Afan Forest Park, mountain bike trails
Twisty, rooty, rocky and in places wildly exposed, the singletrack in Afan Forest Park is the enthusiasts dream.
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.
| Distance | 7km |
| Time | 0.5-1.5hrs |
| Climbing | 200m |
| Route | View route on Strava |
Y Wâl (The Wall)
A famed singletrack trail starting from the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre.
| Distance | 19km |
| Time | 1.5-2.5hrs |
| Climbing | 500m |
| Route | View route on Strava |
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.
| Distance | 15km |
| Time | 1.5-2.5hrs |
| Climbing | 580m |
| Route | View route on Strava |
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
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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