Rhondda Rollercoaster
Saturday 12th May 2018
16 mile route description
Key:
T JCN – T Junction, TR – Turn Right, TL – Turn Left, BR – Bear Right, BL – Bear Left,
SO – Straight On, RD – Road, TK – Track, X – Cross, FB – Footbridge, ST – Stile,
LMG – Large Metal Gate, LWG – Large Wooden Gate SWG – Small Wooden Gate,
KGT – Kissing Gate, MCB – Magnetic Compass Bearing, FLD – Field, YDS – Yards,
LHS – Left hand Side, RHS – Right Hand Side, FPS – Footpath Sign, WMS – Waymarker Sign
1. Leave village hall & TL. SO along residential RD (Ivor St) to T JCN. TR & walk to end of RD. TL, river now on RHS. Walk to end of RD & climb steps to FB. X river & TL to join main TK. After 10 YDS, ignore path on L & SO. After 60 YDS & with pond on LHS, TR onto path with railings on RHS. Shortly after Xing stream, BR at Y JCN. Arrive at main TK T JCN. TR & remain on main TK that gradually climbs. TK will go around a hairpin bend. At 1st main TK JCN, TR. Continue climbing to T JCN. TL & climb ignoring all minor paths to wide T JCN. TR & follow to hairpin bend. Leave main TK & SO. Remain on new TK, ignoring smaller paths to wooden electricity pylon on LHS. TL & path will climb into the trees & get steeper to arrive at X TKS with WMS. TR. As path bends to the L, BR off main path to leave forestry to arrive at T JCN with 2 metal posts on LHS. (GR ST 039 900)
SELF CLIP A – (2.3 miles & 934 feet ascent)
2. Continue downhill (290°) following fence on LHS to arrive at flat area. SO downhill still following fence. As fence turns to L, TL on to path. Pass underneath electricity wires & after 90 YDS BR. After 310 YDS BL (effectively SO). After 90 YDS BR downhill (230°). After 200 YDS BR & join path coming down from LHS. After 100 YDS TR (300°). Follow path ignoring turnings to L & R & after 570 YDS pass underneath electricity wires. After a further 100 YDS BR & descend steeply to T JCN. TL & ignore all paths to L & R. Arrive at wide area with large corrugated metal gate directly ahead. SO passing to L of gate & follow lane to RD. (GR ST 016 903)
3. TL & when opposite ‘Ton Hywel’, X RD CAREFULLY & walk into ‘Ton Hywel’. Follow LH pavement. At 1st RD JCN on LHS, TL. Look for children’s playground on RHS, & after house number ‘8’, TL onto path. Climb to T JCN with wooden electricity pylon. TL & up hill to Y JCN. BR to arrive at fence & just before fence BL to ST in fence. X ST & SO, soon to follow a stone gully. As gully ends, BL to ST & LMG. X ST & arrive at TK & TR. As TK bends sharply to R, leave TK & SO (310°). Follow path across pasture to join fence on RHS. Follow fence to KGT. (GR ST 004 913)
4. Thru KGT & TL. After 30 YDS leave fence line & follow path as it bends to the R & descends. Path descends & bends to L & levels out. Ignore all paths on RHS & SO for 20 YDS to fence corner. TR (010°) & follow path around edge of disused quarry on RHS. SO downhill on main path, ignoring minor paths on LHS. Follow path as it bends L to flat area with coal waste. TR to pass to LHS of fenced off area with 2 sheds. Continue on tarmac path for 100 YDS and TL down to RD. TR on RD & continue downhill for 200 YDS to T JCN. TR to pass garages on RHS to arrive at T JCN. TR & continue on RD for 150 YDS to next T JCN, (note red sign ‘Craig Ddu Road closed ahead’ opposite). TL & descend on RD. Caution – No Pavement. Continue until barrier on RHS ends then TR down steps to main RD.
5. X RD & TL. SO for 300yds on pavement. TR over bridge (Signpost to Station), Caution – No Pavement. BL on RD uphill (Station Rd). At the top of hill X RD at pedestrian crossing & TR into Royal Terrace. Follow RD into Rhys St & SO for 20 YDS to All Saints church hall, Trealaw on RHS. (GR ST 004 922)
CHECKPOINT ONE - (6.5 miles & 1610 feet ascent)
Opens 10.00 Hrs - Closes 13.15 Hrs
6. Leave CP, TL & TR to main RD. TL & continue on pavement for 300 YDS to reach speed camera. TL steeply uphill on Nile RD to green metal gates at entrance to Garth Park. Enter park thru KGT & when tarmac drives swings sharp R, TL up steps. Continue on tarmac path & just before path turns sharp R, TL on narrow path between trees. SO uphill over grassy area (300°) to reach line of old fence. TR to arrive at metal ST in fence corner. X ST & SO uphill with stone wall on RHS. At path junction BR. SO to enter trees with corner of wall on RHS. TR on path through trees with stone wall on RHS to reach mast (GR ST 009 929). Follow path around mast .TL & in 10 YDS TL onto wide TK in middle of golf course. SO (320°) for 1 mile on TK, passing club house to reach gateway to house on RHS (Ty Tamjen).
7. TR off RD with green railings then concrete fence on RHS (030°). SO downhill with stone wall then metal railings on LHS. Beware of spitting llama in adjacent field. Descend to KGT with bowling green on RHS. Thru KGT & TR downhill on tarmac path to sports field parking area. TL & in 10 YDS TR before bridge down steps. TL down steps with disused paddling pool on RHS. SO down steps to RD. X RD & TL, in 30 YDS TR down steps to RD. X RD & TL onto bridge over river. X RD & TL onto cycle path. Ignore path on LHS & continue uphill on wide path to go thru metal posts to RD. TR on RD uphill. Follow RD as it bends L. At white house (No.1 Upper Terrace) TR uphill. Ignore lane on LHS & continue on RD as it swings L, (sign Normans Way) steeply uphill.
8. SO uphill on RD to pass entrances to Ty Mynydd & Pen Yr Heol farms to reach LMG. Thru LMG and SO uphill on stony TK. SO uphill at X-TK to reach cattle grid & LMG (GR ST 027 947). Thru LMG and SO (070°) with wire fence on LHS & conifers on RHS. In 400 YDS when fence ends TL over boulders to reach TK. SO (335°) for 500 YDS to WMS where conifer plantation ends on RHS. TR onto narrow path to RD. TL & follow RD to RD JCN. TR to arrive at the Brynffynon Hotel, Llanwonno. (GR ST 031 956)
CHECKPOINT TWO - (11.5 miles & 3040 feet ascent)
Opens 11.15 Hrs - Closes 17.00 Hrs
9. Leave CP & return to RD JCN. TL & continue on RD for 0.6 miles. BR onto forestry TK at stone post with yellow <> mark (GR ST 031 946). Continue on TK thru trees for 400 YDS to cattle grid & SMG. Thru & BL (190°) for 200 YDS to two large wooden gate posts on L. TL thru posts & follow faint path (140°) to ST next to white post. (GR ST 032 938)
10. X ST & follow broken dry stone wall on LHS. Shortly, the path bends to the R. Then follow 2nd dry stone wall on LHS. Dry stone wall is broken in places & eventually disappears to become fence. Arrive at gap between two dry stone walls. SO (170°) & keep wall on LHS at all times. Follow wall to ST next to LMG. X ST & SO keeping wall on LHS to LMG. Thru & SO with wall on LHS. Arrive at gap in wall on LHS at TK JCN. TR downhill, now keeping wire fence on RHS. Follow fence to arrive at LMG as TK bends sharply to the L. Thru LMG & SO down TK. After 290 YDS arrive at LMG on LHS. (GR ST 033 923)
11. TL & descend. The TK will become a concrete TK & in due course will become a tarmac lane. As the tarmac lane bends to the L, ignore the footpath on the RHS. Follow lane to arrive at farm buildings. Follow downhill thru farm. 'Shortly after leaving farm buildings, ignore metal barrier on RHS & in 20 YDS TR on to path. Path descends over two FB's to RD. TL to arrive at staggered X RD's. TL & remain on LH pavement to T JCN. X RD to pavement opposite & TR. After 20 YDS TL. (Gethin Terrace) Follow RD to arrive at T JCN. (GR ST 039 914)
12. SO on path ignoring any paths to the L. The path will descend to X FB & descend with metal railings on RHS. At the end of the railings TR to RD. TL underneath bridges to T JCN. X RD to pavement opposite & TL. Follow pavement for 300 YDS to reach McColls store, SO for 25 YDS & TR to Trehafod Community Village Hall & finish. (GR ST 046 909)
(Total Distance 16.1 miles & 3390 feet ascent)