A crossing of the incredible Pontsyttle Aquaduct followed by a crossing of the Berwyn Mountains using the bridleway to the legendary Wayfarer Memorial. Intended for riders with offroad riding exper ience and a suitable machine*
\nDays don’t get more epic than this. 1 00 miles in May with a few off-road sections makes for a serious undertaki ng.
\nFirst up\, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a truly amazing structu re\, if you’ve never heard of it then a quick google image search will giv e you an idea of what is in store\, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (don’t be too alarmed there is a dedicated towpath with handrail and if you don’t h ave a head for heights then there are roads around it)\, we follow the can al tpwpath all the way to the Chirks where there are shops and cafes to co ntrol at. From here we make our way to the outskirts of Oswestry before cr ossing back over the border to get us to Llanarmon DC\, ready to go “over the top”.
\nThe Wayfarer Memorial is dedicated to the spiritual fathe r of the Roughstuff Fellowship (https://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/ wayfarer.htm) and is situated high up the Berwyn Mountains on Nant Rhyd Wi lym pass\, a designated bridleway\, well defined but with some really mudd y sections. There will be a manned control at Llanarmon DC and a manned co ntrol at Corwen that all riders must check into. Having said all that\, it is an everyday route for many mountain bikers and hill walkers.
\nAf ter the Corwen there is still some climbing to do but most of the route is paved\, a decent canal section though Chester and finally the medieval pa ckhorse bridges at Hockenhull Platts before a warm welcome back at the arr ivee.
\nThere are free refreshments provided before and after the eve nt.
\nIMPORTANT ROUTE NOTES:
\nThe mountain crossing is a seriou s undertaking\, this is a very remote section\, the Berwyn Mountains are s parsely populated and see less visitors than the Snowdonia mountain ranges . In May there is still a slight chance of snow (not as much as Wayfarer’s renowned “Over the Top” journey hopefully) but it is likely to be cold an d if you are immobilised for any time\, either through physical injury or mechanical mishap\, then there is a real risk of getting cold. Evacuation for physical injury will involve mountain rescue (use 999)\, therefore you will be expected to carry a space blanket with you for the event (provide d).
\nThe Pontcysyllte and Chirk Aquaducts are both exposed and requi re a bit of a head for heights. If i’s not for you or if it is windy on th e day of the event then they can be missed out by following the B5605 at R uabon roundabout to the A5\, then the A5 gets to the B5070 which gets you back on track at Chirk.
\nThere is a ford on the route at approx 34km chich has a bridge that should be used for safe passage\, there is anothe r ford at 116km that should be treated with extreme caution as it can be s lippery so it would be better to walk through and get wet feet rather than risk coming off.
\n*It is assumed that you are comfortable riding on off road / poor surfaces (rocky\, muddy\, slippery\, wet etc.). The vast majority of the route is road based\, there is about 25km that isn’t with varying conditions ranging from hard packed gravel through to deep mud. Wh ilst it is certainly possible to get around on a traditional audax style b ike with 28mm tyres and mudguards etc a gravel bike\, a tourer or bike wit h larger tyres will make the off-road elements more manageable\, I would s uggest a minimum of 35mm with some form of knobbles. You can\, off course (and should)\, always get off and walk the sections that you are not comfo rtable riding.

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