Lake Vyrnwy with the Gwent Advanced Group

Date:    10 July 2005

Weather:   Hot, Hotter & Melt down

Total Distance:    305 Miles

Attendee’s:   Budge & Di, Tim Rodway & Simon (Hard-deck) Forryan

Let it be known that ours is not the only club that finds doing u-turns obligatory. (But I’ll come back to that).

0800 saw the four of us set off towards Builth Wells on a lovely clear warm morning.  The most direct route was chosen which was to take us via Ledbury and Hereford so that we could ensure our agreed meeting time of 1000 with the folks from the Gwent Advanced was met.  We arrived at the Little Chef in Builth at 0940 and as it turned out they were half an hour late so perhaps we needn’t have rushed quite so much, but the Bacon Bap’s, coffee and general conversation were good nevertheless.

Once everyone had had a chance for introductions and a comfort break it was time to set off again with the temperature ever rising, all except Simon that is who’s lower lumber region was still playing him up so he decided to call it a day at this point and take a ‘leisurely’ ride home, (thought you rode like that all the time anyway Hard-deck)?

Our route now took a total of 13 bikes through Rhayader & Llangurig onto our first stop next to Llyn Clywedog, (a lovely lake if you like that sort of thing), where we had a photo opportunity, (a couple of which should appear with this write-up) and a chance to get some fluid down us, as by this time it was getting ‘well hot’.

Then it was ever onwards to Lake Vyrnwy via a combination of ‘B’ and un-classified roads, (you would have enjoyed this bit Graham, what with grass growing in the middle of the ‘road’ an-all). It was shortly after leaving a petrol station in Mallwyd that the u-turn was called for, well all tracks do look the same I suppose, (but if it any consolation Graham, Greg did look suitably embarrassed). Our final assent took us via the highest point in the area, Bwlch y Groes, which an Englishman had named ‘Hellfire Pass’, and with the heat of the day rising even more we could see why.

Lunch was taken at the tea-house next to the lake, and very nice it was too, (and the ice-cream was to die for). Once this had been digested it was back on the bikes to begin the return leg.  This took us back to the Little Chef in Builth Wells via the absolutely brilliant stretch of the A483 from Newtown to Llandrindod Wells.  More refreshment was taken before we thanked Greg and the rest of his group for a very enjoyable day and for making us feel more than welcome.  We then went our separate ways with their promise that they are going to be with us for the Rutland Water run in August.

Our homeward journey was the reverse of the outward and we finally arrived home at 1920.  From Di and I – many thanks to Tim for keeping us company.

It’s a shame that more of you couldn’t make this run, I have no doubt you would have thoroughly enjoyed it as we did.

Capt Rigar