Discussion
I highly recommend starting off your triangle run from Denbigh. Go across the Denbigh moors (fab road), past the Sportsman (highest pub in Britain) and the haunted ruins, and on to Betws-Y-Coed. Then take the Llanberis road, stopping at the Cafe at the base of Snowdon for a quick cuppa and carry the run on from there, finishing back in Denbigh at the end of the day. Great run and shedloads of spectacular scenery, if you can be bothered to stop or slow down for pics.
I used to live in St.Asaph(Llanelwy), and Rhuallt(just off the A55) North Wales and regularly did the triangle and many other runs on lots of unmarked roads up in the hills around my home base. North Wales has got to be, next to Scotland, one of the best places to do some spirited driving, and once you get off the main routes there isn't a BiB to be seen.
Some absolutely cracking pics on this thread, and the reg numbers on the Aston and TVR are just way cool.
I used to live in St.Asaph(Llanelwy), and Rhuallt(just off the A55) North Wales and regularly did the triangle and many other runs on lots of unmarked roads up in the hills around my home base. North Wales has got to be, next to Scotland, one of the best places to do some spirited driving, and once you get off the main routes there isn't a BiB to be seen.
Some absolutely cracking pics on this thread, and the reg numbers on the Aston and TVR are just way cool.
ScoobieWRX said:
I highly recommend starting off your triangle run from Denbigh. Go across the Denbigh moors (fab road), past the Sportsman (highest pub in Britain) and the haunted ruins, and on to Betws-Y-Coed. Then take the Llanberis road, stopping at the Cafe at the base of Snowdon for a quick cuppa and carry the run on from there, finishing back in Denbigh at the end of the day. Great run and shedloads of spectacular scenery, if you can be bothered to stop or slow down for pics.
I used to live in St.Asaph(Llanelwy), and Rhuallt(just off the A55) North Wales and regularly did the triangle and many other runs on lots of unmarked roads up in the hills around my home base. North Wales has got to be, next to Scotland, one of the best places to do some spirited driving, and once you get off the main routes there isn't a BiB to be seen.
Some absolutely cracking pics on this thread, and the reg numbers on the Aston and TVR are just way cool.
I went over the Llanberis Pass the same day as the pics above. Visibility was awful due to crap weather/low cloud but still had fun. I can’t believe the number of people who think it is sensible to walk up there on the road...I almost had a “Death Race 2000” moment! I used to live in St.Asaph(Llanelwy), and Rhuallt(just off the A55) North Wales and regularly did the triangle and many other runs on lots of unmarked roads up in the hills around my home base. North Wales has got to be, next to Scotland, one of the best places to do some spirited driving, and once you get off the main routes there isn't a BiB to be seen.
Some absolutely cracking pics on this thread, and the reg numbers on the Aston and TVR are just way cool.
As for BiB, I spotted a marked traffic Volvo on the Pass itself, which was a bit of a surprise. Then, as I went from there to the triangle, I spotted one following me (trying to keep up until I realised and backed off!) along the twisty, foresty bit of the A5. Then, after I’d done a couple of laps of the triangle, the bugger was sat hidden in a sideroad, on that monster straight on the A5, just after you go through the bit where they were doing all the roadworks...the rocky bits. So, after being stuck in a ten car queue behind a 30mph oap not being able to overtake unless you took a stupid risk on the twisties, the first long straight with perfect visibility, and they are sat hidden waiting. They know the score...no respect at all for them using these tactics. Luckily some legend coming the other way was flashing us all to warn us so everyone just stayed in line. So if you’ve been before you will know where I’m talking about, just be warned about that location.
Mt. Snowdon in the background to the right (not that you can see much!)
Just got back from the surrounding area, where we were driving a fantastic Golf GTi. Drove the triangle and many other roads around Betws-y-coed and Snowdon. The weather was stunning for all of Tuesday and today.
We drove back down through wales to Bristol today, which was pretty stunning too.
Stay tuned for pictures. We have 400 photos. We kept having to switch between the wide angle and telephoto lenses. The GTi has been flawless and rapid over the whole 600 miles. Its eats up and overtakes cars like they're standing still. Its 200bhp certainly felt healthier than a butcher's dog - I don't doubt the claims that its more like 220 big ones on the dyno.
We drove back down through wales to Bristol today, which was pretty stunning too.
Stay tuned for pictures. We have 400 photos. We kept having to switch between the wide angle and telephoto lenses. The GTi has been flawless and rapid over the whole 600 miles. Its eats up and overtakes cars like they're standing still. Its 200bhp certainly felt healthier than a butcher's dog - I don't doubt the claims that its more like 220 big ones on the dyno.
Ianeire said:
O/T, but Wales related, can someone google map me the Black Mountain? Where abouts in South Wales is it?
It's just east of the Brecon Beacons - we drove past it today! The A479 runs along the west side of it. Pretty spectacular, although not the best we saw further north.It's in the centre of this map:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&ge...
Just got back and really enjoyed my time in Wales (let's not mention the dorks on the Motorway).
A5 was a bit of a pain as it would appear all the roadworks are being done in October. Satnav was reliable and got me to here, the start of the triangle from a anti clockwise direction.
Apologies in advance for the picture quality. At this point had little anticipation of what lay ahead (and on my second 'run' a Police van was parked where this photo was taken - pretty sure not a camera van though. Interestingly I saw another traffic car coming the opposite way on the 'right' side of the triangle.
Enjoyed the first run on the right hand side taking time to get used to it.
Over the cattle grid for start of part 2, the western/left side.
Thought this side was good up until the tighter roads at the end which had a few sheep roaming and a pheasent!. I went around again on the bottom of the triangle and have to say this was the worst part, it became clear to me that the best way to do these roads was left and right and avoid the bottom. Did both ways clockwise and anti-clockwise and really loved the roads. So much space and you can see so much it was like your own little race track. That was the problem for me, looking over the shoulder to make sure no BIB about and staying within the legal limits
.
Going around I am so sure I spotted other cars doing the same, especially the second and third times of seeing them.
Blessed with the weather. Well worth going if you ever get the time
A5 was a bit of a pain as it would appear all the roadworks are being done in October. Satnav was reliable and got me to here, the start of the triangle from a anti clockwise direction.
Apologies in advance for the picture quality. At this point had little anticipation of what lay ahead (and on my second 'run' a Police van was parked where this photo was taken - pretty sure not a camera van though. Interestingly I saw another traffic car coming the opposite way on the 'right' side of the triangle.
Enjoyed the first run on the right hand side taking time to get used to it.
Over the cattle grid for start of part 2, the western/left side.
Thought this side was good up until the tighter roads at the end which had a few sheep roaming and a pheasent!. I went around again on the bottom of the triangle and have to say this was the worst part, it became clear to me that the best way to do these roads was left and right and avoid the bottom. Did both ways clockwise and anti-clockwise and really loved the roads. So much space and you can see so much it was like your own little race track. That was the problem for me, looking over the shoulder to make sure no BIB about and staying within the legal limits
.Going around I am so sure I spotted other cars doing the same, especially the second and third times of seeing them.
Blessed with the weather. Well worth going if you ever get the time
Edited by AM04ARO on Wednesday 24th October 20:54
AM04ARO said:
A5 was a bit of a pain as it would appear all the roadworks are being done in October.
If only they did do that! I’ve been going there regularly for a couple of years now, and they’re always doing roadworks on the A5. They even closed a section of it during the peak of summer this year and put a ridiculously long diversion in place...so as you can imagine the traffic got pretty bad.
Here's my writeup from a trip to north Wales:
Day One
Monday 22nd October
Everything’s set: the car is ready to be collected, the B&Bs are booked and the route programmed into the TomTom. Anticipation and excitement are in abundance, as we will be heading off to sample the best roads north Wales can throw at us.
We both squeeze into my KA on a mediocre Monday lunchtime and head for Avis, Heathrow Airport. The drive was uneventful – but it was worthwhile. When we arrived home it was in the company of a new stealth black Golf GTI. It had less than two thousand miles on the clock, but was in pretty basic trim.
This is hardly a problem. A standard Golf is rather drab – we had one in Spain last summer. However, the GTI has enough enticing details to transform the car. That blood red streak which encases the honeycombed grill, marked with those now ubiquitous three letters, GTI, really sets the tone. The lovely flat-bottomed leather wheel (with embossed aluminium GTI logo), and side-squeezing seats add to the sense that you’re sitting in a serious Golf. Overall the package is extremely cohesive – much more so, in my opinion, than something like the Focus ST.
We packed our bags into the large boot and set off on the two hundred and ten mile trip to Betws-y-Coed. The journey was all motorways until the A5. The car was smooth, muscling its way past the slower traffic with ease.
Once into Wales, at Llangollen, we began noticing speed, sorry, safety camera signs littering the road every few hundred yards. We found this to be commonplace throughout Wales, despite not seeing a single camera for the four hundred miles we drove in the country.
As the sun was setting I spotted a sign for the B4501, the right hand side of the ‘Evo Triangle.’ The road was amazing, flowing and undulating, reminiscent of the Nordschleife. Then we headed back down the opposing side of the triangle – a more technical, twisty variation with even better views. We retired to our Hotel, Elen’s Castle at Dolwyddelan, ecstatic.
Day Two: Morning
Tuesday 23rd October
I was woken on Tuesday by a fan of sunlight peering around the curtains. Breakfast was an early affair, so when we headed out it was bitterly cold. The car was coated in a layer of ice, like a dusting of icing sugar atop a perfect cake.
We scraped off the ice, warmed the car’s fluids and brought the turbo up to temperature. With roads still glistening with frost we headed gingerly to the ‘triangle’ to get some early morning shots whilst the light was at its best.
The ‘triangle’ never failed to disappoint, even at a reduced pace its meandering course never became wearisome. The views of mountains and lakes were spectacular in the morning light.
I was dropped off to snap some shots of the GTI in motion. From outside it looked extremely composed, cornering flat and gripping tenaciously. Several drive bys later and with numb hands I jumped back inside the car’s warm cockpit.
The left side of the triangle was bathed in beautiful morning light, the amber heather lining the open roads. It’s a contrast to my local roads, which are hedge lined and enclosed by banked sides. The visibility of the Welsh moorland roads really puts them on a plateau above anything I’ve experienced in southern England.
Day Two: Midday
Tuesday 23rd October
We headed back to Betws for a bite to eat before continuing our journey. On the way we saw the spectacular view below.
In Betws-y-Coed a jet, I think it was a Tornado, blasted over the village shattering the peace and quiet. Considering the number of people over the age of seventy around, there might have been a few heart attacks. However, I stuck the camera up in the air and got a picture, even with the wide-angle lens that makes everything look ten times more distant.
The plan was to head to Snowdon and see if we could scale the mountain on the train, before sampling some more roads. However, the mountain train was fully booked.
Before long the mountain loomed out of the distance, and we couldn’t resist taking some more photos.
The drive from Betws to Llanberis at the base of Snowdon only got better the closer we got. The A4086 pass was utterly spectacular, running alongside Snowdon, and there’s a poor picture of it below.
In Llanberis we grabbed a couple of sandwiches before driving to the bottom on the lake for some photography. The sun took its time to reveal itself, but the wait was worth it. If you look carefully on the first picture, you can see the steam spewing out of the train halfway up its ascent.
We then ventured into the woods to try and get an even better view, and using the advice of a helpful climber we managed to reach the top of a large rock face. The views were fantastic, if not quite the views off Snowdon.
Day Two: Afternoon
Tuesday 23rd October
Sightseeing over, we headed to the B4407 towards Ffestiniog. Initially the road seemed disappointing, hedge lined, with little or no visibility. We considered turning back at one point! However, thank God we persevered. The road opened up into a fantastic ribbon of tarmac, meandering over the hills and bisected stone bridges.
The Yaris in front did a good job of guarding us from any oncoming traffic. The torquey turbocharged GTI never needed to be revved over 4k to stay in touch, despite the Yaris being pushed right to the limits of grip.
At the T-juction the Yaris flicked right, whilst we lunged left onto the B4391 destined for Bala, which was drenched in evening light. This road was equally spectacular, cutting through golden sheep grazed fields and then ending in the valley. It traced the edge of Llyn Celyn, yet another huge lake. We then headed north on the B4501, which eventually joined the ‘triangle.’
Ah, the ‘triangle.’ It was our last drive on this perfect slice of tarmac, and it did us proud, producing the most fantastic sunset. A perfect sun blest end to the day, on the ultimate road, in the definitive hot hatch. I can’t use enough superlatives, but Epic has to be the right word.
We checked in at our very friendly B&B, Bod Hyfryd, and went out to the Betws-y-Coed Bistro for a delicious meal. The staff were great, and the food was second-to-none. I recommend it to anyone.
Day Three
Wednesday 24th October
It seems to have come too soon. We were already leaving! At least we were taking the scenic route down through Wales. The roads were as good as ever, the A470 in particular, which resembled an Alpine pass.
In mid Wales we passed a huge wind farm, and on seeing a signpost, we were able to drive right up to it. It was huge, consisting of 103 rotating turbines. We walked right up to them, and they were much further away than we first thought.
The rest of the journey was completed without fuss, the GTI pulling strong from start to finish. No overtake proved too much for the pokey turbocharged motor, and no road to extreme to disturb its poise. Seven hundred miles later, and we really bonded with the über Golf, and handing it back was like loosing contact with a new friend. I will own a GTI one day.
Day One
Monday 22nd October
Everything’s set: the car is ready to be collected, the B&Bs are booked and the route programmed into the TomTom. Anticipation and excitement are in abundance, as we will be heading off to sample the best roads north Wales can throw at us.
We both squeeze into my KA on a mediocre Monday lunchtime and head for Avis, Heathrow Airport. The drive was uneventful – but it was worthwhile. When we arrived home it was in the company of a new stealth black Golf GTI. It had less than two thousand miles on the clock, but was in pretty basic trim.
This is hardly a problem. A standard Golf is rather drab – we had one in Spain last summer. However, the GTI has enough enticing details to transform the car. That blood red streak which encases the honeycombed grill, marked with those now ubiquitous three letters, GTI, really sets the tone. The lovely flat-bottomed leather wheel (with embossed aluminium GTI logo), and side-squeezing seats add to the sense that you’re sitting in a serious Golf. Overall the package is extremely cohesive – much more so, in my opinion, than something like the Focus ST.
We packed our bags into the large boot and set off on the two hundred and ten mile trip to Betws-y-Coed. The journey was all motorways until the A5. The car was smooth, muscling its way past the slower traffic with ease.
Once into Wales, at Llangollen, we began noticing speed, sorry, safety camera signs littering the road every few hundred yards. We found this to be commonplace throughout Wales, despite not seeing a single camera for the four hundred miles we drove in the country.
As the sun was setting I spotted a sign for the B4501, the right hand side of the ‘Evo Triangle.’ The road was amazing, flowing and undulating, reminiscent of the Nordschleife. Then we headed back down the opposing side of the triangle – a more technical, twisty variation with even better views. We retired to our Hotel, Elen’s Castle at Dolwyddelan, ecstatic.
Day Two: Morning
Tuesday 23rd October
I was woken on Tuesday by a fan of sunlight peering around the curtains. Breakfast was an early affair, so when we headed out it was bitterly cold. The car was coated in a layer of ice, like a dusting of icing sugar atop a perfect cake.
We scraped off the ice, warmed the car’s fluids and brought the turbo up to temperature. With roads still glistening with frost we headed gingerly to the ‘triangle’ to get some early morning shots whilst the light was at its best.
The ‘triangle’ never failed to disappoint, even at a reduced pace its meandering course never became wearisome. The views of mountains and lakes were spectacular in the morning light.
I was dropped off to snap some shots of the GTI in motion. From outside it looked extremely composed, cornering flat and gripping tenaciously. Several drive bys later and with numb hands I jumped back inside the car’s warm cockpit.
The left side of the triangle was bathed in beautiful morning light, the amber heather lining the open roads. It’s a contrast to my local roads, which are hedge lined and enclosed by banked sides. The visibility of the Welsh moorland roads really puts them on a plateau above anything I’ve experienced in southern England.
Day Two: Midday
Tuesday 23rd October
We headed back to Betws for a bite to eat before continuing our journey. On the way we saw the spectacular view below.
In Betws-y-Coed a jet, I think it was a Tornado, blasted over the village shattering the peace and quiet. Considering the number of people over the age of seventy around, there might have been a few heart attacks. However, I stuck the camera up in the air and got a picture, even with the wide-angle lens that makes everything look ten times more distant.
The plan was to head to Snowdon and see if we could scale the mountain on the train, before sampling some more roads. However, the mountain train was fully booked.
Before long the mountain loomed out of the distance, and we couldn’t resist taking some more photos.
The drive from Betws to Llanberis at the base of Snowdon only got better the closer we got. The A4086 pass was utterly spectacular, running alongside Snowdon, and there’s a poor picture of it below.
In Llanberis we grabbed a couple of sandwiches before driving to the bottom on the lake for some photography. The sun took its time to reveal itself, but the wait was worth it. If you look carefully on the first picture, you can see the steam spewing out of the train halfway up its ascent.
We then ventured into the woods to try and get an even better view, and using the advice of a helpful climber we managed to reach the top of a large rock face. The views were fantastic, if not quite the views off Snowdon.
Day Two: Afternoon
Tuesday 23rd October
Sightseeing over, we headed to the B4407 towards Ffestiniog. Initially the road seemed disappointing, hedge lined, with little or no visibility. We considered turning back at one point! However, thank God we persevered. The road opened up into a fantastic ribbon of tarmac, meandering over the hills and bisected stone bridges.
The Yaris in front did a good job of guarding us from any oncoming traffic. The torquey turbocharged GTI never needed to be revved over 4k to stay in touch, despite the Yaris being pushed right to the limits of grip.
At the T-juction the Yaris flicked right, whilst we lunged left onto the B4391 destined for Bala, which was drenched in evening light. This road was equally spectacular, cutting through golden sheep grazed fields and then ending in the valley. It traced the edge of Llyn Celyn, yet another huge lake. We then headed north on the B4501, which eventually joined the ‘triangle.’
Ah, the ‘triangle.’ It was our last drive on this perfect slice of tarmac, and it did us proud, producing the most fantastic sunset. A perfect sun blest end to the day, on the ultimate road, in the definitive hot hatch. I can’t use enough superlatives, but Epic has to be the right word.
We checked in at our very friendly B&B, Bod Hyfryd, and went out to the Betws-y-Coed Bistro for a delicious meal. The staff were great, and the food was second-to-none. I recommend it to anyone.
Day Three
Wednesday 24th October
It seems to have come too soon. We were already leaving! At least we were taking the scenic route down through Wales. The roads were as good as ever, the A470 in particular, which resembled an Alpine pass.
In mid Wales we passed a huge wind farm, and on seeing a signpost, we were able to drive right up to it. It was huge, consisting of 103 rotating turbines. We walked right up to them, and they were much further away than we first thought.
The rest of the journey was completed without fuss, the GTI pulling strong from start to finish. No overtake proved too much for the pokey turbocharged motor, and no road to extreme to disturb its poise. Seven hundred miles later, and we really bonded with the über Golf, and handing it back was like loosing contact with a new friend. I will own a GTI one day.
Edited by identti on Thursday 25th October 21:11
ing A pics...superb!! 
Great stuff identti I’ve looked into using Avis fairly recently, the unlimited miles thing on the Cooper S, TT, GTi etc looks a pretty good deal. Only problem for me was they wouldn’t touch me because of a speeding ban from a few years ago on my license (although I’ve hired better since from elsewhere e.g see above...just a tiny bit more effort required to clear it insurance wise!)
I’ve looked into using Avis fairly recently, the unlimited miles thing on the Cooper S, TT, GTi etc looks a pretty good deal. Only problem for me was they wouldn’t touch me because of a speeding ban from a few years ago on my license (although I’ve hired better since from elsewhere e.g see above...just a tiny bit more effort required to clear it insurance wise!)Cheers guys Feedback is much appriciated.
Feedback is much appriciated.thepickle said:
Great stuff identti I’ve looked into using Avis fairly recently, the unlimited miles thing on the Cooper S, TT, GTi etc looks a pretty good deal. Only problem for me was they wouldn’t touch me because of a speeding ban from a few years ago on my license (although I’ve hired better since from elsewhere e.g see above...just a tiny bit more effort required to clear it insurance wise!)
That's annoying, although you still got an Elise - thats hardly bad! The Unlimited mileage thing is great. Wouldn't have been possible without it. I’ve looked into using Avis fairly recently, the unlimited miles thing on the Cooper S, TT, GTi etc looks a pretty good deal. Only problem for me was they wouldn’t touch me because of a speeding ban from a few years ago on my license (although I’ve hired better since from elsewhere e.g see above...just a tiny bit more effort required to clear it insurance wise!)Believe it or not, the Elise I got was unlimited miles as well!! I did 920 miles over the weekend which I was quite impressed with 
That’s the main reason for going with that one. When I get a car like that I want to drive and enjoy it as much as possible so some of the mileage restrictions I’ve seen in some places would just make it impossible for me...and end up very, very expensive at £2 per mile over your allowance or whatever it is!
That’s the main reason for going with that one. When I get a car like that I want to drive and enjoy it as much as possible so some of the mileage restrictions I’ve seen in some places would just make it impossible for me...and end up very, very expensive at £2 per mile over your allowance or whatever it is!thepickle said:
Believe it or not, the Elise I got was unlimited miles as well!! I did 920 miles over the weekend which I was quite impressed with That’s the main reason for going with that one. When I get a car like that I want to drive and enjoy it as much as possible so some of the mileage restrictions I’ve seen in some places would just make it impossible for me...and end up very, very expensive at £2 per mile over your allowance or whatever it is!
Yeah, I know what you mean. Avis Prestige do a V8 Vantage, which would be nice. But for a good 3 days, you're only allowed to do 300 miles, every miles thereafter would cost £1. That means I would have to pay another £400 or more, on top of the rather hefty petrol bill. However, its all ok with the cheaper cars, and they're probably just as fun. That’s the main reason for going with that one. When I get a car like that I want to drive and enjoy it as much as possible so some of the mileage restrictions I’ve seen in some places would just make it impossible for me...and end up very, very expensive at £2 per mile over your allowance or whatever it is!Well, following a very soggy walk up and back down Snowdon today I decided to do a few of the roads mentioned on here. The evo being a couple of them, now for a couple of pics:
It was a great drive, got stucj behind a couple of slower movng vehicles on the A road section of the triangle but soon dispatched them!
I just wish the weather wasnt as grey and damp and I wasn't so knackered. I might have managed another couple of runs!
Now to convince the mrs the Stelvio pass would be a good holiday....
It was a great drive, got stucj behind a couple of slower movng vehicles on the A road section of the triangle but soon dispatched them!
I just wish the weather wasnt as grey and damp and I wasn't so knackered. I might have managed another couple of runs!
Now to convince the mrs the Stelvio pass would be a good holiday....
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