Dyfi Enduro 2011 – Pre-riding the full route
We did our customary pre-ride around the Dyfi Enduro course yesterday in what can only be described as perfect conditions. Warm, sunny and without any significant rain for a while the trails were in the main dry and dusty.
Riders were thin on the ground, probably because it was Easter Sunday, but Dave, Dave, Simon, Graham, Chuck, Ben and myself all set off into the sunshine. We rode a few trails around ClimachX, including Elephant which is supposed to be the first descent of the route and then headed off across the field to Baileys Bridge. The top part of this descent was fine, but the route makes a detour here this year due to nesting Goshawks on the lower part of the descent. Instead we climbed back up along fire-road and then dropped into a very steep, narrow rocky little chute before descending to the bottom along a dusty track. Expect carnage on this steep descent with bodies and bikes everywhere next weekend.
It’s then a climb up the other side of the valley to another new descent. This one has some large puddles up over the top, one of which I managed to get lost in, but then flies down a straight, rocky track that just encourages you to go for it. Following a little climb through the woods and a rocky descent it’s then onto the World Cup Descent, a very steep, rocky spine with plenty of exposure that will test the nerve of some.
It’s then more of the same, long climbs followed by steep, loose, shaley descents – What more do you expect from the Dyfi Enduro? A long climb back up to the feed station before heading off along some of the usual Dyfi descents and climbs and heading its way back to towards ClimachX for the 3 in 1 descent. Ben, Chuck and Simon left us here as it had been a long day already with lots of stops and lots of chatting, but the four remaining riders pressed on for a climb back to the top and a final bit of fun down the Builth Descent.
If the weather holds out until next weekend then the whole course will be amazing, I only hope it does because it won’t be quite so much fun in the rain! The latest forecast I;ve sen though has quite a bit of rain on Sunday afternoon – It’s a long way off yet though so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Our route yesterday (which missed out the first big climb and the bits along the road from Machynlleth) was 31 miles with 6,400 feet of climbing.
