Welsh Munro Tour _ Snowdonia

It wasn’t until the beginning of the 19th Century that the Welsh began to gentrify their largely impassable pack horse trail network through Snowdonia, to improve access for all. This was largely encouraged by rising demands from the slate and copper mining industries, and the need to link London with Ireland (via Holyhead). Fantastic roads, like the current A5 which tracks the valleys through the Ogwen Valley toBangor and Holyhead, the Llanberris Pass, and later the railway network were the result…

These improved communications not only boosted industry, but increased the numbers of outdoor enthusiasts: naturalists, hikers, and climbers (from c. 1850). Consequently, a parallel demand for accommodation arose: Llanberris, Beddgelert, Snowdon Ranger on Lake Cwellyn, Pen-y-Pass, andIdwal/Ogwen Cottages, amongst several others, established themselves as outdoor hotspots. Although route options are limited by the mountainous terrain, these roads and centres are ideal for serving cycle tourists that want to explore Snowdonia and access the 15 Welsh Munros today. Travelling by bike, especially after climbing the high peaks, also helps appreciate these impressive lines of communication even more.

As usual, we gave ourselves just over 3 days – an opportunistic long weekend – to explore by bike and climb a couple of the Munro peaks on foot, making sure not to forget the coastal areas of Snowdonia. A day’s circular ride south could take us to Harlech for some stunning riding and views back to the mountains. Plus we knew of the fantastic Llew Glas cafe & delicatessen in the town to reward that morning’s climbing efforts…

For this Snowdonia cycle tour, the five of us jumped on trains from London with our touring bikes to Bangor on the northern coast – our gateway to the National Park and the Welsh Furth Munro region. From there, we would do a circular tour for three days, travelling around by bike – equipped with our usual cycle touring gear: Forestia outdoor food, cookware andshelter (two tents and two bivvy bags). The only difference would be the additional essential kit: a comfortable backpack for carrying gear on the mountains, trail shoes for keeping us nimble and protected off the bike, and a smaller scale map 1:25000 to help navigate down to footpath detail. This cycle tour was about being in the mountains; making our journey up as we felt fit. The perfect tour in our eyes, and the beauty of cycle touring unsupported…

SANTA FE DEL MONTSENY RESERVOIR

Leaving behind Barcelona, we arrive at Sant Celoni and weave our way along the winding road, first towards Campins and then on to Santa Fe.
Our pace gradually slows down. Our daily lives, the office and the routine are temporarily forgotten. What lies before us are trees and the map Dani is unfolding on the car dashboard.
Just before 9.30am we arrive at l’Avet Blau, the restaurant that normally serves as a starting point for trips around the Santa Fe reservoir. We hear the birds sing as we get out of the car and catch a glimpse of a robin. We have arrived. The restaurant, however, seems to be closed. As we walk we shout out a couple of times in case anyone hears us. We approach the old hostel. A dog barks and we see someone through the window. Finally a man comes out to greet us introducing himself as the one “does all the cleaning here”. He invites us in and gives us a bottle of water. Now, we are ready to go.

The sun comes out and we begin to walk around the edge of the Santa Fe reservoir, leaving behind the sign pointing to Can Lleonart. We cross the stream several times, looking out for crabs and chasing lizards. Little moss remains, but the dampness and the iron in the water make the rocks very slippery underfoot. Jumping from rock to rock, I slip and end up with half my body underwater. The sunshine makes it less of a problem than it would have been a month ago when everything was still icy. Now the water isn’t too cold.
We continue our descent towards the reservoir. We pass the small Estanyol reservoir and its waterfall. We stop to rest in a nook under a rock from where the light reveals the end of the path, the reservoir. Dani refreshes himself, we rest for a while and have something to eat.