Taken on my Oregon Scientific ATC5K, handlebar mounted.

See video of the “Black Run” at Afan’s Whites Level trail.

Arriving a little later than planned due mainly to an unfortunate alarm malfunction, we decided to start off at the old Argoed trail centre starting off with the Penhydd trail, a 17 km Red graded trail (difficult) combining forest road climbs with tight, technical, switchback trails through mixed woodland, a great trail in the dry. We dusted it off in a reasonably swift 1 hour 26 minutes, video of this to follow.

Thankfully, the lack of mechanicals meant we made good time, enough to ride the 7 km picturesque pathway to the new trail centre in Glyncorrwg which hosts the Whites Level trail head. Whites Level is my favourite trail featuring a huge range of absolutely awesome man-made technical riding. Another 17 km, red grade trail featuring some very technical climbing, board walk, slabbed rocky descents, and a Black graded (severe) descent, the relatively new addition named the “Black Run”. I love it. The 7 hour round trip car journey was definitely worth it for the amazing 4 hours in the saddle!

The short video below shows the black run from a helmet camera mounted onto my handlebars. Forgive the shaky picture. Although it doesn’t do the Black Run justice it should give you an idea of it’s challenging technical riding. Hope you like it.

Taken on my Oregon Scientific ATC5K, handlebar mounted.

Look at video from “The Hidden Valley” at Afan’s Penhydd trail.

The open, flowing singletrack also crosses young plantations opening up fantastic views.

Big climbs followed by technical descents mean that this trail can be difficult and is exposed to bad weather on high ground.

Trail name: Penhydd
Centre: Afan
Distance: 17km
Climbing: 550m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Yr Afon
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 10.8km (short cut 7km)
Climbing: 100m
Time: 1 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

A 6km sheep-track climb gives fantastic views of the Afan Valley, extreme exposure on tight singletrack means ultimate thrills and long, demanding descents with rocky steps to negotiate, all leading to one outrageous trail.

If you are up for it try out the optional new Black Run, graded black/severe!

Trail name: Whites Level
Centre: Afan
Distance: 17km
Climbing: 550m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Great views of the valley and coastline open out at different points, and in places the steep-sided slopes can feel exposed.

The approach to the singletrack shares a section of the low level family cycleway and the disused railway line, so please ride with consideration for the many other forest users.

Trail name: The Wall
Centre: Afan
Distance: 23km
Climbing: 450m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: Temtiwr
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 8.7km
Climbing: 170m
Time: 0.5–1hr

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: Tarw
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 20.2km
Climbing: 460m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

This trail takes in all of the existing summit trail with its fantastic swooping, flowing singletrack, and adds to it by leading you out onto the high open hills with stunning views. It is a long and challenging ride in exposed and remote countryside, so go equipped for any eventuality, including plenty to eat and drink, spares, tools and clothing. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to be back. It is safer riding with others. Much of the route is on technical doubletrack, which is used by vehicles, walkers and horse riders. Some of it is used as a waymarked horse riding route.

Trail name: Syfydrin Trail
Centre: Nant yr Arian
Distance: 35km
Climbing: 670m
Time: 3 – 5hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

This is a demanding route with some technical singletrack descents and long climbs. Parts are open and exposed, watch out for the weather.

The ‘Summit’ Trail is a roller coaster ride of fantastic purpose built single track that weaves its way through conifer plantations, down steep side slopes and along deep river valleys.

Trail name: Summit Trail
Centre:Nant yr Arian
Distance:16km
Climbing:310m
Time:1.5 – 3.5hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Sharing the same sheep-track ascent as White’s Level and continuing on long, forest road climbs with sweet, flowing technical singletrack descents you will be treated to stunning, skyline views of the Brecon Beacons, the Preselis, the Black Mountains and the South Wales coast.

This route will test your stamina and your nerve, with technical singletrack such as sections ‘On The Edge’ and ‘Excalibur’. Your reward will be out-stretched views and a nerve-tingling, rocky, 6 km singletrack descent back into Glyncorrwg. There are also 2 short-cut loops built into the trail.

You will experience exposure at altitudes up to 600 metres, and possible extreme weather changes. Again, be prepared.

Any regular mountain bike will be fine for these trails. Just make sure the gears are working and there’s plenty of life left in your brake blocks. As the trails are largely cut into stable base geology, there are only a few mud patches even in deepest winter but a Crud Catcher or similar will keep your face filth free.

Trail name: Skyline
Centre: Afan
Distance: 46km
Climbing: 2000m
Time: 4-7hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Suitable only for proficient bikers, the trail effortlessly mixes up the more traditional narrow woodland singletracks with Brechfa’s signature brash descents: fast, undulating trail that sweeps between trees and flows sinuously into berms and over jumps.

This trail takes you out into the more interesting corners of the forest and creates a ride that involves the forest’s unique environment, from spooky mossy overhangs to the magnificent Douglas fir Northshore Bridge.

Trail name: Raven Trail
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 18.5km
Climbing: 725m
Time: 1.5 – 2hr

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

With the help of the excellent Rough Rides website you can unlock the secret singletrack of mile after mile of deserted moorlands before heading back for a well earned pint in the real ale renowned town of Kington.

Not the worn rubble roads of the English parks, this patch just escaped being designated a welsh national park back in the sixties, and some say it’s better for it, certainly quieter.

To escape the stresses of the modern world, albeit for the briefest of times, this is the place.

There are twenty three downloadable routes from four different starting points, for GPs users also downloadable as tracklogs files.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Penmachno
Centre: Betws y Coed
Distance: 22km
Climbing: 600m
Time: 2 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Pendam Trail
Centre: Nant yr Arian
Distance: 9km
Climbing: 220m
Time: 1 – 2hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Warning: you will encounter a number of rocky sections including rock steps with a drop of 20cm/8”or more.

Trail name: MBR
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 18.4km
Climbing: 410m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Marin Trail
Centre: Betws y Coed
Distance: 25km
Climbing: 450m
Time: 2 – 4hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The original Mach 1-3 trails take you as far out into the wilderness as you want to go on natural, but no less challenging trails. Meanwhile the more recent cli-machx trail winds you high into Dyfi forest before firing you down superbly technical singletrack descents that seem to go on forever.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The Ride Hiraethog website means you can hit the best trails right from your first visit, though we guarantee it won’t be your last once you’ve found what’s there.

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Taking design and construction to new levels, the trail is a hard, fast, all weather surface which becomes more and more exciting as your skill level and speed progresses.

Soon you’ll be railing the perfectly sculpted berms and huge switchbacks, jumping the step up jumps and tabletops and grinning all the way to the bottom of the exhilarating final descent.

The Gorlech red route firmly puts Brechfa on the MTB Wales map as another top destination.

Trail name: Gorlech
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 19km
Climbing: 1071m
Time: 1.5 – 3hrs

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

Trail name: Derwen – Blue
Centre: Brechfa
Distance: 4.7km
Climbing: 307m
Time: 0.5 – 1hrs

For map and full details, visit MTBWales.com

The wild contouring singletrack of Whyte bikes sponsored Twrch trail, rolling in and out of forests will keep you focused on the trail, but stop and you’ll be looking out over the Bristol Channel.

Cwmcarn is also the ultimate park and play centre for serious gravity slaves.

The Y Mynydd Downhill track is unique in the UK for offering a year round uplift service (details at www.cwmdown.co.uk). [Private Uplifts are not Permitted]

There’s also a purpose built freeride park, full of jump packs, berms, wall rides and a complete corkscrew for getting your eye in before hitting the full descent.

For maps and full details, visitn MTBWales.com

Now the superb natural trail network of the area surrounding the tiny but dynamic town of Llanwrytyd Wells is joined by the small but perfectly formed centre at Coed Trallwm. A superb area to explore for a weekend or more.

Llanwrytyd Wells might be tiny, but it’s a massive presence in mountain biking. Home to super experienced trail guide and event organiser Clive Powell, the legendary bike friendly Neuadd arms, the World MTB Bog Snorkelling championships and the Real Ale Wobble you won’t find a town more geared to knobbly tyres.

Further up the valley Coed Trallwm – with it’s warmly welcoming visitor centre – provides an ideal starting point for exploring both their own trail network and the miles and miles of wild bridleway riding in this stunningly scenic area.

For more information on Coed Trallwm including local accommodation go to: http://www.coedtrallwm.co.uk

For maps and full details, visit MTBwales.com

The forest has mountain biking trails suitable for beginners and family groups, more challenging routes for experienced bikers including a new black run, and a choice of picturesque walking trails. All tracks are completely enclosed within the forest, with no main roads to cross. Within the Visitor Centre there is a café and a variety of facilities for bikers such as a jet wash, and all this just 7 miles from Wrexham and 14 miles from Chester.

For maps and full details, visit MTBWales.com

For maps and full details, visit MBWales.com

Trail name: Beast of Brenin
Centre: Coed Y Brenin
Distance: 38.2km
Climbing: 1015m
Time: 3 – 6hrs

For maps and full details visit MountainbikingWales

Up at 6:30, shower, riding gear on, pre-packed bags and bike into the car, M25, M1, Hemel, transfer gear onto mate’s car, M1, M25, M4, Fog and traffic, arrive 11:30, later than planned, but the skies were blue and despite the cold, the thermals keep me warm.

I love Whites Level, I’ve said it before, but it’s the best climb I’ve ever ridden. If you’re relatively fit it’s an interesting and technical climb with stunning views. A real good lung buster that can be taken at speed still leaving plenty left over for the excitement that follows.

It takes us a leisurely 45 minutes to reach the top where we stop to take in the views and make adjustments to our shock pressures. Before long we’re hitting the black run, a fast and furious section that tests the skills on the many berms and switchbacks, until you hit the final lip and find yourself being launched down a very steep, very technical decent that takes you to the bottom. A nice touch I always like to finish on is riding the narrow slab formation which sits towards the bottom of the steepest part of the decent. A real sense of achievement once complete, cleaned it nicely, what a buzz.

Once we make the fire road climb back to the top we continue to the next section, a lovely undulating decent taking us to the new “Energy” section, starting with a range of tabletops and jumps eventually flowing onto boards that take us through some open forestry, then onto the original boardwalk that gradually throw us out onto the final decent. A long and narrow trail with a wall of Welsh mountain to the left and a sheer drop to the right, concentration is an absolute must. Hit any of the numerous slabs or lips at the wrong angle or at the wron gspeed and it’s either wall to the left, or drop to the right.

Once we’re eventually ejected at the end of the trail you can’t help but feel exhilarated at what is such an interesting and exciting trail to ride. Always something different to keep you on your toes and it’s not too long that you’re completely exhausted by the end of it.

To cap it off we stop by at the “Dropoff” café at the foot of the trail where a well earned and very generously served up homemade chilli con carne on baked potato was quickly devoured.

My only question is, how soon can we go back?

As sick as it might sound, I always look forward to riding the Whites Level climb. Despite being a relatively long 9 km climb, it has to be the most pleasurable climb I’ve ever ridden. It’s technical, keeping the mind occupied, which therefore makes it challenging, and when completed at a good steady pace, it’s very rewarding. Not only that, but when you reach the top, the next section is the black run, which is a fast and furious decline ending in a very steep descent.

After this, it continues onto the boardwalk section, which has been revised more recently to include more boards through open countryside. Fun, but brutal in high winds.

The final descent takes in a breathtaking range of big stepped drops, switchbacks and fast narrow off-camber adrenalin rushed fun. I’ll tell you more of this experience later on my return.

In the meantime, tell us what your favourite all-time trail is…