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    Home > Bikes > Mountain Biking > Trail Centres

    Afan forest park, Wales - Trail Centre

    Mar 18, 2018 by Ian Carruthers | This post may contain affiliate links.

    Afan Forest Park, mountain bike trails

    Twisty, rooty, rocky and in places wildly exposed, the singletrack in Afan Forest Park is the enthusiasts dream.
    Afan Forest Park
    The trails here have been carved out of hillsides once surrounded by coal mining, but now the valley has been transformed into a bikers heaven.

    Afan Forest Park is home to 6 world class trails including, the ‘Penhydd’, ‘Y Wâl’, ‘White’s Level’ and 'W²', boasting over 100 km of singletrack trails. There's also the Afan Bike Park (launched in 2013) allowing riders to improve their riding skill and have hours of winding, swerving fun with berms and jumps.

    Afan Trails

    Penhydd

    Penhydd is the oldest trail in the area and starting from the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre it’s an ideal introduction to the harder trails in the area.

    Blue Scar

    Starting from the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre, Blue Scar is the shortest of the trails so great for families and less experienced riders.
    Blue Scar Map

    Distance7km
    Time0.5-1.5hrs
    Climbing200m
    RouteView route on Strava
    Blue Scar Elevation

    Y Wâl (The Wall)

    A famed singletrack trail starting from the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre.
    Y Wal Map

    Distance19km
    Time1.5-2.5hrs
    Climbing500m
    RouteView route on Strava
    Y Wal Elevation

    White’s Level

    A very technical trail starting from the Glyncorrwg Ponds Visitor Centre, using about 90% of the purpose-built trail in the area.
    Whites Level Map

    Distance15km
    Time1.5-2.5hrs
    Climbing580m
    RouteView route on Strava
    Whites Level Elevation

    W²

    W² is huge and can be started from either Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre or Glyncorrwg Ponds Visitor Centre, using the other as a half-way food and drink break. It’s a combination of ‘Y Wâl’ and ‘White’s Level’, hence the name.

    Blade

    Blade starts from the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre, and can be extended another 23Km by hooking up with the old Skyline loop.

    Skyline Trail

    The newest trail in the valley. This is a 46 km long loop, sharing the same initial climb as White's Level. It is renowned for the stunning views from the horizon line. The Jetlag section is well known for its high difficulty. There are also two 'shortcuts' on the route for riders who are not ready to attempt the whole 46 km.

    Photos

    View photos on Flickr

    Links

    Afan Forest Park
    Afan Valley Bike Shed

    Wales Mountain Biking: Beicio Mynydd Cymru, is a collection of 20 classic Welsh mountain bike rides, between 12 and 50 kilometres. Grab a copy on Amazon now.
    Don't forget to check out my favourite Welsh routes!

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    About MTB Foodie

    MTB Foodie is a UK mountain biking blog covering routes, maintenance, travel and food. Ian can be found chasing awesome trails and thrills around the South West and beyond.

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    I’m Ian aka MTB Foodie… have bike, will ride! Found chasing awesome trails and thrills around the South West. Addicted to mud, gravel and hills, with a healthy balance of travel and food.

    Hit me up with any questions, enquiries or new trails to ride at: blog [AT] mtbfoodie.com

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    I’m Ian aka MTB Foodie… have bike, will ride! Found chasing awesome trails and thrills around the South West. Addicted to mud, gravel and hills, with a healthy balance of travel and food.

    Hit me up with any questions, enquiries or new trails to ride at: blog [AT] mtbfoodie.com

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