Bwlch Mountain and the Secret Fall of Greig Fawr Cycle Ride
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- An icy and snowy cycle ride to Bwlch Mountain along Ogmore Valley cycle trail and the cliffs of Greig Fawr basin to find a hidden narrow waterfall.
This ride, starting in Sarn village in South Wales just north of Bridgend following the mostly traffic free cycle trail through the Ogmore Valley passing through Blackmill, Ogmore Vale, Nant-y-moel and a tough climb up to the top of Bwlch Mountain.
The Orgmore Valley cycle trail is a very easy trail for most riders being pretty much flat for its length until you reach the end of the valley at Nant-y-moel. The climb to Bwlch Mountain is quite difficult if you want to continue to the top and should not be taken lightly.
Once over the top of the mountain we take the descent road in the direction of Cwm-parc, going off-road at the small gravel lay-by just after the U bend. We then head to the basins of Greig-Fach and Greig Fawr. The cliffs of these two basins were much larger and almost intimidating to what I imagined they would be after studying the map.
This part of the ride is difficult in some ways. Aside from the thick ice this time of year and the bumpy worn trail, two groups of cows were blocking two parts of the trail making it difficult to follow. Taking to the land above is quite difficult in itself due to constant dips and lumps in the land that bring even 29 inch wheels to a standstill, alongside soaks marsh grass. It's certainly challenging.
But it was worth it to find the hidden water fall in the narrow crag of the cliffs. I only managed to see two and film the one but I believe there are more to find. This trail probably suits hiking more than riding but the views are still rewarding.
I hope you enjoy this icy and snowy winter cycle ride.
Excellent production values. Cycled the area for +25yrs. Made us smile. You have so many rides that you could cover, and with your editing would look amazing. Keep it up ❤
Thanks so much, Alun. How you manage the hills I'll never know ☺️
Great video, great choice. Made some useful notes on the route. I visited Wales this week in the car & by random luck the GPS sent me over Bwlch Mountain. A fantastic scenic area. Thank you for this video. 👍
Oh brilliant and welcome to Wales! Hope you enjoyed it and the weather stayed good for you. There used to be a van selling drinks at the top but it wasn’t there when I went.
It only rained for about an hour. Sun & blue sky for the majority. I will be back with the bike next time. 👍
Let me know how you get on if you do get to do a bike trip there. 🚴♀️
Thankyou,Beutifully put together, lot's of love went into making that, all the best!
Thanks, Simon. That means a lot. 🙏🏻
OMG Madison !!! here's me not letting my husband out the other week because of the frost!!! and here's you bombing down frosty slippery mountain tracks for us!!!!! we love you !!! Keep up your excellent work xxxxxxx Stay Safe xx
Haha, let’s just say I won’t be making a habit of it. Thanks, Sheila. Hope you’re both keeping well and warm. It’ll be spring before we know it. ☀️
Christ that bike does some miles!
Very watchable videos👍
It's certainly taking it quite well.
Thanks, MrSmith! 🚴🏻♀️
Great ride I go over that mountain a few times every year
Amazing, you just have so much energy! I think I stopped 3 times on the way up 🤭
Impressive ride, Madison. Enjoyed the drone shots too. Many thanks. I'm especially grateful that you did all the hard work so that we don't have to!
Haha, may be I should hire someone to do the hard bits.
Thanks, Mike! 🚴🏻♀️
Happy New Year from Downunder Madison! Having driven from Aberdare to Treorchy via the Bwlch on my last visit to South Wales I take my hat off to you tackling that on your Trek Rockhopper hardtail. Awesome at anytime, but in Winter😮. I felt cold on a warm Aussie evening just watching this. Being an elderly mountain biker (Giant Trance X Pro) respect to you and your skills on the technical trails on the Bwlch.
Another awesome video and of course being from the region of my birth and upbringing, another big dose of Hiraeth! 🙂🇦🇺🏴
Happy New Year to you down there ☺️ Haha, our cold is that far reaching. Yes it's a good climb and the road is fairly well kept, in fact two days after I rode this they closed the road for 4 weeks of maintenance. I just looked up the Trance X Pro, what a nice looking bike. I bet that suspension is comfortable!
Thanks, Michael! Enjoy that southern summer you lucky thing ☀️
Such a wonderful ride😊😊😊
Thanks, not a bad trail. 🚴🏻♀️☺️
Fantastic scenery another great video thankyou for taking us along for the ride.
Thanks very much, Glyn!
Another great video. And some good drone footage. Thank you.
Thanks, Adrian! 🚴🏻♀️☺️
A wonderful video once again. I liked it very much! Pretty decent uphill to tackle, but the views and the downhill make up for it.
Thanks very much! Yes, definitely well rewarded at the top. ☺️
Love this. Cracking content Madison ❤
Thanks, Whichy! 😎
Happy new year,Thanks for another great video,Dennis NZ
Happy New Year to you too, Dennis! ☺️
As soon as I hear your theme tune (Walnut Chop?) I settle down and relax into glorious escapism with your superb cinematography, Madison Ten 🙏
Gosh, Greig-Fach and Greig Fawr are impressive!
Following a valley and the railway, all the way up is a lovely idea. I love valley walking - I only do high ground in sunny calm weather now, having too often been the victim of wild weather on the tops.
Yes, I normally use Walnut Chop these days ☺️ Thanks so much, very kind. Yes sunny weather is so much kinder on the knees. It’s great that you get to visit these place.
I expect you slept well that night!
Must check that road next time I'm up there, lovely views, thanks
Definitely worth it if climbs are your thing. Thanks!
Thoroughly enjoyed this Madison. I used to rep SouthWales ! xx
So pleased. Thanks, Richard! You'll have to tell us more ☺️
Great scenery with a nice route and I felt for you on the climbs. Also on some real off road stuff. Hope the bike coped ok with it. Nice to see you not being put off by the cold either. I rode up onto Dartmoor a few days ago to get out in some snow. It was freezing cold, but fun.
Yes the bike coped well thanks, though the lumpy marshy stuff was difficult. Brilliant! Love the Dartmoor trails. Nice to get out into some snow. Well done! 🚴🏻♀️
@@MadisonTen Thanks. It was good day out and refreshed the brain a bit.. here is a video of it in my channel if you want to have a look. Safe riding.
Brill. I'll take a look 🚴🏻♀️☺️
Another triumph Madison! It looked nice and flat for a while... certainly looked like a hard climb afterwards though. The small towns and mountain-sheep remind me of where I'm from - several valleys over from Bwlch mountain. Fabulous piano playing as always and nice to hear some electric bass? too.
Also - it appears you have invested in a drone! Amazing footage from it - great clarity. Well done, as always 👍
Thanks, Jeff. Not something I ride a lot of but it's nice to challenge myself from time to time. Yes, electric bass that I bought in Cranes in the early 90s ☺️
Yes, I must admit to now being a 'pilot'. More to carry in my luggage 😳 haha. They're amazing things.
@@MadisonTen Ahh Cranes... I loved that shop. Its where I bought my first Admira guitar 😊 You carry quite a lot of luggage already Madison - but I guess the drone is fairly lightweight. One would be a real asset on a canal - being able to send it up ahead to check for mooring space etc. I'll have to think about getting one! 🤔
Cranes long gone sadly, but I think it was always on the cards in recent years. Gamlins gone as well unsurprisingly.
Hmm, drone is light weight, the batteries not so much, plus remote control. ☺️ If you do decide to get one, take a look into the rules and regs and drone weight, it's a rabbit hole of information that will affect where you can fly from. 🚁
@@MadisonTen Gamlins never seemed as 'serious' as the Cranes shop - but I bought my Admira Flamenco guitar there! So I did spread my custom between them😁. I assume PMT is still there. Must try to get to Cardiff for a visit before I go back onboard.
Thanks for info on the drone. I have seen a few narrowboat vlogs who use them - sounds like another load of red tape to get my head round ☹
Chapeau, that was awesome. The Bwlch is a monster. Fantastic scenery. I really enjoyed that, thank you. How did you get home? Did you climb back over, or drop down to Treorchy for the train?
Thanks, Don. It certainly is. Thankfully not too long a climb. Cycled back up the mountain and back down the way I came and back to Sarn. Quicker train for me ☺️
One of my local rides the Bwlch, was cold just watching the video 👍
Brill! What do you ride for the mountains?
lovely up of aberdare :)
I should get over that way ☺️
@@MadisonTen lol enjoy the ride :)
ruclips.net/video/ESFJUbbiGOM/видео.html
@ bit to cold up over there for me, gwent loop is a nice run, from brynmawr to abergavenny on the old railway line opposite the rock in through the tunnels. around to crick howell n brecon, then up over talybont on usk, to merthyr via the lakes n brecon mountain railway :)
That's good to know. I've not been around the Brynmawr area yet, I've done little parts of those like Talybont on usk but not via the Beacons. Food for thought ☺️
One brave girl im from the Rhondda i never seen any body go that way , was that an electric bike ? . I use to walk that path every week at black mill , i want to do Rhonnda to porthcawl one day .
I ain't no brave girl, lol. Black mill is a nice place to walk. Lots of old railway things to find. No, not an electric bike, just pedal power.
If you think you can do it then plan your ride to Porthcawl. It's a great challenge.
So.....last night.....where did you go dancing in Cardiff ?
Lol, absolutely no dancing. Just a show 🤣
Hello MT, notifications working just fine 😊
Yay! ☺️
how do you like our new Trains in wales ? ,,,, myself i love them , just would like too see the little shits have some respect for them ! bike packing 10 pionts
Yeah they seem pretty good, I don’t get to see new metro trains very often as they’re not always on my line, I tend to see the ones that look a bit like they were made for the military and difficult to get the bike through the door, though the cycle space under the shelf is really good ☺️ hopefully we’ll see more metro trains soon and hopefully TFW will look after them.
The loneliness of a long distance cyclist.
Solitude. 🚴🏻♀️🏔