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Marin
Trail - Ridden & Reviewed by Cycle1st
Updated November 11th 2007 |
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GWYDYR FOREST better known as the MARIN TRAIL. North Wales.
 The Marin Trail is approximately 28 Km in length with 860 metres of climbing in all. It offers the rider an excellent mix of climbing, single track, fast descents, flowing roller-coaster descents and good technical challenges without being too extreme. |
 First Climb an early tester! |
 The Pay & Display Machine now operating. Monies received go towards the upkeep of the trails. Best £1 you could ever spend. A new information board was also on show detailing the trail itself and various options for riders. No jetwash facilities exist to clean your bike after the ride. |
| It isn’t too unforgiving, as opposed to those intensely demanding, testosterone-driven, total focus trails where, if you lose your confidence at the start of the ride then you feel as if you should vacuum yourself off the face of the Earth, along with losing the will to live and the feeling that you should go back to riding Canal towpaths. I’m sure everyone has had those bad-day experiences, always exaggerated by an awesome trail. |
The Marin however is almost guaranteed to give everyone something.The Trail starts from a reasonably sized car park, just outside of Llanrwst, a few miles to the North of Betwys-y-coed, in North Wales. The car park is situated just off the B5106, almost opposite the Gwydyr Uchaf Chapel and it is worth noting that the car park gets pretty full at weekends and Bank holidays in the Summer.
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This sets out
the template for most of the ride and as such it has been well thought
through with quick flowing single track and then short climbs on
fire-road. |
A
new, much better start to the trail brings you out at the base of
the long fire road climb which goes on forever.
 At the top finally, sweeping, fast descents follow...then it gets tricky. Recent repairs have made it much safer for first time riders. |
 Beware the boulders |
After
this there are simply a collection of excellent descents through forest
areas with the climbs in between. Breathtaking views can be had at
many points along the Trail and recent tree-felling has improved many
of the trail side views. Certain parts of the trail have been cut through gullies with others built on rocky small escarpments with quite sharp stones sticking up, not a place to come off. There is a bench which has been placed almost half way along the trail, from which you get views across to Tryfan, Carneddau and Snowdon….. on a clear day are magnificent. Another section and you find yourself flying along a narrow, tight and rocky ridge. Keeping focused and not scrubbing-off too much speed allows you to skip over the terrain whilst frequently sweeping from left to right and back again on these fast trails. |
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single track sections are climbs but nothing too demanding and as
long as you are fit, will pose no problem. With the mix of fire-road
climbs and off road descent there is always time to catch your breath
between sections but importantly there is not too much fire-road and
where the fire-roads are there is usually a climb, including the final
leg breaker that tests your stamina in the latter stages of the trail. Towards the end, the trail really comes alive, with quicker and quicker sections over the repeating berns and tight twist and turns. We found ourselves storming down these latter parts with this trail providing the rider with the sort of flow which makes it so exceptional. |
 On the Fire Roads |
 Great views are the norm |
By
the time we got back to the car park where we started from, it was
smiles all round. The trail is so good it makes you want to repeat
it and some people do. As with many of these purpose built trails we started and finished in the same place but without repeating any of the sections apart from crossing a climb which we had earlier covered. During the Spring/Summer/Early Autumn the trail can be busy at weekends, but this usually occurs between about around 10.30 and 17.00. And anyway it doesn’t detract from a fabulous day. We understand that there are plans to create trails in the southern and eastern parts of the forest as well. All we can say is “roll-on”!………. Can’t wait. |
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conclusion, we recommend this trail for anyone around the intermediate
level. Advanced riders will not be disappointed, it’s just a matter
of speed. Those wishing to enjoy the course at a more leisurely pace have the option to do so. Reasonable fitness and bike skills, it goes without saying, are required. It isn’t extreme but caution is of course needed. Warm-up before undertaking the first climb and don’t be intimidated by the early descents, they mellow and just get better. INFORMATION Travelling: From the North take the M6 to the M56 follow the signs for Chester/Queensferry/A55. Follow the A55 to Colwyn Bay then turn left onto the A470 to Gwydyr. From the South and Midlands again up the M6 to the M56 follow the signs for Chester/Queensferry/A55 and follow the same as above. |
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ACCOMODATION
This is an area
popular with tourists and the Welsh tourist board, TIC or Cycle1st.com
Holidays Section all have comprehensive lists of reasonable places to
stay. Betwys-y-coed TIC 01690 710426.
Also worth checking out the Wales Section of The Cycle
Holidays Directory here
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TIME NEEDED Allow up to 3 hours . Time to beat 1 hr 50 mins. The Cycle1st
Team. |
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