Dolgoch – the routes

The Cambrian Mountains.

The Last Wilderness of Wales. The Desert of Wales. The Green Heart of Wales.

Or, just ‘mid-Wales’.

Last September, Holly, Emma Jane and India went and spent a week riding the local roads and enjoyed staying right in the heart of the area at Dolgoch.

Below are some routes from the trip which take in some beautiful roads, including the Irfon and Elan Valleys.

They vary in length and are a good place to start if you plan to visit the area. Pack more food and water than you’d usually need due to limited places to refuel, and be prepared to experience all four seasons in a day.

This part of Wales sits between better-known neighbours, the Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons National Parks. It can can go unnoticed, but that’s part of its charm.

It could have also been very different. In 1965, a proposal was put forward to designate the Cambrian Mountains as a National Park.

Unsuccessful in the attempt, 50 years later, the area remains largely unspoilt by the traffic that more popular parts of the country experience. This makes perfect riding conditions, with a wandering sheep more likely to cause you to brake than oncoming traffic.

Now a hostel, Dolgoch was built in the 17th Century as a farmhouse and still sits untouched with very little light pollution, giving guests a glimpse into what life must have been like in the area for the last couple of hundred years.

Dark skies at night, fresh air and silence.

Here is a selection of photos from the trip.