Lon Las Cymru is the North to South section of the National Cycle Network that passes through Wales. The section of track from Abergwesyn to Strata Florida makes a 14 km loop to avoid 5 km of very wet looking track- or at least that is the way I've interpreted it from my map. There are at least 12 fords on the shorter section. Has anyone got any further information?
The road is an old rock and gravel council road. It twist around the river and the ford just southwest of the Moel Prysgau bothy is thigh deep in normal flow levels. It is a great track especially if you are running downstream, but is prone to flash floods ; the river can rise in a matter of minutes. It can be dangerous in winter even though the Towy is no more than a stream at this point. My father got a car through some 35 years ago, now it is much loved by the vehicle boys. I've surveyed it for the council, run a Polaris using it and ridden bikes and motorbikes on it. Nant ystalwyn at the southern end had for over 30 years a pair of Otter paws nailed up on a barn door , but the river has long been dead due to forest induced acidification. Incidentally I saw a pair of dead young rams upside down with their flesh rasped of last year; looked as if it could have been the work of a big cat, that was in the field at Nant ystalwyn, which is only used for dipping and shearing Anything else you want to know?
Jerry, thanks for the response, a few questions arise from it.
I've heard rumours re:Banning of 4x4 type vehicles in inappropriate places. Any news? How come 'The Gap' has a seasonal ban? I drove my car to just past Nant Ystalwyn last weekend, in an attempt to find somewhere to park. Reversing back was not a shedload of fun. I am a great believer in ROW but only for appropriate use.
Is there any history to the area, rovers and Monks and all that?
Moel Prysgau is a bothy you say, tell me more, the whole bothy concept really intrigues me. My brawd is a member of the SMBA, what is the score here in God's Own Country?
I've made it as far as the ford you mentioned, but Richard, my riding buddy has a unerring habit of 'mechanical damage'. Last week his rear mech collapsed and is now sunk in a puddle (read lake), this week we didn't even get that far, he crisped a wheel just past where LLC breaks away in the forest. The Stonecroft in llanwrtyd are setting our pints up for us now, we are all too regular customers.
Do LLC make any mention of track surface anywhere? I work in Burry Port and the Sustrans route has a superb surface to it, contrasting somewhat with Yr LLC through the area in question.
Yeah ,the survey I'm conducting is the first part of an info gathering exercise on which policy is supposed to be based. I have to be circumspect as I work for Powys, but I can say that Powys ,unlike BBNP,. has passed a council resolution to follow the gov document 'Making Best of Byways', which is concerned with nonconfrontational and non legalistic methods of dealing with ROW problems. It has been very handy so far and we have stepped back from the brink of legal action due to it. I have to say that there has been no moves that I am aware of to contemplate legal TROs on the Strata Florida track. As to the Gap road , well that is different due to BBNP having an official policy of ridding themselves of all vehicle use within their park. However, though the day to day management of the ROW system has passed from the constituent councils to them, the making of Traffic Restriction Orders [TROs] has stayed with Powys, as bluntly Powys did not trust them to follow the correct procedures. This was largely due to how they tried to close the Gap road. BBNP attempted to close it for everyone including farmers for all except one weekend a year, but almost everyone, including the farmers and landowners stood against them, so a compromise was reached. The same compromise is supposed to be happening with Sarn Helen. BBNP have to ask us to bring about a seasonal closure.[Neither seasonal ban affects Bicycles]. Ironically the two really bad roads in BBNP do not have TROs, it's entirely politically ,not logically, driven. On top of this BBNP do not have jurisdiction over the council roads in their patch, and to further complicate matters all but one [I think] RUPP[ now New Labour restricted byway, open to cart use] in the park is also a council road so there is a shared responsibility. Further we have several unsealed council roads in the park that the park as a body does not really know about. Confused? you should be, we are. As to Bothies I know bugger all about them, but the one in question is open to all and you will find firewood and food and drink left by previous users, as is the unwritten rule. The road is an ancient one and would have been used for Droving. We have loads of old Drove roads in west Herefordshire; you can spot them as they tend to run west east and they have really wide verges ,as wide each side as the tarmac. As you probably know the first Banks were created by the Drovers being given promissary notes so their money could not be stolen as they walked back to Wales, hence Lloyds. Last year there was an article in one of the locals about a Drover still alive and living in the Llanwrtyd area. For llc in Powys ring Ryland Jones who is the Sustrans/Powys cycling officer, 01597826000 and ask for him. You are correct, the midwales routes are not generally so manicured as those in the south.
Dear Ambrose You came top in Google, which was just as well as I couldn't find a bikemagic thread with your name on it. BBNP have asked me directly to apply to either the central or west local access forum. I didn't get in on the east one. They have also asked me to pass on forms to anyone I might think suitable. I think you are perfect for the west area, I'll try for the central area, which I know pretty well, at least the cycleable bits. One sits on the forums due to one's knowledge of ROW and Access issues; not to represent a body such as CTC or IMBA; that's the rules. Are you interested? I gather there is remuneration in the offing. Let me know asap so I can try someone else if I have to. Cheers Jerry
Jerry, Ambrose's modem's kaput so he may not be checking the site that regularily. I've got to phone him sometime soon, so I'll pass on the info. I've also applied for the central LAF and I'm currently on the Merthyr LAF. Strength in numbers...
Martin If you have a good understanding of the issues, as I suspect you have; I'd be happy for you to get in. Unfortunately I didn't get in to the east one, rather against the hopes of the chairman I think; as it was a bunch of BBNP councillors who decided, and they had not attended the initial meetings as I and others had. Hardly any of the original members got in. BBNP staff were not confident of the process. So as you say we'll both apply, and if I lose to you I'll be delighted. I'd be most obliged if you could get Ambrose to phone me on 01544231683 to say if he's interested or not. ASAP Thanks Jerry PS I'm already on the Access and ROW BBNP committee which covers the whole park and predates LAFs, so if neither of us get in and you want some input or answers I can get topics onto the agenda. I get the feeling that at present staff value the existing committee rather more than the LAFs which have been dropped on them by parliament.
Thanks Jerry, I'll pass the info through to Ambrose.
Does the BBNP have to comply with the same set of rules as for other LAF's i.e. Are they only allowed to appoint one committee member to the LAF? It would be interesting to know the backgrounds of the members of the Eastern LAF, as the BBNP has a responsibility to ensure that all user groups are represented where possible and it is the chair's responsibility to appoint new members as required up to the limit of 20 to ensure that the balance is maintained. Obviously if there is nobody representing cycling interests, then we have a strong case to lobby the eastern LAF for inclusion.
I must admit that at first I was highly sceptical that the LAF's would amount to much, but after our initial meeting with Quentin Grimley from CCW, where he stressed that the LAF's role was not only to implement the CRoW but to actively pursue the possibility of upgrading existing RoW's to increase access for all user groups, I'm feeling more confident that the process just isn’t a smoke and mirrors exercise. Hopefully by participating in the LAF we can convince the appointing authority's that increasing cyclists access to the countryside can only be of benefit.
I just hope that somebody from IMBA or CTC is aware of the LAF process and we don't end up missing the boat and have to wait another three years.
I'm afraid that CTC has had very little success and IMBA probably none , thus far. Powys made damn sure they didn't specifically ask anyone who might ask awkward questions, and have Clive Powell for Radnorshire, and no-one else up to speed on cycle matters. Clive will be good. Quentin will be hoping the LAFs don't go native, but some will. There are parameters but I don't hold out much for Powys in general. The point being that one can talk all one likes but they keep nicking cash from their access budget for other things [Schools]. As far as I'm aware the rules are the same for all. I don't think there was anyone with a specific cycle background for the East; however John Young and John Sansom both got in and they are very good on access issues. I am waiting for a list of member's interests to be sent to me and I'll take it from there. FE didn't get in either. If I do go on the attack I'll appreciate help. cheers Jeremy
I was expecting the Merthyr LAF to be dominated by landowners, but it seems to have a very high percentage of horse types. In fact, our first agenda item for the next meeting is to create a new BW across a farmers yard. The interim LAF even managed to get our funding ringfenced, which I believe is unique within Wales. If you do go on the attack, count me in, I'm not afraid to tell a mother her kid's ugly!
The LAFs can't by definition be dominated by any one interest group. If a particular one is, one is supposed to kick up a stink about it. Both Powys and BBNP intend to publish on their websites, LAF members'interests. Thanks to you BBNP are sending Ambrose an info/application pack. He's perfect for the job, though he doesn't quite realise it yet.
PS - if I'm not a member of the Bothy Association, are there any probs with just rocking up and crashing at the bothy - obeying all the rules of conduct etc of course..?
I haven't seen Ambrose for a year - but he was well when we last rode out. My browser can't seem to work out which route is rr049. Is it Doethie Valley; Mynydd Malloen ??
Unfortunately this weekend was a bit of a washout. A bridge on the road from Beulah to Abergwesyn is out (SN916515) so we had to park in Beulah and ride up the Cefn Gawr.
Then we found that the Forestry Commission are felling across the main route up to Carnau and the work around is a long detour so we bailed and just rode up to the devils staircase and back having done a little bit of exploring around Cefn Gawr woods.
