LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Locals do...
Support the cafe and bike shop at Glyncorrwg
Mix things up by riding the White's climb followed by the Skyline descent
Locals don't...
Head out into the hills without tools and spares
Drop litter
I'm not sure how this section is 66 black-graded," I remark to Sam, our snapper, looking disparagingly at the mild gravelly berms we've just descended through. "It wouldn't even classify as a red somewhere like BikePark Wales." Some North Shore boardwalk follows, but it's wide enough that it's not too technical and I remain bemused. Then we reach a marker post with a skull-and-crossbones on it and before I know it we're pinballing down a steep hillside path over sharp rocks and into a series of raised stepping stones. OK, fair enough, this is pretty challenging for a cross-country trail.
Rainbow connections
It's been years since I've ridden White's Level. Back in the day, these wooded valleys north of Port Talbot were a regular venue for MBUK photoshoots and BikeRadar demo days, and were even used for one of the UK's first enduro races, the Kona Mashup. Almost all singletrack, in an era when fireroad climbs were common, this red route (with black options) was a real favourite. Then, an outbreak of phytophthora ramorum (a destructive, algae-like organism) meant many of the trees had to be felled and the main climb rerouted, and the trail just didn't feel the same. It didn't help that around the same time, Afan Forest Park began to be eclipsed as a riding venue by the newer trail centres and bike parks springing up, many of them closer to the Anglo-Welsh border.
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Mountain Biking UK.
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This story is from the March 2023 edition of Mountain Biking UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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