“You can get used to anything, but never to the beauty of this place!”
The aim of this trip was to drive through Snowdonia National Park. I chose the Eryri Traws – a 200km route through valleys, mountain passes, forests, moorland and pastures, bypassing villages and towns, with a considerable elevation gain. But it couldn’t be too easy! I decided to make this adventure more difficult for myself by planning to travel and return with full camping gear, food, water and everything else that might be useful for a spring trip in this harsh environment.
But first things first!
Start – mid-day in the town of Machynlleth. Easy, up and down, through beautiful forests and wonderful views. But something in the back of my mind said: this is just a warm-up. And indeed – I only realised this after an hour of arduous climbing. When I turned around, I saw a huge space and – to my surprise – the sea! And the end of the ascent was still not in sight. The road, initially asphalt, turned into gravel and then into a real off-road with huge puddles.
At the very top – as well as on every subsequent one – the weather was completely different. A lashing wind, rain, hundreds of broken trees. This was no place to spend the night there. I had to keep going! A few descents into the valley, another ascent and finally it was time to set up camp – along with a swarm of cursed midges that prevented me from even tying my shoes, let alone pitching my tent. With time, you get used to them too…
The first night in the wild – as usual – light, alert sleep. It was impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Animals were hanging around the tent, dogs were barking in the distance, and passing rain woke me up every now and then. And from that morning on, my shoes were already wet. For good. You can get used to that too.
A day full of wonderful views, long climbs, fast descents. The weather was simply perfect. The route flowed like a fairy tale. Even the place in the forest for the night was ideal. A thought came to mind: if it continued like this, this route would end too soon. But… fate had other plans.
The next day, after an all-night downpour, the bike was as clean as new – although its best days were long behind it. Putting up the tent in the rain and breakfast with coffee – not very pleasant. The following hours were difficult terrain, wet clothes, piercing rain – zero comfort. And yet the smile did not leave my face – the forest was so beautiful, so fresh was its smell. However, this day was a real pain! On one of the descents the rear brake gave out – fortunately it ended with a soft “somersault” in the grass. At four in the afternoon, having reached civilization, I announced my surrender and spent the night at the campsite – with a hot shower, although with zero pressure.
Similar pressure reigned in the barely smoldering fire that evening. Fortunately, fiery water warms not only the heart, but also the stomach.
In the morning, rested, ready to finish the Eryri Traws! Like every previous one – the morning began with a steep climb. Ahead of us was the “five peaks” pass. Beautiful asphalt all around, but the route led through brutal off-road. Quick coffee under Tryfan – a majestic place! But it was time to move on. After passing the heart of Snowdonia, the landscape began to change – from harsh, mountainous to coastal, full of greenery and flowers. Less than 20 km to Conwy – relief, a sense of accomplishment appeared… but the route reminded us that it is not predictable or easy.
The last section is a huge climb in difficult terrain, wastelands like from “Lord of the Rings”, wild ponies, fords through rivers, trails overgrown so much that they are barely visible. The descents were more difficult than the climbs. This section – 20 km – made the biggest impression on me.
You can get used to anything, but never to the beauty of this place!
The Traws Eryri route is complete! Beautiful. Unpredictable. Demanding.
There was one last night – in a pasture, with sheep – and a big plan: to ride through the entire national park back to the starting point! Of course, more passes, rain, wind, fatigue of the material – everything took its toll. The gears refused to cooperate twice! That day I really went out of my comfort zone. Cold, exhausted, with endless climbs from which you could see half of Wales – but I had to keep going. I guess it was only thanks to the Haribo jellies, hidden at the bottom of the bag, that we managed to finish this expedition!
Summary:
In four and a half days, in spring, we rode through Snowdonia National Park – 315 km, 6500 m of elevation gain, mainly off-road. Days full of rain, wind, pain and climbing – but at the same time the most beautiful of my bike trips!
I rode together with Mateusz, with whom we alternately cursed, admired and faced every adventure.
And here I will add, dear Reader – it was for such adventures that I joined United Eagles – to be a faster, stronger and more disciplined cyclist. This translates into the kind of bikepacking trips and adventures that I love. Thanks to this – with a smile on my face and in good shape – I rode ahead!
Wrote down his adventure:
Patryk Skiba
United Eagles Cycling Team
English (UK) 
Polski