Drygan Fawr

[mattsccm]

Anyone taken a bike up it, especially from the north? Just wonder how much pushing there is or how rough the pushing/carrying is. GCN did a rather gimmicky video about the approach from the south but that might be my anticipated way off.

[jimlews]

Yes I've been across there.
Started from Dolgoch wilderness hostel: the route proper started at the foot of the Devils Staircase and finished at Rhiwhant below the Claerwen reservoir. A surprising amount was ridable. I wouldn't want to do it in a blizzard, though.

[steve.y.griffith]

You can access from the west : bottom of Devils Staircase or from the Towy Forest via a sheep fold and over Y Drum. South from Abergwesyn start at the east of the village . North East from the Elan valley starting on the Carnau track .
Due North : no there are dangerous bogs even in the dry summer … You could head from Elan to the Llyn Carw (lake of the stag) and take the pass to the west of Drygarn but very hard to find the track if you end up in old mine workings you gone too

Fantastic area but treat with caution no land marks if you can’t see the great cairns , few tracks and bog .

Couple of images from my recent trip stayed at Dolgoch a real hostel (the YHA didn’t want them in their network even as a franchise probably didnt have the right colour coordinated bedding !

[mattsccm]

Cheers chaps.
My original vaue plan was to access from the north east, vai Talwrn and along the bridle way alongside (ish) Caban Coch to Rhiwnant then up the valley to Ddau Faen and then approx west before dropping to the Staircase. Purely to ride up the latter as part of the route.
Would I get more rideable conditions going the other way, based on the fact that you can ride down what you might have to push up.
All this is is intended to be part of a two day loop with an overnight camp somewhere.
We could use the bothy at Moel Prysgau but I suspect it may be in use/busy at the weekend. Not been there for 20 years. Would have to use forestry roads to approach that as the main lane up is not especially rideable and I know what those crossings can be like.
Any other good ideas?

[steve.y.griffith]

Would be more rideable from the west but still enjoyable from the east . The bothy is in good shape but judging by the visitors book well used. If you are on the forestry track above the bothy look for some metal posts restricting width designed to stop motorbikes that drops down to the bothy . If you use the main Towy track it’s very rough quite a bit of bare rock due to 4WDs and you will get wet feet crossing the fords . There has been a huge amount of logging so any map will be out of date