Good driving roads from South Wales to Snowdon

[NickXX]

Hi all,

I'm planning to spend a couple of days before Easter driving up through Wales up to Snowdonia, starting on the M4.

Does anyone have any good routes/route sections mapped out for the South -> North journey, or must sees along the way that they could recommend?

Thanks,
Nick

[ARH]

Check this out it covers the top half of Wales.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Red Devil]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bh68HC1oP8aYRvFL7
The waypoint between Minllyn and Llanuwchllyn is Bwlch-y-Groes (aka Hellfire Pass).
It's not quick (single track) but the views back south down the valley and north from the summit are well worth it imo.

[ATG]

Red Devil said:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bh68HC1oP8aYRvFL7
The waypoint between Minllyn and Llanuwchllyn is Bwlch-y-Groes (aka Hellfire Pass).
It's not quick (single track) but the views back south down the valley and north from the summit are well worth it imo.

And there is an epic walk from the switch back in the trees up the side of Aran Fawddwy and source of the river Dyfi. Even if you just bimble up the first mile to where the steam cuts down through gullies and waterfalls across the flank of the mountain, it is well worth it.

[NickXX]

Amazing, thank you both!

[ARH]

The top of Bwlch-y-Groes looking back down the valley

[Tupwood]

I would include the Staylittle Pass on your way up: https://youtu.be/_7WSrgFatUc?si=yv92C1FGXdhkDPEE

… plus the best road in Snowdonia, for when you get there: https://youtu.be/ybS8navVsyw?si=_tBl89nRrQ_13SlB

Enjoy The Drive!

[Red Devil]

ARH said:

The top of Bwlch-y-Groes looking back down the valley

That's the road from/to Lake Vyrnwy, not the top of Bwlch-y-Groes which is reached by turning right at the T-junction in the background.
The summit of the Pass is here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wLine5oQpix4LZPA

Tupwood said:

I would include the Staylittle Pass on your way up: https://youtu.be/_7WSrgFatUc?si=yv92C1FGXdhkDPEE

I did. It's on the route I posted the link to. Via Dylife to Machynlleth.

To the left of where the car is parked @4:41 and in line with the mudguard of the Caterham is the Wynford Vaughan Thomas Memorial.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CAYB16TrLA1VUegFA
https://www.stayinwales.co.uk/wales_picture.cfm?p=...

[ARH]

Red Devil said:

ARH said:

The top of Bwlch-y-Groes looking back down the valley

That's the road from/to Lake Vyrnwy, not the top of Bwlch-y-Groes which is reached by turning right at the T-junction in the background.
The summit of the Pass is here - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7wLine5oQpix4LZPA

Tupwood said:

I would include the Staylittle Pass on your way up: https://youtu.be/_7WSrgFatUc?si=yv92C1FGXdhkDPEE

I did. It's on the route I posted the link to. Via Dylife to Machynlleth.

To the left of where the car is parked @4:41 and in line with the mudguard of the Caterham is the Wynford Vaughan Thomas Memorial.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CAYB16TrLA1VUegFA
https://www.stayinwales.co.uk/wales_picture.cfm?p=...

Ok so its 100 yards away from the top the view is better from there though.

[Red Devil]

Agreed about the view down the valley to south as it's not visible from the summit. Likewise there is no panorama north from where you're parked.
You're way off with your 100 yards to the top though. It's >¼ of a mile just from the T-junction - https://maps.app.goo.gl/iz3m28VT91BmGfnq6

[ARH]

Red Devil said:

Agreed about the view down the valley to south as it's not visible from the summit. Likewise there is no panorama north from where you're parked.
You're way off with your 100 yards to the top though. It's >¼ of a mile just from the T-junction - https://maps.app.goo.gl/iz3m28VT91BmGfnq6

A few hundred yards is irrelevant when you negotiated the tourists on the way up from the lake. Just wish they would open the road from the lake so i can get up there again. Hopefully reopening in the spring. It is one of my favourite routes, round the lake over the pass then off over the mountain road from Machynlleth to Clywedog Reservoir

[NickXX]

Thanks again for your help with this. I did the first leg of my trip this morning, and followed this route which is a slight variation of Red Devil's above.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LFfvFPsdBUfhyMkdA

Baffle Haus was a nice little biker/car enthusiast cafe which I stumbled across not too far from Cardiff. I got a good tip to head to the Elan valley there too.


Finished off the last bit of my 'admin' drive (luckily the main bit of this was London to Cardiff yesterday). Then towards Treorchy:



Then onto Beulah via Libanus:


Elan Valley was a nice break, and a chance to stretch my legs walking around the (very full!) reservoir:


Finally, on the way to Devil's Bridge:


The roads were fantastic - surprisingly good road surfaces, particularly after the pothole madness of the South East. Decent width roads for most of it - with the caveat of Elan Valley -> Devil's Bridge (will come back to this later). I was slightly worried that there would be huge sections of 20mph being Wales, but they were generally short sections, and through villages. It generally felt quite sensible, and you could safely make progress - with NSL being a happy limit.

There was very little traffic, and I got a good chance to work out the Bamford Rose upgrades on my car. All very comfy and compliant with the oem Bilstein dampers too. The main hazard were sheep, who were completely nonplussed by some of my noisier modifications.

One word of warning is that the Elan Valley -> Devil's Bridge section, whilst fantastic, was mostly single track. It had great visibility (my last picture being an example of this), so was hugely enjoyable, and there are many passing places. However, the roads were very quiet today and I wizzed through. I would be more weary during the busier summer months as reversing up some of the sections (with sheer drops and no barriers) would have been very miserable in my high-reverse-geared Vantage.

[Red Devil]

NickXX said:

Thanks again for your help with this. I did the first leg of my trip this morning, and followed this route which is a slight variation of Red Devil's above.

Recognised these.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vaarA848bJjcJrt98


https://maps.app.goo.gl/URDsUGwKurR5M4GK7


https://maps.app.goo.gl/CRb1MTaYYaAN9GU89