Once or twice a year the itch for a point-to-point adventure gets the better of me and I swap my adrenaline-filled mountain bike-based descending for a slower-paced adventure. In the depths of winter with fitness at its lowest, my good friend Rachael and I settled on an ambitious plan – a top-to-bottom navigation of Wales. With very little experience of the areas we’d be passing through we decided to follow the Welsh portion GB Divide route, favouring well-trodden paths. For those who haven't heard of the GB Divide route, it's a bottom-to-top epic from Lands End to John O'Groats, winding through England, Wales, and Scotland which avoids tarmac as much as possible.

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Our route reverses the Welsh portion of the GB Divide starting in Wrexham and finishing in our home, the Forest of Dean. With a rough route in mind, the size of the task ahead became apparent: four days of riding averaging 100km and 2,000m vertical climbing per day. Early on, the decision was made to book accommodation for each night rather than camping as we very much favoured a comfortable bed, a hot shower, drying facilities, and lighter-loaded bikes for this trip. 

My preparation for the ride was considerably less than I had initially planned for. I had one of my worst bike accidents at the end of January which put me in hospital for three days and the post-concussion recovery had to be gentle. The biggest training ride was around 60km and I didn’t manage any multi-day training so there was some trepidation as the start date loomed nearer.

Nonetheless, I had my Sonder Broken Road ST set up for the gravel with a reasonably minimalist set of bags strapped to it and we caught the train up to Wrexham ready for our adventure to start.

Day 1: Wrexham to Lake Vyrnwy

Visiting the Golden Arches for breakfast, the confidence levels for the first day were high. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Wrexham on a Friday morning rush hour served as a reminder of the slower-paced journey we had ahead amid everyone else’s workday commutes. Soon enough we were climbing through the fog and drizzle around Llandegla Forest with our first taste of fire road gravel. In the peace of the forest the realisation of the trip sunk in, the next four days were going to be quite the adventure. 

Briefly joining the Offa’s Dyke Path, an incredibly well-built slab stone path lay before us giving safe passage across the moorland before dropping out of the fog into winding Welsh country lanes towards a casual coffee stop in Llangollen. With it already being late morning and 27km into the day, we quickly realised that cafes and extended breaks were a luxury we didn’t have time to enjoy. The goal was to keep moving and keep the average speed up. This was rudely dashed as we left Llangolllen with a 300 vertical metre push up a byway – it was so steep and loose that we pushed past riders on enduro motocross bikes who were struggling to get up.

Welsh moorland tracks are built differently; they’re rugged, they hold the water, and are not bike friendly even with 2.4in tyres. The next 10km were tough, battling across these moorland tracks with sections too rough to ride. The weather was favourable with patches of sunshine, but the terrain was dampening our spirits by this point.   

We met a local sheep farmer en route and with it being mid-lambing season, he took great pleasure telling us about his flock of sheep that was 1,000 strong. The ewes had been left to lamb up on the hills and it was his job to keep an eye on them and help only when needed.

Smooth farm tracks laid out before us with a lengthy and well-received descent taking us into Llantrillo for a planned village store snack raid to top up supplies. 

From Llantrillo, the familiar winding Welsh country lanes took us South towards our accommodation for the night. As we travelled along the valley floor the end of the valley nears sight with the final ascent looming – 150m vertical metres – a final effort to finish the day. Descending into Lake Vrynwy we were grateful for the local village store who do excellent takeaway food – we topped ourselves up before heading to the accommodation.

With 96km and 2000m vertical climbing under our belts, day one was done.

Day 2: Lake Vyrnwy to Ystrad Meurig (Strata Florida)

With our bodies already feeling a little sore and the apprehension of our biggest day ahead, we rolled back down the hill to our new favourite village store for a cooked breakfast and snack supplies whilst studying the day’s route.

Riding back alongside Lake Vrynwy little did we know we were about to climb one of the highest public road mountain passes in Wales, the Bwlch y Groes (Pass of the Cross). As we climbed into the clouds the views from the top were stunning looking across the Dyfi Valley and Cadair Idris, the descent from here was glorious and the route continued to descend - albeit with some short hill pinches - for the next 15km.

Heading into Dyfi Forest we saw our first mountain bikers of the trip who were enjoying the Climach X trail. A network of luxurious smooth gravel fire roads helped keep our average speed relatively high as we undulated through the forest. As we marvelled over some impressive new road and bridge building, Machynlleth came into view, 60km complete but we were a couple of hours behind our fictitious schedule.

Any hopes of making up time with a quick pitstop were scuppered by a stubborn bike lock that wouldn’t let go. Tired, hungry, and with some panic setting in, I did the only thing I could and went to the shop and bought lunch – at least the bikes weren’t going anywhere. When I got back to the bikes, I saw Rach marching towards me with a big set of bolt croppers in hand that she’d accosted from a local hardware store. While we were fighting with the lock, two other strangers had pitched in to help and, between us, we finally set the bikes free.

Rolling out of an eventful lunch stop, we had accepted it was going to be a long day. The next 15km saw around 400m of elevation gain on smooth fire roads climbing through a valley with a beautiful waterfall before depositing us onto open moorland. From the previous day, we had learned the state of the moorland tracks and knew we had another battle on our hands. Progress was slow thanks to some very chunky terrain and a lot of puddle dodging but the sun was shining which helped.

Just as we’d cracked the worst of the moorland tracks, a river crossing lay in front of us which was a little too deep and rocky to ride with no obvious way around it. Getting late in the day and realising we still had around 40km to go, the quickest option was to get wet – a knee-deep wade carrying the bikes across the river. As we took in the views past Nant-Y-Moch Reservoir, we were glad to have the moor behind us and knew the going would be easier from here out. With late afternoon approaching, we were blessed with blue sky, smooth quiet roads and beautiful views full of mountains, open green pastures and young lambs – a beautiful moment to be on bikes and travelling through the countryside.

More luxury fire roads were in order through a tree-lined valley where I had a little moment of serenity. The early evening sun casting long shadows gave a real sense of adventure and satisfaction – a little epiphany of why we do this to ourselves. At this moment I saw a Pine Martin up ahead just off in the long grass, something I’d never seen in the wild and felt very lucky to have glimpsed before it ran off for cover.

With a final climb on paved roads, we eventually got to our accommodation for the night. It was late, our bodies tired and in much need of some dinner but we’d completed 116km and 2,750m vertical climbing. A real sense of achievement marking the halfway point of the trip.

Day 3: Ystrad Meurig (Strata Florida) to Brecon 

Starting the day with a 10km warm-up commute to get some breakfast, the legs needed convincing to get going but the blue skies and some warmth from the sun kept spirits high. The famous Strata Florida byway led us into the Tywi Forest with the first climb of the day being steady but long. As we turned off the byway and headed south, the forest gave way to moorland but the smooth gravel fire roads thankfully continued. Despite a small puncture halting progress, a tubeless plug ensured progress remained good. We enjoyed around 30km of off-road riding in logging country, where there was a real sense of being remote and self-sufficient.

The feeling of remoteness was shattered as we rolled past Llyn Brianne Reservoir, a tourist trap with a spectacular dam spillway. A steep climb up the road and being hassled by cars and motorbikes was a stark contrast to the previous hours of serenity but soon we were off the road and back into logging country travelling through Irfon Forest.

As we hit the 60km mark, the smallest town in Britain came into view – Llandrith Wells – which marked our lunch stop. The snacks had taken a beating that morning and were definitely in need of a top-up. Unfortunately, the rain came as we refuelled and stayed with us for the rest of the afternoon but we knew our best accommodation for the trip lay ahead so we pushed on trying to get it done quickly.

As we climbed out of the town, the last major checkpoint was the Sennybridge Training Area. High up on open moorland, the poor weather made progress less than ideal however a local Rally road race provided a good distraction. All sorts of Rally cars came past us as they liaison to their stages, we just hoped the road we needed wasn’t part of the course. About 20km after leaving Llandrith Wells, we were finally at the top of our last hill of the day. The rally cars left behind and as we descended towards Sennybridge the weather started to break.

The final 20km of winding lanes into Brecon kept off us the A40 but were frustratingly meandering and undulating. Nonetheless, Brecon offered us dinner options far greater than our previous nights and the accommodation was top-notch. 110km and 2,230m vertical climbing for the day, our bodies were sore but the sense of achievement was immense – one day to go.

Day 4: Brecon to Forest of Dean

After a comfortable sleep, my body was still feeling sore but knowing we were nearly home brought some relief. Coffee was the first order of the day when we met an Australian who’d flown over last minute with his very well-set-up gravel bike. He had no plan and was just riding – a super interesting person.

A gentle 10km to start the day following the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal to Talybont-On-Usk, this is a very picturesque route and serves as an excellent but crucially flat route through the countryside.

Climbing up past Talybont Reservoir the going was chunky and we saw the Taff trail as a potential smoother option. This is where our mapping faux par started. For the first time on the whole trip, we strayed from our planned route with the intent of making our life easier but unfortunately, it added an extra 10km to the route for very little gain. By this stage, we’d planned to divert from the GB Divide route to get home, and playing bridleway roulette while staring at a map doesn’t always win.

Briefly touching the Cambrian Way, the terrain turned into grass moorland navigating bogs and grass tuff before joining the old quarry. The old quarry road was a welcome relief taking us into Ebbw Vale for our final lunch stop of the trip.

Getting past Blaenavon, the next 10km was predominately downhill and then undulating for another 20km as we meandered on country lanes towards Monmouth. By this point in the trip my legs were feeling heavy, sitting down was uncomfortable and mentally we were drained. This was the time to get our heads down and keep the average speed as high as possible to finish and get home.  

As we came into Monmouth, we knew we’d done it. This was literally our neck of the woods and, after 400km of traversing the unknown, it was reassuring to know what the last hill had in store for us. We followed the River Wye before turning into the locally named “Four-mile climb” – fortunately it's only two miles long. The final 200m of vertical climbing capped off the epic trip and shortly after we were home with a cup of tea in hand. 103km and 1,570m climbing for the day, our bodies were sore but the satisfaction of completing such an undertaking is hard to beat.

The Wales Divide - Route Recap

As I reflected on the trip, I am super proud of Rach and I for pulling off a very ambitious plan. As a pair, we pedalled well together with matched speed, endurance and stubbornness that made the hundreds of kilometres go smoothly. We had two punctures and zero mechanical issues, credit to my Sonder Broken Road ST which proved to be a reliable and comfortable tool for the job. Following the GB Divide route through Wales worked well ensuring we stayed on reasonably well-travelled routes. This cut down our planning time significantly and gave us a high confidence level on the route we’d be following.

The trip overall had its highs and lows. I really enjoyed having four days to do nothing else but ride – it simplifies life and surfaces different priorities which is a good change. It was a hard four days of pedalling. With my fitness being lower than I would have liked, I knew it would be mentally testing my stubbornness to keep the legs turning. All that turning bagged us 425km and 8,629m of vertical climbing over the four days. The point-to-point itch has been scratched (for now) but I’m sure we’ll cook up another trip before the winter is here.

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