EVO triangle

[Mr Taxpayer]

mr_fibuli said:

Craikeybaby said:

What looked like a police helicopter (black with yellow too section) did a low fly by over the triangle while I was there yesterday.

I saw that on Thursday too. It actually flew past below me in a valley I was heading from Bala to the triangle.

All the Squirrels and Griffon helicopters out of RAF Shawbury (Joint Service Elemetary Flying Training) are also coloured black & yellow (it's the easiest colour combination to spot in-flight apparently) and they use N Wales for the mountain flying phase of helicopter pilot flying course. The Griffons have an SAR role overseas and they train for that in N Wales too. Consequently you're going to have to brush up on your helicopter recognition skills before claiming all the black & yellow ones are Police.

[mikey k]

Mr Taxpayer said:

mr_fibuli said:

Craikeybaby said:

What looked like a police helicopter (black with yellow too section) did a low fly by over the triangle while I was there yesterday.

I saw that on Thursday too. It actually flew past below me in a valley I was heading from Bala to the triangle.

All the Squirrels and Griffon helicopters out of RAF Shawbury (Joint Service Elemetary Flying Training) are also coloured black & yellow (it's the easiest colour combination to spot in-flight apparently) and they use N Wales for the mountain flying phase of helicopter pilot flying course. The Griffons have an SAR role overseas and they train for that in N Wales too. Consequently you're going to have to brush up on your helicopter recognition skills before claiming all the black & yellow ones are Police.

One of the Aston owners on here was an instructor there and said the same.
I live just down the road and once you get your eye in they are easy to differentiate

[snowmuncher]

North Wales police operate an EC135 P2+ (G-NWOI)

Looks very different from Squirrel or Griffon

Squirrel	Griffon (aka Huey Iroquois)	EC135

They used to operate a Squirrel, but they stacked that into someones house ..

before:	after:

HTH

[Craikeybaby]

I never was any good at recognising aircraft, probably why I failed at being an air traffic controller.

[Moospeed]

LFC856 said:

Hi Everyone,

A few of us are planning a road trip from Bristol in a few weeks time. I've been to the triangle a couple times but don't really know the surrounding areas as well. Can someone critique the route below? I've tried to incorporate the B4391, Llanberis Pass, Triangle & Horseshoe - is there anything else to consider?

I'm particularly interested if there's a better start and finish to the journey. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

http://tinyurl.com/ouv2kr2

Bit of a thread revival here, wondered if LFC856 (or anyone else) actually ended up doing that route or something similar.

I'd be starting from Dursley so just up the road from Bristol but heading back to Kent afterwards. I'd also plan to do the Evo triangle a couple of times (I assume that's the F-G part on the map). I'd want to avoid the motorways up round Brum so would go up via Leominster-Shrewsbury.

Due to the extra distance back to Kent and a few loops of interesting parts, I'd skip the bit from Oswestry to Llandovery and back via Brecons and M4. I'd probably turn left at Oswestry or Welshpool and head eastwards home.

Just after recommendations really... if this is a stupid idea, etc. If I'll be missing essential petrolhead sights, etc.

http://goo.gl/maps/h93fG

[Dblue]

Moospeed said:

LFC856 said:

Hi Everyone,

A few of us are planning a road trip from Bristol in a few weeks time. I've been to the triangle a couple times but don't really know the surrounding areas as well. Can someone critique the route below? I've tried to incorporate the B4391, Llanberis Pass, Triangle & Horseshoe - is there anything else to consider?

I'm particularly interested if there's a better start and finish to the journey. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

http://tinyurl.com/ouv2kr2

Bit of a thread revival here, wondered if LFC856 (or anyone else) actually ended up doing that route or something similar.

I'd be starting from Dursley so just up the road from Bristol but heading back to Kent afterwards. I'd also plan to do the Evo triangle a couple of times (I assume that's the F-G part on the map). I'd want to avoid the motorways up round Brum so would go up via Leominster-Shrewsbury.

Due to the extra distance back to Kent and a few loops of interesting parts, I'd skip the bit from Oswestry to Llandovery and back via Brecons and M4. I'd probably turn left at Oswestry or Welshpool and head eastwards home.

Just after recommendations really... if this is a stupid idea, etc. If I'll be missing essential petrolhead sights, etc.

http://goo.gl/maps/h93fG

If I was you I'd head south and over the old Severn Bridge then through Chepstow and either up the Wye valley or the road a little to the left , the Devauden and Monmouth roads then A40 and Heads Of the valleys road to Brecon. Then the brilliant Brecon to Bullith Wells road (B4520) then A470 to Rhyader. If you have the time , traversing the Elan Valley reservoirs and then the Devils bridge road is brilliant but out of your way rather. Instead carry on up the A470 to Llanidloes and take the B4518 out of the town. Then take the unnamed road through the village of Dylife and up and over the moors to Machynlleth. Its a fantastic road.

then the A487 and A470 past Dolgellau and the A494 up to Bala then turn on to your planned route in Snowdonia. Personally I wouldn't bother with the Horseshoe pass and instead I'd head back to your original route over the Berwyn mountains from Bala to Knockin on the B4391/4 which is the dogs danglies.

Good luck

[RickfocusST]

As others have said. The B4391 from Ffestniog towards Bala is a brilliant road. Here is a video of me in my Focus ST last summer

http://youtu.be/tn4E_shR9UE

[Mr Taxpayer]

Dblue said:

If I was you I'd head south and over the old Severn Bridge then through Chepstow and either up the Wye valley or the road a little to the left , the Devauden and Monmouth roads then A40 and Heads Of the valleys road to Brecon. T
Good luck

Can't really comment on the remainder but I drive Hereford-Bristol a lot. As you leave Chepstow, take the first exit on the roundabout by the racecourse and use the B-road over the forest to Monmouth. Yes the the Wye Valley route through Tintern is stunning but unless you hit it at dawn you'll spend most of the time stuck behind a coach or a Civic driven by someone in a tweed hat.

[ARH]

Dblue said:

Personally I wouldn't bother with the Horseshoe pass and instead I'd head back to your original route over the Berwyn mountains from Bala to Knockin on the B4391/4 which is the dogs danglies.

Good luck

B4391 from bala towards Knocking a few weeks ago. You can still see snow on the hills. the roads should be fine though.

[AdvocatusD]

This is the route I've charted.

I'm happy with the route (though any tips are always welcome for the next trip), but was wondering if I could have some suggestions as to:

1. Places to eat generally

2. Places to eat generally at the end of Day 1 near Aberystwyth

3. View points and places to pull up and take some pictures.

Many thanks! I'll put them into the GPS so we can actually know to stop that whistle on by... It would be particularly helpful if someone could mark them on the links or the jpegs below.

http://goo.gl/maps/m2VtC

http://goo.gl/maps/mBnOs

[Dblue]

You're doing a couple bits I wouldn't recommend depending on what you like. The road around Lake Vrnwy is picturesque but bumpy,narrow and a bit tortuous.
You are also missing the B4391 at both ends (Knockin to Bala and A4212 to Ffestiniog ) which I wouldn't miss but your choice.

Aberystwyth has loads of places to stay

[mr pg]

You should consider using the B4391.

[AdvocatusD]

Thanks you three. Changes incorporated to include some of the B4391 (from Knockin to Bala which I have done before at dead of night and was superb). I have done the A4212 early morning and was a little underwhelmed personally.

We'll do a U-turn at the dam (G), but I thought to take have a quick stop there for some pictures and to take it in. It's a lovely gothic structure.

Don't think there is much I can do about Newtown to Llanfair Caereinion, so will just have to suck it up!

Any suggestions for great food and view points along the route?

http://goo.gl/maps/hL60U

Edited by AdvocatusD on Sunday 22 February 11:11

[Trefy5]

Depending upon time of day I would avoid Newtown wherever possible most noteably at 'rush' hour.
Everything bottlenecks thro the town at 0900 and 1700 and is a right royal pain.
Nowhere else in Powys takes half an hour to get thru. In this area that's a lot!
Whilst the A483 is a tidy road it's also a main arterial route thru the county which means everything and everyone travel it. Wagons and Micras to name but two one will happen across.
Also depending on your time zigzagging can be fun.

Anyway - a video for you to peruse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0JSWbA2bVs

[ARH]

Nice video, it was a bit busy when you took that. I agree about Newtown best avoided at peak times. The A483 is full of tractors and progress can be very slow. OP Your route from Newtown to Poth y waen is a nice scenic one though. When are you doing this run?

[LFC856]

Moospeed said:

LFC856 said:

Hi Everyone,

A few of us are planning a road trip from Bristol in a few weeks time. I've been to the triangle a couple times but don't really know the surrounding areas as well. Can someone critique the route below? I've tried to incorporate the B4391, Llanberis Pass, Triangle & Horseshoe - is there anything else to consider?

I'm particularly interested if there's a better start and finish to the journey. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

http://tinyurl.com/ouv2kr2

Bit of a thread revival here, wondered if LFC856 (or anyone else) actually ended up doing that route or something similar.

I'd be starting from Dursley so just up the road from Bristol but heading back to Kent afterwards. I'd also plan to do the Evo triangle a couple of times (I assume that's the F-G part on the map). I'd want to avoid the motorways up round Brum so would go up via Leominster-Shrewsbury.

Due to the extra distance back to Kent and a few loops of interesting parts, I'd skip the bit from Oswestry to Llandovery and back via Brecons and M4. I'd probably turn left at Oswestry or Welshpool and head eastwards home.

Just after recommendations really... if this is a stupid idea, etc. If I'll be missing essential petrolhead sights, etc.

http://goo.gl/maps/h93fG

Yes, we've now been up a couple times, and we're going again in a few weeks. Our start was a slight variation (see map), and both times we stopped at Porthmadog overnight (silly cheap Travelodge). There's a great pub in Porthmadog, unfortunately I can't remember the name but it had good food and atmosphere. There's also a couple brilliant routes leaving Porthmadog towards Caernarfon on tight, twisty, undulating forest roads.

Here's our route north - following this we took in the Llanberis pass via Caernarfon, Evo triangle via Betws-y-Coed then Horseshoe before backtracking and moving south via Bala and the B4391.

I'v driven the B4391 half a dozen times now and it remains my favourite road, though the triangle and black mountain pass are also great fun.

http://goo.gl/maps/ohVsU

[LFC856]

Just a another thought - we drove the Horseshoe pass and weren't too impressed with the drive. Great views but the amount of traffic made it very slow, but it was a gorgeous March weekend. I'm glad we went up there but we probably won't drive it again in a couple weeks time. YMMV of course!

[foreverfalling]

Getting my golf R in 13 hours and planning a trip to the evo triangle this week.

Is there a good day to go or is it best to just avoid weekends?

How is it usually for cameras and police these days? Not that I plan on being stupid n

[AdvocatusD]

Lake Vynwy and the dam bridge is an incredible PH'esque place for a gratuitous shot of your car.

I'd like to line us all up and take a few shots. Is it a busy bridge and will we get in trouble if we park on it for 5 minutes to take some pictures? I think it's about wide enough for cars to pass if we park?

Trying to work out some other places for some planned photography.

[mikey k]

As you say its busy but give it a try