Starting in Llandrillo this mountain bike route of 22 miles travels over the hills to the west and south of Cadiar Berwyn. There are some great trails on this route with a mixture of grassy singletrack, slate and rocks. You will have to be willing to work for the payback though. There is a section of just over 1/2 mile that climbs water logged moss to the top of Hafod Hir. It can be a bit of a slog but it's mostly rideable if ridden during very dry periods but if the ground's soft please walk to reduce your impact.

1. Start at the car park by the stream in Llandrillo (GR035371). Exit the car park and turn right over the bridge. At the next junction, with the shop directly ahead, turn left. Go through the houses for a short distance to a junction with a dead end road on the left. Ride past the dead end and follow the lane as it climbs to the right. After the national speed limit signs go past the house at the junction and follow the lane to the left (GR031367). Continue up this lane along the right hand side of the valley and ignore any tracks off to either side. Just after reaching the trees there is a junction at the end of the surfaced road, with a house off to the left. Go straight ahead to climb the broken tarmac double track. This climb eventually comes to a short downhill with a gate near the bottom, where a bridleway crosses the track (GR011343). Ignore the bridleway and continue straight ahead, climbing towards the farm building then on to a junction with the B4391 (GR003332).

2. Turn left on to the road and follow it for about 2 miles to the head of Cwm Rhiwarth, on the right. As the road starts to descend, just after the right then left hand bends, take the rocky double track on the right (GR019300). After a short descent turn left and ride across the head of the valley. Continue straight ahead on the track as it descends to a gate. Once through the gate climb, bearing slightly right, up the muddy double track into a field. The track disappears signifying the start of the 2 mile vague section of this route. Follow the fence on the left to a gate, this is the best opportunity to get your bearings for the next few 100m as there is very little on the ground. After the gate head towards the bridge (GR014296).

3. Go across the bridge then follow the vague double track as it climbs through a tight left hand bend before heading towards the gully of Nant Clach. It is a bit of a push for a while as the going is soft, wet and grassy. Stay high on the right hand lip of the gully, then where the gradient starts to ease off and a vague muddy trail should become visible. The going is still not easy as the riding is now on top of the mossy water catchment area for the waterfalls. Some sections are similar to riding on top of sodden sponge, watch out for the muddy bogs as well. As the trail climbs it becomes more solid and defined, but will still need a keen eye to follow the track through the heather. After a while there is the welcome sight of small rocks where the ground becomes a little firmer. At the top of the moors head for the gate with the beating sticks next to it, but try not to sink in the last 10m of soft moss (GR015285). Just to reassure yourself take note of the bridleway markers on the top of the left hand gate post and be safe on the knowledge that the bogginess is now behind you.

4. Go through the gate follow the vague trail in the direction of the bridleway marker straight ahead and on to the next gate shortly after. After this gate the trail continues to be vague but runs over the top of Cwm Nantewyn never straying too far from the fence on the left. After a while the trail drops down into the water catchment area of the waterfalls of Nant Ewyn.The trail generally stays high of the thick clumps of reedy grass that signifies the really wet bits before climbing slightly left and coming to some old planks that cross a small stream (GR024279).

5. Finally I can say follow the obvious trail downhill to the right. It soon becomes rocky and twists steeply down the left hand side of the valley and comes out at a gate at the top of the woods. Go through the gate and follow the double track down through two more gates to a junction (GR026268). Take the double track ahead that bears left. Drop down the fast descent to a junction with a steep loose double track climb on the left. Turn left up the short, steep climb then descend to a gate (GR033264). Once through the gate turn right and descend the track. Keep to the wall on the right then go through two gates, just before a house on the left. After the house descend to a junction and turn left on the lane. A short distance later turn right though the gate in the fence, marked as a bridleway. Follow the trail left through a wooded section of track. After a right hand hairpin the descent ends at a gate and a lane (GR309257).

6. Turn left and follow the lane to where it ends at the junction with the B4391, in Llangynog (GR053261). This may be a good place to refuel as there are public toilets and a couple of pubs, but being a small village in Wales don't bank on them being open. Turn left onto the B4391 then go across the bridge to the junction directly after (GR053262). Turn right, then right again at the small junction directly after, and follow the lane up the left hand side of the valley bottom. The lane eventually goes through a right then left hand bend before coming to a junction with a track on the left (GR066262).

7. Turn left through the gate and climb the track towards the farm buildings. Climbing straight up between the buildings to a gate. Go through the gate and climb the grassy track that heads up the right hand side of Cwm Glan-hafon. Just after the valley starts to open out the track becomes rocky and climbs off to the right to a gate. Before you reach this gate drop left and cross the grass to a gate at the far bottom corner of the field that leads to a stream crossing (GR064269).

8. Go across the stream and climb the boggy track on the other side to a junction with a double track on the opposite side of the valley (GR064268). Turn left on the double track and descend to a gate in the drystone wall that runs all the way down from the cliff face on the right. Directly after the gate take the grassy singletrack bearing right off the double track before it descends steeply. After a short, gentle climb bear right and descend on a sweet bit of singletrack through a small wood. At the far side of the wood go through the gate for fun bit of off camber slate sinlgletrack across a scree slope, be careful of the drop on the left though. This track finishes at a junction with a lane at the bottom (GR059264).

9. Turn right and follow the lane into Llangynog. At the first junction in the village turn left to the junction with the main road (GR053262). Turn right and follow the road up the right hand side of Cwm Rhiwath to the head of the valley. Don't start this climb too fast, it is a 3 mile grind to the top. There are stunning views of the valley on your left to take your mind off the pain. At the head of the valley go past a track on the left then take the double track on the right, just after (GR019302).

10. Climb the double track a short way to the top. Descend a short distance from the top to a junction by an information board then take the track on the left. After about 3/4 miles the fast, rocky double track comes to a gate at the trees. After the gate the track changes character, becoming steeper and covered with a lot more loose rocks, even more fun than the first section if you like that sort of thing. Go straight across the junction halfway down. The rocks continue until the track goes through a sharp left hand bend where the descent finishes at a ford by Blean-y-cwm farm (GR022326).

10. Cross the ford then go through the gate on the right and follow the lane for about 2 miles. Turn right at the drystone walled entrance of a farm, situated on a left hand bend just before the lane kicks up to the right for a short climb (GR031356). I know this is marked as a footpath but the bridleway that leads to the farm, a little further down the lane on the right, is impassable with no steeping stones on the deep stream crossing and a fallen wall across the track on the other side. At the farm buildings turn left around the barn then cross the stream. Turn right through the next group of farm buildings. Go straight out the back of the farm, through a gate and up a steep, tight and overgrown track, which comes out at a junction with a wide track (GR036356). Turn right and follow the steep, loose and rocky track as it bears left, uphill. Ignore any tracks off to either side on the climb through the woods. The track leaves the trees and eventually comes out at two gates, one into a field on the left and the other leading onto Cadair Berwyn on the right (GR042352).

11. Go through the gate on the left and descend the increasingly rocky and steep track. Keep going straight ahead along the obvious trail. Be careful on a fast section of the track as some way down it comes to a gate after a slight right hand bend. While doing about 36mph my mate flagged me down and I only just stopped for the gate - I don't know how he did! After the gate follow the grassy trail that climbs a short way off to the right, don't go down the rocky trail descending to the left. After the crest follow the track down to the tarmac. Follow the lane to the where it ends at a junction (GR037371). Turn left then at following junction turn left again. Follow the main road through Llandrillo and return to the car park to complete the ride.