ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN

BRYNREFAIL, CAEMARFON

Hidden below Elidir Fawr sits the Dinorwig Hydroelectric Power Station, and high up above it Marchlyn Mawr, the reservoir from which it draws its water. This is also the home of an incredible climb. To tackle the full 519m, start in Brynrefail. Heading away from town, rise up on a narrow, weaving road, which is hemmed in by ragged stone walls and twisted trees. The opening section ends with a fearsome 20% kick up to the first junction: take a right and then shortly after the next left. You’ve a small, steep ramp and then a long, gentle rise to the final right-hand turn and the most beautiful stretch of this road; once through the gate up ahead, it’s just you and the mountain. As you sweep through a series of large bends, your surroundings are simply majestic – if you didn’t know any better, you could be high up in the Alps. Finish with a flourish, in complete silence, alongside the giant lake in the clouds.