Start/Finish Clive Powell’s bike shop, SN 969/679 or alternatively Elan Visitor centre SN 928/647 Total distance 35.3km (21.9 miles) Total ascent 1135m Time 2.5-5 hours Maps OS Landranger (1:50,000) No. 147 Elan Valley & Builth Wells. Or Garmin GB Discoverer 1:50K Southern England and Wales (GPS). Summary Through remote hillsides and submerged trails, down rocky descents and along the bottom and past the top of the dams. 1 From the bike shop, turn right on the B4518 road, out of town and left on Elan cycle path, then eventually turning left down to Elan Village/visitor centre. Cross the bridge and bear left through the village. Turn right at a fork as you start to climb. When you exit the trees and the gradient levels off, turn right at a fork for a big climb. Continue ahead at the top, off road. 2 Keep left on grassy descent, cross streams, following forest edge, and down to/past a farm by the reservoir, keeping left on the minor road (keep the river on your right), joining rocky track behind a barn of the next farm. Follow this all the way to the Claerwan Dam. Go right on the road here for 1km, then go left on a bridleway, steeply uphill. 3 Join a gravel road over the moor, pass a radio mast and enter the woods. Continue steeply downhill to a road by the reservoir. Turn left on the road, over the bridge and go right, then right again, through Elan village. Go up the hill again, keeping left at the fork this time. Continue on a bridleway, riding steeply uphill, over a cross tracks and then right at a junction. 4 Go left shortly on the Wye Valley Walk. Take the steep, rocky descent to a road and go right on this. Turn left at the bottom, beside the water and cross the wobbly bridge. Turn off left on a bridleway and keep ahead on this to the Elan cycle track. Turn right back to the B4518 road, then right again to Rhayader. by wmbsu
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