Trip to 'The Triangle'
Discussion
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.
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.
Do plan on going to the `Triangle` sometime next year on a long weekend. After seeing those pictures of yours though i really want to go now !Gassing Station | Events & Meetings | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff