I have just returned from a wonderful week away in the Lakes and South Wales. You all know I like to share our journeys with you. For once this was not a van trip and we stayed with our friends in the lakes and booked a cottage in Wales. This was all booked around two days bike park wales which turned in to three days. There were 5 of us travelling. This was a mostly mountain biking trip.
Day one was a long drive from Mallaig to our friend's house in the south lakes near Windermere. 8 hours driving time. We left early so we could do a couple of local routes 7 miles in total. One was the biggest slippy slab I have ever ridden. The bonus about seeing our friends in the lakes is I get to see their little boy and I know I am biased but he is the best little boy in the world.
We booked with walescottageholidays.co.uk to stay in 7 Maes y Cribarth in Abercraf for five nights. This has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer. It had all the mod cons you could want and more. One huge bonus for us was it has an outside bike wash and ground anchor lock so you can lock your bikes up safely. The cottage was alot bigger in real life and it was decorated to a high standard and super clean. We made full use of the kitchen and cooked a couple meals in it. It really had everything you need for cooking meals. There are quite a few large supermarkets within 15 minutes drive. One of the things I really like is the cottage was in a super quiet location and had the cutest horses in the field outside. I would highly recommend booking with wales cottage holidays.
This was the perfect location for us as bike park wales is under 30minute drive and there were lots of other biking in the area.
Day three and four were very similar as we had bike park wales both days. We were up at 7am and out the door for 8am to head to the park for registration and to get the first uplift at 10am. If you don't know what bike park wales is it is a purpose-built mountain bike park in Merthyr Tydfil, It has trails for all levels of riders and best of all you don't have to pedal uphill as there is an uplift service. I love bike park wales. On the first day, we did 41.9 miles and on the second 38.3 miles. If I can give you one piece of advice do not go on the weekend it was quite busy.
Day Five
We were all quite exhausted from the previous few days but headed to Afan forest. Before we headed off we got chatting to the lovely man in the bike shop. If you are ever in the area pop in, he gives awesome advice. My husband had an issue with his carbon crankset. I couldn't recommend him more. it was a physically exhausting and mentally draining 10.4-mile day. My body was not working and to be honest, near was my mind. We had a bit of a check and noticed there were still tickets for bike park wales on Day seven. Well, t It would be rude not to right?
Day Six
I was a broken woman and a welcome day off, We headed into Swansea for a nice walk around the marina and lunch. I needed this day off.
Day Seven.
It was checking out morning at the cottage. up early and out for another day at bike park wales. So we headed off for another 50.6-mile day at my idea of Disney land. Bike park wales is so much fun but if you time it right like we did it was so quiet we had the trails to our self in the afternoon. Giving us time to really have fun and try and get a few full runs in. It is so lucky I don't live closer as I would be broke I would want to go all the time. After another fun day, it was time to head back up the road to our friends in the lakes.
Day eight.
Boo it is home time already. But before we head up the road there is always time for a quick blast round Grizedale. This is our friend's local trails and he knows them quite well so we got to have fun on some local very muddy and slippy trails. It was a very fun and exhausting week but one of the best trips of the year.
Love reading blogs about travel you need to go check out my friend Phil's Post about how to avoid a journey from hell with children. You won't be disappointed.
MissLJBeauty*
