Electric Mountain ride - 24-26th September

[Charlotte]

Following an exchange of Tweets on the subject whilst I was touring with Wowbagger last week, Kim and I have been plotting the possibility of a weekend's trip to Wales.  The main reason for this is that we both want to do the tour round Electric Mountain in Llanberis.

Getting to and from North Wales is something of an arse, so to get the most out of the trip, we're thinking that it would be best to go for the whole weekend and use the opportunity to do some more cool stuff. 

I very much want to take my Optima Baron up (and more importantly, down) Pen-y-pass, so we're thinking the following:

Friday morning
Train^* to Bangor, ride to Llanberis

Friday afternoon
Electric mountain

Friday evening
Pub, bunkhouse somewhere in Llanberis

Saturday
Pen-y-pass, ride to Corris, Machynlleth, Dollgellau or wherever we can find another suitable bunkhouse.  Moar pub.

Sunday
Centre for Alternative Technology.  If it's raining, Arthur's Labyrinth.  Train^* home afterwards from Machynlleth.

The dates on this one are pretty much non-negotiable as Kim and I are booked up to do loads of other stuff in September.  But depending on how many people might fancy coming along, we could vary where we stay and how we play Saturday and Sunday.  Obviously, the sooner we decide, the sooner we can book up the train tickets.

So, expressions of interest please.  If I can get an idea of numbers, I can find  suitable bunkhouse accommodation.  After a thoroughly debauched weekend in Machynlleth a couple of years ago, starring a certain forummer from Portsmouth, I can recommend at least one place.  If they'll have us...

All welcome, but darksiders particularly encouraged   





_{^*Trains wot we have found are:}

Origin:London Euston, 07:10
Destination:Bangor (Gwynedd), 10:36
Date:Fri 24 Sep 2010 Changes:1 Duration:3:26hrs
£16.50

Origin:Birmingham New Street, 07:22
Destination:Bangor (Gwynedd), 10:36
Date:Fri 24 Sep 2010 Changes:0 Duration:3:14hrs
£12.00

Origin:Machynlleth, 18:07
Destination:London Euston, 22:29
Date:Sun 26 Sep 2010 Changes:1 Duration:4:22hrs
£23.50

The London train home goes via Crewe and to the uninitiated, it appears that there is no way of reaching Mordor Central on Sunday night.  There is a way of getting back to Brum, but it involves Railway Majik that only Kim knows.

[Kim]

*gulp* er, I mean "Muhahahahaha!" 

[clarion]

'Lecktrick Mountain, you say?  Always wanted to go there.  And I want to revisit the CAT - went once in about '86, and was captivated.  Sadly, we can't be there on the Friday, and I believe we may be elsewhere for the rest of the weekend

Hope you have a wonderful time and post lots of pix.

[Kim]

Just got through to the Electric Mountain visitors centre, they have tour slots free at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm on the Friday afternoon, and suggested I call back to make a booking when I have some idea of numbers.

[TimO]

I'm up for this, it sounds like a lark.

It does clash with a FNRttC, but I'm happy to forego that for something even more silly (like lots of welsh hilliness).

I can't add to the Darksideness, I'm afraid I'll have to ride an upwrong.

[Wowbagger]

I am interested. I'm unsure of Mrs. Wow's interest.

I've already "done" the 'Lectric Mountain cos my sister used to work there but I'd like to go again.

I'd be wary about inundating small Arriva Trains Wales trains with lots of bikes because they are generally not many coaches in length.

[SlowCoach]

Train^* home afterwards from Machynlleth.

Say hi to the jobsworth at the station who wouldn't let me put my bike on the train in 1972 - I'm sure he'll still be working there.

OK - it was a tandem... and it was towing a 24' two seater sea kayak... which was loaded with climbing gear in addition to the camping and kayak stuff... and my un-cooperative stoker was on crutches having broken his ankle the previous day and brought the holiday to an abrupt halt. However, I think his attitude was most uncalled for. The rig was never going to fill half the carriage as he claimed. It would have been a third at most

The solo ride to Shrewsbury to catch the train there towing that lot was 50 miles of hell. The only bright side was I didn't have a stoker on the back complaining he couldn't pedal with a cast on his leg and there was nowhere to put his crutches. At least they let him on the train. Ever since that day I've tried to wipe the trauma of Machynlleth station from my memory and vowed I will never return to that woe begotten purgatory.

Thanks very much for reminding me of the mere existence of that damned place. Excuse me whilst I book a session with my psychiatrist...

[TimO]

Thanks very much for reminding me of the mere existence of that damned place. Excuse me whilst I book a session with my psychiatrist...

So you're up for it then?

[rower40]

Me Me Me Me Me!

I've biked the pass of Llanberis quite a few times - but a long time ago.  I dunno if I'm still agile and fit enough for it though.  (application of n+1 to 'age')

While I'd love to accompany you on the same trains, as Wow says, it would put the fear of <Sky-Daddy> into any guard when confronted with Charlotte lots of recumbents.  So I'll try to meet up at Bangor.

Machynlleth to Derby on a Sunday might be ... challenging ... if Mordor Central is off-limits.  I may have to resort to Eagles.

[border-rider]

To make a proper ride of it, can we start and finish in Chepstow and fit it all into the weekend ?

[Notsototalnewbie]

I kind of want to come, because I have hardly been to Wales and I have a bit of leave to use up, but am not sure my fitness is up to the hilliness.  I actually don't think I have tackled a single proper hill this year. And also it would be subject to finding a dogsitter, which will be the ultimate deciding factor, so I should really find out about that before I start umming and ahhing.

Would we have hassle getting more than a few bikes on Virgin trains at Euston?

[Charlotte]

To make a proper ride of it, can we start and finish in Chepstow and fit it all into the weekend ?

You doin' it for cheridee, then mate?

Would we have hassle getting more than a few bikes on Virgin trains at Euston?

Probably.  But it's not an insurmountable issue.

As for the SCENERY, if Wowbagger and I can grimp up Pen-y-pass with full camping fig, you can make it up there with a sleeping bag and a toothbrush.  It's really not as mental a climb as you'd think, I promise.

[Kim]

I kind of want to come, because I have hardly been to Wales and I have a bit of leave to use up, but am not sure my fitness is up to the hilliness.

That makes two of us.  I'm working on the principle that there's only really one way to find out.

Would we have hassle getting more than a few bikes on Virgin trains at Euston?

Virgin have a compulsory reservations policy, so if you've got a reservation (and can find someone to open the bike compartment - see relevant threads) you're sorted, and if you haven't you're quite likely to face the full wrath of the resident jobsworth.  OTOH, their trains are reasonably regular, so you should be able to find an alternative.

But it's not Virgin that's the bottleneck.  It's the Arriva trains.  I have no experience of those.

[rower40]

But it's not Virgin that's the bottleneck.  It's the Arriva trains.  I have no experience of those.

Quite.  Your Brum to Bangor via Shrewsbury & Chester train, which Charlotte and other Londonites would change onto at Chester, is likely to be a 2-car class 158, with only a poxy bike cupboard in the middle. (Protecting this like a drunk with a tin of Special Brew, doing her best Cerberus impersonation, will be Kim! )  The last time I was on this train, it was a 4-car from Birmingham to Shrewsbury, where it magically shed its rear 2 coaches, which then went off to Aberystwyth.  So make sure you're in the right bit.

The cop-out is that, only an hour behind it, is a Virgin Voyager direct from London to Bangor, calling at Chester.

Similarly at the other end of the trip - we may have to come back in dribs and drabs.  The line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton is closed for fettling on the Sunday, so the Machynlleth train is diverted to Crewe after Shrewsbury.  Which is great for me, as I can get a poxy 2-car cattle-truck from Crewe to Derby.

[Charlotte]

The one that Wowbagger and I took Bangor on Monday before last was a four-carriage rattler with a guard who was about as tolerant of bicycles as your average cab driver.

But there was a very nice lady on board checking tickets who helped clear the disabled/bike space of (able bodied) people for us and when another two cycle tourists showed up on the same train, they managed to get on as well.

I reckon it'll be dependent on circumstances, people and goodwill - reservations or not.

[Kim]

Crewe, for all it's faults, has a reasonable number of trains going to places that people are likely to want to go, even on a Sunday evening.  My Cunning Plan for avoiding insane routes with 4 changes is to take that train to Crewe, from where there is no shortage of trains to Mordor Central.  I can't persuade the Eastcoast website to see this option directly (so it may not be a valid route?), but it's cheap enough that booking as two separate tickets works fine, and gets you the all-important cycle reservations.

I think my Cerberus impersonation needs work, though...

[SlowCoach]

I reckon it'll be dependent on circumstances, people and goodwill - reservations or not.

I'm sorry but you just can't put the words "goodwill" and "Machynlleth" in the same sentence. That place has scarred me for life.

[Charlotte]

I feel your pain.  One day, a long time from now, I shall speak of that which occured during a weekend away in Machynlleth with Hummers, Kinky Keith and some other choice hellraisers of my aquaintance...

[Kim]

*fears*

So I really should start working on that Cerberus impersonation?

[andrewc]

Bumgravy      This would be a natural for me, but I'll be pedaling around the southern end of the country instead on Friday and training back to Scouseland on the Saturday.  

I've never had any problems with bikes on the Bangor - Chester route.  Usually a chair free area for bikes/wheelchairs/pushchairs in my experience. Can't recall having to wrestle my loaded tourer into any confined spaces.  

[Notsototalnewbie]

Roughly what sort of mileage are we talking? I can't do anywhere near as much as usual if there's more SCENERY than I'm used to...

I am investigating dogsitters. Rob is up for the trip too

[Charlotte]

About 10-15 on the Friday and no more than 40-50 on Saturday.  Really, nothing to be worried about.

[border-rider]

I'll back Charlotte up on the riding - there be mountains of course, but the roads she's suggested are sensible.  The hills are of the longer and more gentle persuasion rather than the short-sharp-shock type, and they aren't that frequent.

Nothing for anyone with a fistful of gears to worry about.  And the scenery is ace

[TimO]

I'm wondering whether, in the spirit of riding a silly bike, I could do this on my Brompton!  I appreciate the hills could be a bit worse than the gears on the Brompton are intended for, but it's not much mileage, and I should be able to easily carry the kit in it's front pannier (bungeeing a sleeping bag onto the rear rack if necessary).

If nothing else it'll force me to get the Brompton out and repair some minor mechanicals (at a minimum a broken front spoke).

The big advantage of course would be minimum hassle with the trains, which may help us get more bikes on each one.

[border-rider]

I think you'd be OK, though draggy climbs onna Brommie can be hard on the back.

The steepest bit will be Pen-y-Pass, and that's do-able on 70" fixed.  I think you'll be out of the saddle, but even if you had to walk the very steepest bit it's only going to take a minute or two, and likely would be no slower than someone using a granny gear

The descents might be interesting though. I've never felt that confident at 40 mph+ onna Brommie