn Left, and continue to the very top of the hill, with great views overlooking  Cwmgrach on your Left. 

From here stay on the track which skirts the edge of the escarpment until you get to the view point on the main Rhigos A4061 road overlooking Llyn Fawr. There is usually an ice cream van here! Follow the main road downwards, around two hairpin bends. Just after the second hairpin is a forest road on your Left. Follow this to the dam in front of Llyn Fawr for some wonderful scenery. Follow the road along the dam to the far end, where you will see a magical footpath going downhill. Sadly the far end of this has been cut up by motorbikes. 

There is a lovely track along the tree line , which joins a forest road. Take this Right, and wind down the hill until you come to the uppermost houses in Cwmgrach. Wind your wind down the streets until you come to the Primary School. Turn Right along Heol Wenallt. Just as the road starts to go down hill there is a dirt track on your Left . A few hundred yards along there there is a footpath on your right which goes along the fence of the old coal mine buildings. It starts off very muddy, but shortly turns into a fine trail which will take you all the way back to Resolven. 

ROUTE  -From the car park take the trail heading North alonside the river to Abercrygan.  Continue on the route up the valley to Glyncorrwg. You see the Mountain Bike Centre and cafe on your Right just past the ponds (a good place for a cuppa). Just opposite the turn to the bike centre you see a single track route zig zagging up the hill 

Whichever route you decide upon, you need to come back to rejoin Two tombstones (which has an optional extra black route at this point). From here head to windy point. Then Take the Parson's Folly link across the top of the mountain. (Do not drop down Energy!). 

ROUTE- From the car park, following the signs for the Blue scar and Penhydd trails, which wind their way up hill. At the point that blue scar turns off , follow the signs for Penhydd to the top of the hill to the point where you come to a T junction.  Turn Left here onto the forest road. A few hundred yards down this road there is a farm gate on the left. From here there is a lovely circuit around the mountain top and back to the trig point which is optional. This brings you back to the same gate. From here follow the forest road on the left down hill.

Go through this and shortly on the Left you pick up a section of single track known as “dead Sheep Gulley” offering fine views over the valley. This brings you onto “Rocky rebellion” then “Revolution” which has a couple of steep steps on it. This is followed by “Tom Dick and harry” which connects with the blue scar rides back to the car park.

Route-The community cafe is on the Left side of Banwen village. A good place for a snack or a meal at the end of the ride!  From her go back to the main street through Banwen. At the top of this you will find a great mosaic of the Sarn Helen road. Go through the gate here into the forestry and turn Right up the hill. 

Note- it is very stony in places and has lots of deep puddles, some extending 200 metres, so prepare to get wet. It is best to do this ride on a warm day!  

The road eventually exits the forestry at Waun Glyn Nyd. It crosses an open common on a deeply rutted track. Go through a gate, and pass an abandoned ruined farm, then take the track straight down the valley to arrive on the old Glyneath road. (B4242). 

Route- Climb straight ahead out of Cilfrew, until you get to Nant Rhos. Here there is a track on the Left, which climbs upwards, then bears Left and continues on a long straight climb into the forestry on Mynydd Marchywel. Here there are some good forestry roads to explore. We selected a circuit on the Left (which ended up in a short steep push for part of the way) then a much larger circuit on the Right , with some wonderful views over Ystylafera, before retracing our steps back down the hill to Cilfrew. 

Long open off road tracks.

Route. From  the car park, so straight ahead into the woods and come to a T junction. Turn Left down hill and follow the road downwards and to the Right as it heads towards the wind turbines. This whole area is a total maze of wind turbine roads, Forestry tracks and footpaths, and part of the fun is to explore and get lost. It is almost impossible to describe which turns to take (unless you follow Mark on Strava). So the best strategy is to follow the example of the Grand old Duke of York, and to try and stay half way up or half way down  the hill as you go down the Neath valley.

Halfway down  the hill take a forest road on the right. Shortly on your Left there is a footpath leading directly down into Brnawel, Crynant.. When you come to the road, turn Right up Brynawel hill until you come to the farm. Go straight through the farm yard, through a gate onto a muddy bridle path. As you go downhill, take a Right fork which contours around the mountain and through a gate into the forestry. Keep contouring through the forestry until you come to a fork. Turn Left down hill to a main forest gravel road. At this point go straight across the road and find a rarely used bridle path down a very steep muddy gulley. This brings you out on an old rail line. Turn Right, go past the gate to Nant Y Cafn farm and climb back into the forestry

After a few hundred yards this evens out into a lovely bike trail.  When you come to a T junction, turn Left down the hill, over a gate and come onto the old railway line. Follow this around the mountain for about a mile to another gate. You need to carry your bikes over this. Shortly after this gate  take a sharp right turn up hill. As you come to the forestry there is another gate you have to lift the bikes over. Just after this there is a left turn between two large ponds. Follow this road across the old coal tips until it turns steeply up a short hill back into the forest. Turn Left at the main forest road and follow this down hill all the way back to Bannwen.