A short but hilly ride over moorland past slate tips and back through Llanberis. Part of the route is along a rough track so a mountain or touring bike is required.
Distance: 12 miles
Time: One and a half hours
At the bottom of the track from Graianfryn, turn right and ride through the village of Penisarwaun. Follow the road as it turns left at a junction, down the hill and across two small bridges, the first over the long closed railway to Llanberis and the second over Afon Rhythallt (afon is Welsh for “river”). Take the left fork in Llanrug, the Penbont pub will be on your right, and ride on up the hill and straight across at the main road junction.
Between the tiny settlements of Ceunant and Groeslon you’ll need to turn left up a very narrow road, unsigned and easy to miss. This becomes a track which you follow between tips of slate spoil from long abandoned quarries. As you approach Llanberis you regain the tarmac to drop steeply down into the village.
Turn left along the High Street and over the by-pass and turn right to “Y Glyn”. The tarmac stops by a gate and you carry on along the trackbed of the former railway branch line past the western shore of the lake. On the eastern side ran the Padarn Railway which transported slates from the Dinorwic Quarry to the sea at Y Felinheli for onward transportation. The lake section was converted to narrow gauge as a tourist railway operated by some of the locomotives that worked on the narrow gauge upper levels of the quarry.
Continue through the tunnel, after which the track brings you out at the main road, cross over and turn right along the path which soon turns left through a pair of gates along part of the old road.
Continue through Brynrefail, there’s an excellent café called “Caban” in the village. At the A4244, you can turn right and ride along the adjoining multi-user path road to the turning for Graianfryn. Alternatively (as shown on the map) take the first left through Penisarwaun and loop back to Graianfryn.