HEOL-Y-MYNYDD

GARNSWLLT, AMMANFORD

On my way to ride Betws Mountain I accidentally took a wrong turn and found myself on this climb, and I loved it. I’ve marked the start in Garnswllt but it’s a real slog to get there – you have to climb up from the River Cathan to reach the centre of the village. Once there, take a left and you’ll hit the climb proper. It’s tough. Straight for a while, it then bends right before banking hard left. This steep bend leads into a couple more deviations that take you past the last of the houses and out on to open land. Up ahead the road curves round to the right, hugging the hillside and teetering on the edge of a near vertical drop to the left. The drama of this short stretch is reason enough to visit this road, the perilous nature of the slope enhancing the fantastic views. Once through this section you head back on to the mountain and the slope eventually fades, the crest of the climb revealing another road to be discovered, snaking away into the distance.