Lon Las Cymru - Gogledd

Lon Las Cymru is in two sections Gogledd (North)and De (South)and each offers you a choice of the route you can take.

Scenic Lon Las Cymru is National Cycle Route 8 from Holyhead leading you on country lanes, cycle paths, mountainous forest tracks, canal paths and river valleys to either Cardiff or Chepstow - this is the Southern choice of both route and destination? I am going to take the Cardiff one and then take another cycle route on to Chepstow - more of this later in this posting.

The choice of route given to you on Lon Las Cymru - Gogledd is simple, on passing through Porthmadog you can go on the mountain lanes and forest tracks including a part of Coed-y-Brenin MTB trails, through the rest of Snowdonia. Or, you can keep Snowdonia on your left and the Irish Sea on your right, taking the coastal route via Harlech. They meet again after some 28 miles on either at Dolgellau. I am going via Coed-y-Brenin, panniers and all!

My longest day is likely to be the first, if its not I am in trouble!

So on the morning of the 27th December 08, I will awake early in Cardiff to cycle to the main station and catch the 7.20 am train to Holyhead. Where I arrive some five hours later and with luck, cycle out of the railway station before 1 pm. To meander across Anglesey, switching on the bike lights before riding over Pont Menai, by which time I will have done 30 miles with another 8 miles of cycling past Glan Faenol and along Plas Menai before the waypost of Caernarfon.

So the legs of Father Christmas's holiday are:

27.12.08, Holyhead to Caernarfon - 38 miles, The Longest Day
28.12.08, Caernarfon to Dolgellau - 58 miles, Snowdonia all On-Up & On-Down
29.12.08, Dolgellau to Rhayader - 53 miles, Snowdonia a second Hard Day, B&B Booked
30.12.08, Rhayader to Brecon - 49 miles, A Fast Ride if we have a following wind!
31.12.08, Brecon to Pontypridd - 38 miles, Daffy Day & New Years Eve
01.01.09, Ponty to Stonehouse (via Cardiff at 250 miles) - 75 plus miles?
So it looks like the Total Mileage will be well in excess of 300 miles
I may yet stay New Years Day at Daffy's and do the last leg on the second of January.

So how many miles will I complete in total?

Note: Promised donations will be collected during last week of January to be added to the then total collected on my justgiving web site which will stay open for donations through till April 09.