Talgarth Black - Black Mountains

An Epic trip following a classic route up, over, down and around the black mountains at the heart of the Brecon Beacons. They’re not black or a mountain but they are big and the ride is tough so it’s as good a name as any.

Distance:40km

Climb:1200m

Grade: Black

Time:4-6hours

Rating: 5/5

The ride is accompanied by expansive views, curtesy of some serious climbs and some hooliganously (not a word) fast descents.

The ride is also rich in singletrack and characterised, generally as exposed and grassy. There is very little cover about; certainly no trees and even waist high shrubs are few and far between.

This exposed topography leads to some pretty severe, active scree slopes on the weather beaten sides of the ‘mountains’ and with lots of water sloshing about, some very rocky and exposed trails too. At the top the ground is semi-peaty and will grab a wheel at a moment, if you’re not careful.

We started in Llanbedr and, heading due north, ventured deep in to the nearest valley, following the Grywnne Fechan brook/stream. For a solid hour, we dragged, winched and pushed our way forwards, climbing 364m in elevation over 6km (just under 5%).

Now, as I write that down, it doesn’t really sound much. I do that, and some, on a typical ride over my local hill (not all in one go, mind). Nevertheless, it felt hard at the time. The grassy topography adding resistance to our forward motion and making for slow progress.

The route is singletrack for the most part (the grass clearing away to leave soft earth) but widens out towards the summit in to a grassy causeway. This made tandem riding possible and chatter practicable (who am I kidding).  The climb, as long and drawn out as it was, finishes with a sting in the tail; a final switch back before the last 100m or so. This is the steepest part of the whole climb and foiled 4 of the 5 of us (I thank you).

Feeling a little slow, I had lagged behind my comrades for just over an hour as I sought to pace myself and spread out what little fitness I had (riding time had diminished somewhat over the preceding weeks but I’ve since found out it was partly my brakes were dragging - fucking shitty SRAM pistons); watching them all disappear in to the distance and then fail, one by one, to tackle the switch back gave me time to consider line choice and tactics.

It was time well spent as I cruised past their stricken steeds, spending what ever reserves of energy I had left and powered up the incline; that’s how it’s done - smug feeling awash. I came, I saw, I conquered. I smiled. I got there first, hehe.

You can see the ridge from some 20mins out and it is a torturous progression along the causeway with it seeming to simultaneously edge closer whilst remaining persistently distant. Anyway, having arrived at the top of the pass (still some 100m or so shy of the summit) we were rewarded by one hella good view.  I’d taken my time up the climb and reaching the pass was blessed relief. Time for a snack and to soak up the panorama.

Having gawked and gassed for a short while, we assessed our onward journey - allowing sufficient time for that sense of impending passing-out to subside - before we hit the descent.  We point all point and make vague grunts of agreement at the direction the route takes next. There are no sign posts, just an excessive number of worn-in ribbons of singletrack, heading in myriad directions. We take a punt and head off on one ribbon that looks the most defined, and is heading in the right direction - roughly east. Weaving across the open grassy plains, we (I) take it easy at first (not wanting to look too ‘Enduro’) but it didn’t last long.

What starts off fairly smooth and flowing, gradually got steeper and ‘a tad rowdy’; almost out of nowhere, it just becomes a sea of boulders.  With the addition of large dose of gravity, however, it was less a case of trying to maintain momentum (by picking the right line), over these hefty lumps of mineral, and more a case of just surfing the wave of rocks as you and them cascade down the hill.

Having accurately navigated our way down from the exposed, grassy terrain higher up and safely over the rim dinger that was half way down, the trail changed again. After a brief pause two thirds down for a gate, the trail becomes a high-sided chute;  flanked on both sides by low hanging, scrubby trees and riddled with roots.

The descent brought smiles to all 5 of us. It was worth the climb (The only downside being the shut gate 3/4 of the way down). After a quick regroup, we made our way around the foothills to the north at a more leisurely and social pace; mixing a bit of road, a bit of off-road, a short climb and some swooping singletrack before arriving at what we thought was our next ascent.

We stopped to grab lunch before committing to the next climb, which turned out to be the wrong one (if trying to complete the classic). This route was, in reality a ‘footpath’ (again, no or few sign posts) covering some 320m over 2.5km or less. It gets very steep and leaves no choice but to get off and hike it up. We should have ticked off another few kilometers cycling around the northern foothills before turning to head up using the bridleway but, alas, it wasn’t until we were actually topping out that we realised the error of our ways.

So, as it was, we were left to work our way across the plateau to the top of the next valley. We got a little lost; and stuck a couple of times - the boggy ground happily consuming our front wheels when we weren’t paying attention. We consulted the map a few times but eventually worked it out and found Grwyne Fawr.

The subsequent descent follows the eastern riverbank of the namesake brook/stream feeding Grwyne Fawr reservoir, itself a pseudonym for the loop we were tackling. The ‘Grwyne Fawr’ descent covers some 6.5km and loses about 280m in elevation. It never really gets steep or overly technical but still managed to claim one victim in an over the bars episode good enough for you’ve been framed.

The top is singletrack, intermittently gravelly and rocky and a bit sandy. Near to the reservoir it changes to a wide, grassy/gravelly causeway before later becoming what I can only describe as a street of pitched cobbles. We stopped to check out the dam, which is definitely worth doing if you’ve not been before; we all imagined ourselves as James Bond jumping off the edge to escape the villain. Sadly we all had bikes to carry with us, which would have been an inconvenience, so we stuck with the trail instead.

A bit of road follows, before you hook right in to the trees of Mynydd Du forest. It sounds like a set out of lord of the rings but, trust me, it’s no ancient woodland and there are no Ents to contend with. Just another slog up the various gravel fire roads through thick pine plantations before we emerge out of the tree line no less than a few feet from the ridge line immediately preceding our final descent to Llanbedr.

Like all good trails (classic or trail centre), there is a descent to finish on. It symbolises the finish line. A reward for all the effort paid.  The Talgarth black duly provides with a 3.5km finale following a lovely ribbon of singletrack from the point we emerged from the wooded hillside. Following the ridgeline, initially, with Sugar Loaf in the distance, we track to the right of the summit before us heading around its northern side to follow the contours as they traverse on a southwesterly direction.

The trail has a very consistent gradient; always assisted by gravity but not so steep so as to be over too soon. The Upper 2.5km is just nice to ride. Not technical, not uphill just pure singletrack pointing slightly downhill, allowing an average speed of c.30km/hr.

The direction of the contours and trail diverge and the last 1km steepens. Staying in the open to start with, the defined single track becomes a choice of lines as all before, and, us fight to balance speed with an off camber, curving trail.  on a we all arrive at a gate preceding the final 0.3km at a hell of a click.  Having regrouped we pass through and make our way down the last third of a kilometer through the trees. A short drop to, and climb out of, the stream running behind Llanbedr finishes the ride.

At 40km , the Talgarth black isn’t a killer in terms of distance but it does have a significant amount of climbing 1220m. The location is quite remote and weather can make it a particularly shitty place to be. We rode in early September, however, high off the back of a good summer, which gave us pretty dry trails and reasonable weather.

Covid-19 Update: A mountain biker surviving lockdown.

When Cilian Murphy awakes from his anaesthetic in 28 Days Later and, all groggy and confused, stumbles his way to the hospital main entrance, he is met with a scene not many expected to ever see in this lifetime.

Cities lying empty, streets desolate of people. Society broken, or so it seemed.

Fast forward to 2020; the year that, so far, wasn’t. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse (Brexit - I mean that shit just drags on, doesn’t it?), we go and get hit with a pandemic that forced all in to hiding and, some 3 months later, is still threatening our way of life.

Covid-19 has necessitated the most severe restrictions on social and physical interaction any of us are likely to have ever experienced. Living in effective house arrest (your only crime being human and susceptible to the virus) and unable to socialise with others has been an incredibly difficult undertaking.

How long will it last, no one knows; will it ever be overcome, possibly not.

Mountain biking is an inherently social activity. Of course, it doesn’t preclude social gathering; one can ride a bike without needing a group of friends to cheer him/her on from the sidelines; but the mtb community is a social one, nonetheless.

I have written before about the simple, purist joy one can find sharing a ride with friends and, as I alluded to then, riding solo is nothing new to me. Even so, Covid-Lockdown forced the issue and added in to the mix a restriction on movement, meaning not only was I to ride alone but I had a time restriction of 1 hour to boot.

I can’t get anywhere in 1 hour. A ride to my nearest hill - Bredon Hill - and back is a three hour activity. The same applies for the Cotswolds escarpment at Broadway.

I’ve been lucky enough to have stayed in work during this uncertain time so, in between my time spent as a slave (to the crown), a slave (to my son) and a volunteer slave (to my wife), I have been out looking for new and interesting stuff to ride that falls within the 1-hour prescription; I’ve been exploring.

If lockdown has given me anything, it’s a rejuvenated sense curiosity; a desire to actually follow that unknown bit of trail and see where it leads. You know, that bit you always ride past because you don’t know where it goes; because it might be shit and, let’s be honest; because you can’t be bothered.

Everyone has a few fallback routes. Regulars that they can rely on to provide a bike fix. In most cases, however, I am guessing these routes are far removed from the technically challenging stuff we all dream about - we don’t all live in the lakes. As the hashtag goes - no car, no gnar, not far.

Well, with limitations on movement, initially, lockdown has meant a greater demand on those regular routes and, very quickly, their overuse. This has, in turn, led to a growing boredom with these gravel tracks, green lanes and quiet roads. There are some short sections of bridleway I am able to link in, which provide a bit of singletrack, but this is limited and very un-technical.

So, with such restrictions in place and a growing sense of doom at being unable to ride anything more satisfying than a tow path, I have been forced to look harder and the trails around my home town have come under greater significance and need.

Maps have been scrutinised and new routes devised. All that was left was to get out and ride them.  And, I’ve found some pretty good stuff. A lot of which is all within 5-10 minutes of my house. Linking it all together as been fun and, in doing so, I’ve managed to assemble a reasonable loop lasting some 40 mins.

From permissive paths through ancient battlegrounds to elevated Beech groves and sweeping, riverside singletrack, my local trails clearly have a lot more to offer than I had appreciated.

It just goes to show that, with a little curiosity and a willingness to search them out, there are trails there for riding. Most of the those I have found are designated sections of bridleway (and footpaths, in some cases - I know, slap my wrists) that I had simply not bothered with before as they clearly went no where or didn’t link up very well on paper. However, many were also undesignated; simply worn in by use and there to be found physically - not on a map, I’ve had to get out there and explore.

Ironically, even though we are now allowed to drive to locations (in England, obvs) and meet up with more than just ourselves, I still find myself riding the trails I found during lockdown. In fact some of them may well become my new fallback trails. I’ve found my new normal.

Silver linings and all that; thanks Lockdown.

Headspace

20 months ago, I became a father. It was the proudest, happiest, most emotional day of my life.

The immense joy I had at seeing mini me arrive safely in to this world, and the ongoing pleasure I get seeing my little chap grow and develop, is immeasurable.

But, in a seeming attempt at balancing the scales, fate has decreed that, as compensation, I must now suffer a significant reduction in riding time. I can’t have both.

That’s ok. It was hard to come to terms with at first; I knew it would happen but, nonetheless, I was still unprepared.

Watching YouTube clips and Instagram stories from friends’ and associates’ rides, and matching that up to their Strava feeds has done nothing but feed the thought of being left out. I should just put my phone down and block it out but, you know, we all suffer with insatiable appetites for social interaction. Keeping on top of everyone else’s goings on is a huge part of that.

I mean, how can I be influenced if I don’t check out the influencer’s channels.

Anyway, What has actually struck me most since this change in circumstance is not the lack of bike time - although that is very obvious in its absence - but the lack of me time, in general. The importance of headspace. Or, more specifically, the ability to engage with it; or the time to, has become very prominent.

I can’t say the same for everybody (I’m not a psychologist) but I know from personal experience that not having enough time to myself can lead to feeling repressed. For some, this may not be a lot. For other’s, time for reflection is a considerable element of their social wellbeing.

Me, personally; I’m like a dog scratching at the door, or holding the lead in front of its owner. I need to get outside. I like it there. It helps give my brain a chance to breathe.

I always find a good bike ride allows my consciousness some time off, giving my unconscious thoughts the room to grow. In a creative capacity, this can be very liberating. With my brain left to undertake base functions only, such as breathing (literally), there is more room to breathe (figuratively); and space for ideas to bloom.

I have had some of my more creative thoughts whilst in the midst of a hard as f**k climb up whatever hill I’ve decided is the days torture.

Before M arrived, I would ride 2 or 3 times a week, averaging 30km a ride (2-3 hours a time). Some might say this isn’t actually a lot but it was enough for me. Since M arrived, however, this has dwindled to the point that between Christmas (2019, in case you were wondering) and the end of April, I’d been out once on my bike.

Babies/children take up a lot of time; so much so that it can be hard to find the time or space to think about anything else. You spend 90% of it trying to prevent them from killing themselves and the other 10% trying to calm them down after they throw a Hissy fit due to your interventions.

Since his birth, I think I’ve been so engrossed in this little being, that requires all the help I can give him to survive, that I’d sort of forgotten about myself and, in the midst of his arrival, getting out for a bike ride became difficult; so I took up running.

However, running is is nowhere near the same (for me) - for a start, I’ve found it is a lot harder to get rid of an ear worm whilst running than it is out on the bike. Seriously, if it’s not Hey Duggee, I’m humming the theme to Mr ‘effin tumble, constantly - but it does help with head space.

I have found proper mountain bike riding time hard to come by, which itself is depressing at first. I have, simply, had to revise how and where I get my fix for the time being; linking up local bridleways and gravel tracks to create half an hour of off road freedom still provides a break for my mind.

I can vary the routes, to mitigate boredom, but they’re not hugely technical and not really that interesting. The important thing, however, is the ability to get lost in my headspace.

When I’m on the mountain bike, it doesn’t really matter where I’m going. I’ll happily ride to the shops (the long way round, obvs) if it gives me a chance to draw breath.

Babies demand 100% of your attention and energy most of the time; whatever is left is usually reserved for a cup of tea (which inevitably goes cold) but there are ways to get some headspace, if you are willing to compromise and determined to find solutions.

Mine is on my bike and, thankfully, it’s always there when I need it.

Am I Lost?

I have spent many years in search of riding Nirvana.

I say searched, which raises visions of some expansive and adventurous endeavour but I have not actually tried that hard. It sounded good as a tag line but, actually, what I’m looking for doesn’t necessarily require much geographical movement (other than the pedal power obvs’) or literal searching.

By Nirvana, I don’t mean the ultimate trail or location; I’m talking more psychologically. A particular place in my mind, where I find happiness and contentment. Counter-intuitively, this is not as simply achieved as just getting on my bike and going for a ride or finding some ultimate trail; but it is a great place to start!



Mountain biking has a well renowned ability to restore peace of mind to those mentally wearisome, acting as a medium for the enjoyment of the great outdoors. It can free your mind of the daily problems and give your grey matter a chance to re-charge. The simple, raw need to process the requirements resultant of your physical exertion can place otherwise distracting issues to the back of ones consciousness, allowing for more freedom of thought.

Mid climb is actually where I have some of my best ideas - be they a design for a new house i’m working on or decisions that have become all-encompassing. On the bike is a great place for quiet contemplation.
 

Be it racing, messing about in the woods or arbitrarily passing through the countryside on a warm spring/summer’s day, Mountain biking can be the conduit to a healthier mind and body (Yes, that’s right. It also has a great ability to make you physically fit and healthy, fancy that).
Originally taking up mountain biking over 20 years ago on a fairly bog standard (but I loved it) Universal hardtail (full-sus didn’t really exist back then) with narrow bars and steep angles (everywhere), one of the aspects that really struck me was the freedom I felt as we headed out from my local village and up in to the hills. For this, I have 2 Uncles and an Aunt to thank who, swallowed up by the late 80’s surge in mountain biking, would set upon themselves the responsibility of looking after me and my two cousins every weekend for a few hours by taking us on rides up in to the hills surrounding Winchcombe, in the Cotswolds.

From this, my passion for mountain has grown ever since. With it an appreciation for all forms of the sport/discipline. Be it a mammoth xc ride or a Downhill session to Freeriding and Enduro. I have even tried jump parks. I simply like riding my bike. Alongside this, I have come to appreciate the carefree, peace-of-mind that comes with it and have become increasingly aware of the benefits it harbours.

I have become more aware of this feeling over the last few years but, due to its absence more than anything. It feels like something has been missing?

There are many different ways of enjoying bikes and no ride is ever a bad ride, as they say; even the bad ones. But no-one really remembers their weekly night ride, or their Sunday morning local. It’s a bit like comparing your evening dinner with going out to a michelin starred restaurant with the wife. Only one winner right? Your local ride is a snack compared with the banquet that is a weekender with the mates. Memories are made through shared experiences; from days on the bike that include your friends and acquaintances.


Like a sinusoidal graph, my life riding can be mapped out in a similar way. I have spent large chunks of my life somewhere between the median line and the lower half of the curve; riding solo. Of these rides, I remember very little specifics. Sure, I can remember all my local loops, I know them like the back of my hand. In the same way, I know what Spaghetti Bolognese tastes like but I couldn’t recall one Bolognese meal from another; they all blend in to one collective memory.

Obviously not every ride is a solo and whilst there have been times of plenty, these have been less frequent than the former. The peaks on the graph are a more acute than the more rounded, lower half; Whilst fewer in number, they represent the vat majority of my riding memories. They represent periods in my life when I was more carefree and at greater peace of mind. It’s great to have riding buddies.

The biggest spike would be a period of some 2 years between 2000 - 2002: sixth form. With a good group of friends, some of whom still are, and lots of free time, memories were made in abundance. After this, life just sort a got in the way. Another spike would see me out on a regular basis with siblings and in-laws over a few years around 2005 - 2008.

During all this time, I have stayed in touch with those pals from sixth form (and I still have siblings). We manage to meet up on a fairly regular basis - usually on Wales trips or other trail centres. Not necessarily often, but regularly. From c.2013, I was fortunate that a few of them moved back to the area and, there followed, another really good patch. We had at least a year or so of weekly group rides. Another spike on the graph.

Over the last few years, however, those friends and family members have moved afield or become burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood or simply lost interest in mountain biking. I myself have recently taken on some of these responsibilities, with a lovely bundle of joy waking me up every night. As such, it has been vastly more difficult to ‘meet up’ and I have therefore, found myself lost in the wilderness. On my own again, riding solo.

During this time, I have found my own motivation fading. There is only so much soul searching that one can take before it just gets boring. I have tried to arrest this decline and reinvigorate my interest by introducing fresh challenges. Strava bashing my local hillsides helped for a short while but that soon wore thin. Having taken the KOM on all the descents (not really interested in the climbs), the interest began to fade again.

It has become clear to me that the social aspect of mountain biking is a crucial aspect in satisfying that little part of my brain that finds happiness and contentment from riding a mountain bike. It’s not just the trail, or the view, or even the bike I’m riding. It’s who I’m sharing it with. Of course, the other bits helps but the friends top trumps every time.

Eventing has become my most recent attempt to test myself. Mass start, endurance type events where the challenges themselves are technically and physically demanding. However, as tough as these events might be (maybe I am just unfit), I found them genuinely more intriguing as a social construct. These events have really hit the mark. Its like taking a quadruple espresso shot when all your used to is decaf tea.

In 2016 I completed the HONC [link here], a local endurance ride through the Cotswolds. In 2017, I added the Dyfi Enduro [link here] to that roster - that was mint and one of the classics. In 2018 me and my longest serving biking buddy, and defacto best mate, took on the Mendip Murmuration. Another mass start type endurance event serving up 57km of singletrack across the Mendip Hill’s, including Cheddar’s infamous Gorge.

Here’s a link to that particular days enjoyment (insert link). Lots of climbing, including one particularly bug hill; One of the hottest days in English meteorological records. My best mate by my side. Oh, and shit loads of descents too, of course. Perfect.

This kind of stuff has tested me. Tested my stamina, my attention. It has engaged my brain and served a thick portion of whatever it was that that particular place in my mind, where I find happiness and contentment, wanted for tea. Next up is the Malverns Classic Enduro. Bring it.

Mendip Hills & Cheddar Gorge

Mendip Hills; Cheddar Gorge (Mendip murmuration)

Length: 57.4km

Climb: 1,688m

Grade: Red/Black
Time: 5 hours
Rating: 5/5

Mendip murmuration

Something different; a change of scenery. Something to test my limits… of endurance, if not skill level. Or maybe that too. Something to reignite my passion in mountain biking, which is in the midst of a bit of a lull right now; Am I just unfit and suffering the consequences or has everything just got boring. Surely not, right?

A circumstance not helped by a winter that dragged on for so long I was beginning to forget what summer (or even spring) actually felt, or looked, like. I understand that statement sounds ridiculous after the summer we then had, how ironic. At the time, however, we had just come out of the winter from hell. All nicely rounded off by The Beast from the East.  Last winter was something else.

I don’t normally shy away from getting out in the cold and wet climes of a typical British winter. I actually enjoy it in some perverse, masochistic way and, if all enjoyment fails, riding through winter does at least put you in a much better place come spring to take advantage of those drying trails; and it beats the gym so?

Anyway, winter arrived much earlier last year (2017). I know, I know, its generally the same time every year but we’ve not had snow before Christmas in the Wolds since 2010 (real snow I mean, not a flurry)… [insert image of 2010] …and this time it came twice before the year was out. Then a few more times for good measure. With the longevity of shitty weather that ensued, enthusiasm simply fell away. To make matters worse, in February I came off my bike (or was blown off) whilst attempting a manual off the top of North Hill in the Malvern Hills. This was not a great idea and it tore one of the Rotator cuff (shoulder) tendons.

 

Careful rehab meant I was back up and running, so to speak, by the summer and, oh boy, what a summer. In the middle of June, me and Ash ventured down to Somerset to take part in the Mendip Murmuration; an event ran by Channel Events as part of the National Trust Top of the Gorge Festival held, obviously, at the top of Cheddar Gorge. The ‘murmuration’ being a 57km endurance ride through the peaks and valleys of the Mendip hills, including the escarpment of the Gorge itself.

From the top of the Gorge, the route took us west over to Charterhouse, before heading north and east to Beacon Batch, the highest point of the route. From here, we were eschewed through Mendip Lodge wood, Rowberrow Warren Wood and down Longbottom on a meandering path towards Hale Coombe. This included 3 genuine descents of over 150m elevation loss, which meant 3 climbs of equal gains; a sign of things to come.

The route was very up and down, making good use of the rolling topography, which was great for my legs. Taking in 4 named peaks (Beacon Batch, Crook Peak, Loxton Hill & Wavering Down plus the Gorge escarpment itself). From Hale Coombe, the route headed over to Compton Bishop, via Cross, before ascending Crook Peak in what felt like quite an arduous endeavour.

Mendip Murmuration took place right in the middle of the melting pot that was last summer. On this particular weekend we were being blessed with temperatures in the high 20’s. With a cloudless sky, the exposed western flank of Crook Peak became a bit of a slog. At only 150m it is not actually that high (relatively) - I climb hills of greater elevational change on my local trails - and, having tackled only c.350m elevation change so far, on paper this should have been fairly easy. In hindsight, it wasn’t actually that bad but I could feel the pain beginning to build.

We were already committed to the ‘long’ route however, so there was no going back. I am glad we did, however, as the view from the trig point was very impressive. Panoramic in the fullest sense of the word. Views back to Axbridge and Cheddar to the East and distant views of Wales over the Severn estuary to the west. To the North, you can see the M5 snaking its was back to Bristol and Wavering Down, which we circle back to later.

The descent off the west side of Crook Peak was cool (watch out for riders practicing their summersaults here, they’re everywhere); some big rocks. Singletrack weaving initially off the barren hillside in to dense gorse shrubbery. Fast. Eventually spitting you out in the village of Webbington. We then pass beneath the M5 and head towards Loxton Hill.

The climb was another short and sharp, 150m or so, ascent. My legs starting to feel the pain at this point. My crash earlier in the year, and subsequent lack of training coming sharply in to focus. No more so than on the next descent. We reached the top in reasonable condition. The fairly mellow gradient helping in that regard. My riding buddy, Ash, is fit as a fiddle and zipped up in no time. I, on the other hand, took my time.

The descent that followed was fast, untechnical and straight. And great fun. The chance to off the brakes and pin it was a huge relief to the lungs and, rather than take it easy I saw it as an opportunity to go flat out. At c.1.5km it didn’t last forever but it did linger in the body. A combination of a reasonably high pace initially, a ridiculously hot day, lots of climbing and a poor salt replacement strategy meant my legs were in a bad way and, as I alighted my bike at the end of the descent, both Quads and Hamstrings decided to cramp at the same time. I hopped about a bit, tried stretches and thought better of it before just resting until it abated.

A relatively flat cruise for the next 8km really helped and the muscles got back in to line. I was nursing them, it has to be said; spinning, to get the blood flowing and the lactic acid out.

To a point, it worked.

That point was the very next climb, obvs. This was the first proper challenge to my fitness (and quite a few other’s too, apparently). I took to walking to try and conserve energy and give my legs a rest. The cramp lurking just beneath the surface like a croc in murky water. My legs were simply not fuelled to tackle such a challenge on a day like this. At 42km, this was about the limit of how far I normally ride on my local trails and so, from here I was in foreign ground. It was baking, literally, and stupidly steep. I recall thinking to myself at the time that we were doing it the wrong direction.

In hindsight, I realise it was simply a precursor to an even bigger challenge. Wavering Down. Getting to the top of this was hard. The contour lines came tightly packed at this point and rather than go round, we were going right over the top. Nursing my cramping legs again, I took my time reaching the summit but, upon doing so, I re-engaged my downhillers brain. I was at the point that I didn’t really care and I was going to enjoy the descents, whether it killed my legs or not. This was a test of mental attrition as anything else.


The descent off Wavering Down was mint. From wide open Common land, with tracks everywhere, the options gradually reducing to one or two lines as we entered the woods. With the ground so dry, the lattice of roots that littered the floor did little to slow me down. Pinning it in to the feed station my legs decided to have another dance, while I rolled about on the floor. From here we re-climbed towards Longbottom before heading south, weaving between the Callow Hill and Batts Coombe quarries. There was a really cool bit of downhill that traversed Shipham Road. It was short but very sweet.

At this point I was actually on my own as I was having to nurse my legs with even greater care. Wierdly, I then caught my friend up at the bottom of the Batts Coombe descent, just on the outskirts of Axbidge, as he had succumbed to a puncture. Rather than stop, I continued to gain some time on him. He caught me back up a few kilometres later at the top of next climb; another 200m slog, which I actually managed to ride up, surprising myself. The lactic acid finally giving way a little.




We completed the last few kilometres together, rounding the top of The Cliffs and heading over the open pasture land before descending back down to Cliff road. At the top of Cliff road, we had one last click of uphill before we reached the finish line.

I took on the Mendip Murmuration, not least for the challenge. However, I have always wanted to ride through/over Cheddar Gorge and the Mendips; driving past on the M5 on our fairly regular pilgrimage to Cornwall and Devon for our holidays (and Uni), they stood out like a beacon and compelled me to click purchase. Having my best mate with me was a bonus. This was a great opportunity to do so.

I actually came across the event one day in 2017, whilst searching the ’net for something new to test myself. Fresh from completing the Dyfi Enduro, and high on the dopamine it left coursing through my veins, I was keen to testmyself again; and this really hit the spot.

The trails were fairly typical of the UK, mixing high, open common upland, typified by dry, sandy soils and grass grazed short by the roaming agriculture, with rooty, deciduous woodland, rich in detritus and thick with earth. Nowhere was particularly rocky (except for the top of Crook Peak), and the descents were not physically demanding or technical. It was also really dry, so a bonus there.

The changes in elevation were also fairly typical of middle English mountain bike country. Nevertheless, the Mendips delivered. On some level, this had something over my local trails. Maybe the fact that there were c.300 participants and it was one of the hottest days of the year; I don’t think it was as simple as that. The Mendips are just a classic location and they didn’t disappoint. Period.

Having the benefit of a way-marked route through unknown country meant we didn’t end up lost down a dead end trail to nowhere and we were offered up a nice mix of classic bridleway and private trails. I suspect there are better pieces of trail hidden away but this is a bit irrelevant. The Murmuration picks out some of the key local markers, as would be expected of such an event, and serves them up with decent trails in between. What I saw, and anticipated, when driving past on the M5; I rode it in the Mendip Murmuration.

A Hill Through Four Seasons - Spring

As I sit here in my window seat writing this blog, the depths of winter are all to clear to see with a simple glance out the window in to my garden. Fundamentally typical of the season, it’s raining. I have just come in from cleaning the bike after yet another mud fest. Everything is sodden already and, now, mother nature has seen fit to add another rinse to the wash.

It is at times like this that one (a mountain biker) can start to feel slightly trapped. A Catch-22, if you like. Ground Hog Day. Despair ascends and thoughts like “it’s raining, meh” or “will I ever see nice trails again” start to surface. With temperatures averaging only single digits, the winter months can often feel neither here nor there; not proper winter where frozen trails and azure skies inspire multi-layered epics nor dry enough (because it hasn’t dried yet) to warrant playing about in the woods on jumps etc. Just crap!

• It only takes one day.

With one day, however, that all changes. There may be the odd spell of sun but for some reason or another, it just doesn’t feel like spring. To break the chrysalis that is winter and finally embark on a flight through spring; it only takes one day!

Come the end of February, when the green shoots start to reappear, as temperatures start to rise (marginally), one immediately starts to think of better days to come. March is usually a nice and reliable month of the year. Like September, particularly in the Midlands, it tends to remain fairly settled and, in the most part, reasonably dry.

However, the Gregorian calendar and the meteorological seasons rarely combine and there is, quite often, a brief sting in the tale as winter passes with one last chill for the bones. It usually means the end of my plums, as the early blossom succumbs to the freezing temperatures. I had 5 this year. The wasps ate those.

Many a day are spent wondering when the bitter weather is going to pass and, just as you think it can’t go on any longer, that day finally arrives. Opening the curtains on that morning is like climbing back through the closet from Narnia; leaving behind the bitterness of Winterland and the White Witch.

Strangely, the day that casts aside the spells of winter looks remarkably similar from the other side of the window pane to that of a crisp winter morning. A crisp blue sky, usually a manifestation of blocking highs up in the atmosphere; can result, during late Feb/ early March, in a cold and frosty morning. Stepping outside, however, one is cast mute as you marvel at how warm it is. Get your shorts on, its time to ride!!!

Come end of March, early April, it’s time to ditch those tights and the base layer (maybe) and get out on them trails. What does Bredon Hill have to offer in the spring? Well, them trails might look dry but 4-5 months of rainy days take their toll. Moist is usually an understatement and Cotswolds mud can be a right royal pain in the arse.

Whilst I’m generally thrilled to be out in the sunshine, it can be a bit of a slog if the chosen trail is picked unwisely. Sticking to the stony singletrack of the southern side of Bredon Hill one will find dried out bedrock that rolls nicely. However, I like to get to over to the tower. Its a bit of a focal point and often defines the half way point of a ride. Its the perfect panoramic view point to look out over the surrounding counties (whilst munching on a cliff bar).

The Muffin Top:

The route up to the tower, particularly from the south, is rocky. The trails and Bridleways well worn to exposed bedrock (its not that far below the surface generally). As such, in early spring it becomes the go to route to the top. Doing so means avoiding most of the soft stuff.

Obviously spring is not all sunshine and flowers. Bredon hill can often be completely obscured from view as it comes under the scrutiny of low lying cloud.  Being so exposed, and segregated from the main Cotswold escarpment, it often suffers its own micro climate. Whilst the Vale of Evesham is bathing in sunshine Bredon Hill can often appear to be missing its summit. The winds from the west that generally whip up the western side of the hill and keep it clear can also stall around the top on more suppressed days leaving the low cloud to hang around, forming a bit of a Muffin Top.

It creates a strange and eery atmosphere to ride in. Ephemeral, cold, quiet. It makes the ride far more insular as vision is restricted. That is until one descends back down the hill and in to the warmth (hopefully) of the surrounding foothills.  This phenomenon tends to occur more in spring than any other month as the humidity and temperature combine to make heavy, low lying cloud.


May oft brings more opportunities. With the ground generally drier and the fields yet to be overcome by enemy livestock, gates tend to lay/remain open and the downhill runs are free of obstacles (fixed and moving) from top to bottom. They may still be soft in places - in particular, where the surface water beck passes over the plateau mid way down Doctor's wood descent/climb. Although, I have, in years past, experienced drier trails in spring than in summer.

As the season moves in to summer, the hill comes fully awake. With sheep and cows grazing the land (Wild deer also roam these slopes) and the arable crops at full maturity, the rural character of this hillside is explicitly apparent.

Riding ones local trails throughout the year is a great way to experience the differences brought about by the growth and wain of the suns influence through the seasons. Many a word has been writ about the pursuit of new trails as being a mountain bikers birth given predilection. To be honest though, you can get the same type of feeling from riding the same trail at the four corners of the year.

Each seasons brings about very different climatic conditions and the trails tend to reflect this. The atmosphere, the surroundings also. It doesn’t matter if the trails go in the same direction. Just get out there and ride your bike.

A hill through four seasons - winter

Bredon Hill - A Bleak Mid-Winter:

Standard view from Bredon Tower on an average day. Up here it doesn't look that crappy

Snow drifts/rain storm/hurricane/I can’t be bothered (delete as appropriate). Let’s be honest, the dark and dreary days of mid-winter can be soul destroying for a mountain biker. The trails no longer flow with the seamless ease of summer - they don’t really flow at all. Short days and colder, persistently inclement weather will render all but the most well drained soils pure slop in no time. From the mildly moist, loamy stuff we are all generally exposed to throughout the year (I’m excluding nice, dry and dusty trails as this is normally a pipe dream for most residents of middle england) to 6 inch deep slop that, if you don’t keep pedalling, will simply swallow you whole; normally followed by a ‘dignifying’ dance in your grip-less mtb shoes - seriously, how can Five Tens (other shoes available) be so grippy on a pedal but worthless on literally everything else.

Its great that British Mountain Bike designers place lots of emphasis on mud clearance in their frame designs. That extra space is a blessing on the worst of days. Providing additional storage for all that extra mud you really wanted to carry along with you. I live and ride in the Cotswolds and, in the summer, there’s no better place (IMO) but winter is a curse. Cotswold soils are clay based and get very cloying in the wet; a bike can resemble a monster truck within 5 feet of a muddy trail, resulting in regular drag-a-bike exercises and subsequent cleaning a-la sturdy stick. In this instance, the extra mud clearance not really helping.

Stick cleaning in progress

From dour experience, I have learnt to avoid particular trails during this time of the year, especially with regard to my local trails/Bridleways off Bredon Hill. Once upon a time, there may have come a moment, often coincident with the sun coming out for a few days, where I have been lured into attempting a run down Two Bridges, for example. I’ve learnt the hard way to avoid that route until April, probably May, at the earliest.

Winter often becomes an exercise in restraint, avoiding certain trails until conditions improve for fear of badly damaging them. Erosion is a poignant issue when it comes to access rights and I have seen too many trails ruined from miss-use (from cyclists, horses and walkers alike) to know that it is simply not worth it. Bredon has enough variation in trail type that it can accommodate the closure (voluntarily at least) of certain routes during times of the year.

Days are short, there’s lots of rain. With limitations on potential riding opportunities, unless you are weird and you like riding in the rain (or you ride at night but, in winter, come off it!), the slim occasions where the sun is actually shining and the ground is rideable can seem like gifts from some higher deity. Not to be missed. However, in winter, the local trails can often take so long to recover from a spell of rain that you can actually end up as covered in muck as if you'd been out in the rainstorm in the first place.

It becomes wearisome and last winter was a great example. The persistent rain and constant need to perform a full service on the bike, and washing machine, after every ride became too much. I’m not one to shy away from a wet ride and I am a firm believer that any day on the hill, wet or otherwise, is better than being cooped up inside. I would, however, question the mind of anyone who argued that it made no difference whether it were pissing with rain outside.

Despite my best intensions, the motivation to get out the door and up the hill got harder and harder last year. A feeling that was exacerbated by the aftermath of the several snow storms we experienced - think Cola flavoured Slush Puppy and you might get it. Looking past the beauty of it - cos it is beautiful - the repeated snow/melt cycle wreaked havoc to the integrity of the local trails. I actually love riding in the snow. There is a pleasure to be had from riding through such a pure landscape - and I was out in it like most - but the aftermath is generally quite messy.

See, here, I went riding in the snow!

Like a glinting nugget of gold amidst a pan of grit and dirt, the weariness of a grey winter (the season) is all forgotten once real winter arrives. Stepping out on a crisp and frosty morning with moisture rich mist hanging dankly in the air, the sun passing through it creating some kind of ethereal atmosphere. A clear Azure sky above. Leaf litter snapping crisply underfoot; it is a tantalising nugget for the senses amidst an otherwise dark, damp & grey environment.

When the temperatures dip below freezing and the ground hardens, all those trails that have been out of bounds for so long, suddenly become open for business for a few hours. Time to get out there and remind myself of what I’ve been missing.  And, when it snows, well that’s even better. Like draping the country in a pure white vail, the landscape takes on an altogether different quality. I could stare at it all day… but enough of that, I’ve virgin tracks to carve and drifts to jump in to.

Riding in the snow and ice is incredible; the sound of frozen puddles cracking under the pressure of passing tyres, the dull crunch as one carves fresh tracks in the snow. The dicey balance between traction and death-by-trails-so-slick-they-resemble-a-frozen-lake with fingers so cold they can’t actually pull on the brake levers anyway. Watching my breath disipate in front of me as i work to get to the top of the hill and the need to wear as many layers as I can feasibly apply, including ear warmers - despite steaming from inside.  Components on strike and my nose tingles. All this and on top of that, the virtuosity of having ‘got out there’ whilst re-warming your digits in the warmth of a pub fire (or just on the radiator) is warming to the soul.

Bredon Hill can be quite a pleasant experience during summer and in to Autumn. It becomes less so as the year progresses in to Winter and early spring and often feels more like an obligation.

Those trails that I designate as ‘closed for the season’ come the end of Autumn, tend to remain that way until May in some cases. There are exceptions, as noted above, but these are rare. The closure applies to pretty much the entire northern half of the Hill.


Best avoided are the open climb/descent to and from Elmley Castle, which gets particularly boggy due to a passing stream and a plateau in the terrain about halfway down. Also, the trail known as Two Bridges and the extended route down to Comberton, both of which become very wet and sloppy. They are both generally wooded and take a while to dry out come spring too so, unless you fancy practicing your strictly moves, they are best avoided for now.

Whilst they generally fare better, there are earthy trails on the south side too that suffer during winter but most are small sections of otherwise longer and more rocky descents or simply steep enough to cope a bit better with water.

Nevertheless, I tend to avoid the hill more during winter. The lure of the Cannock and the South Wales trails centres and BPW (Bike Park Wales) are too hard to resist under the circumstances.