One of the first rides we took in Snowdonia was the Lon Las Ogwen which slowly meanders its way from a quay outside of Bangor just over 17 kilometres up to Ogwen Centre adjacent to Llyn Ogwen.
The route begins directly at the quay where it is easy to find parking. Very close to the entrance of the quay the route starts directly under the road bridge which spans the start of the old railway, that has been turned into a cycling an walking route.
Be prepared to have a bell to let people know you are coming as there are plenty of families and dog walkers to navigate in this pretty glen. At the top of the glen the trail snakes its way under the A55 expressway and a little later over a local main road.
Near Tregarth there are two options either to follow the route as intended or take a short cut and save one of the best parts of the route for later, a very well restored and lit 800m railway tunnel.
If you intend to get this experience in early and are not using a GPS keep you eyes peeled as in both experiences of riding this route it is easy to miss and end up on the local roads.
Either way you end up on the small back roads and the sign posting picks up well again. At Coed-y-parc the route climbs into a small industrial estate which would have no doubt been a sidings yard for the train’s waiting to enter or leave the nearby Penrhyn quarry.
The quarry is now home to Zip World and you pass the entrance before skirting round the enormous hills of scree before dropping past the pretty waterfall by the Ogwen Bank holiday park.
Then after a few rollover ups and downs around the scree of the quarry the valley opens up and Lon Las Ogwen comes into view. Snowdonia might not have the highest mountains but the way they climb suddenly from the sea makes this one of most accessible yet dramatic short rides.
Suddenly it feels like you are in deepest Wales as the mouth of the valley is opening to swallow you up. The trail stay relatively straight and true with a slight incline until the scenery becomes more dramatic and makes the steep climb in the last two kilometres to the Ogwen Centre.
The centre has a small kiosk serving hot drinks and pies and is a chance to take in the scenery and admire hikers off into the mountains tops. Once refreshed the top of the route is a great opportunity to take in the valley looking out to Bethesda and beyond.
The route has ended at this point and the return to Bangor is back the way you came. If you missed the old tunnel on the way up make sure not to miss it on the way back down the valley. It is well lite and pathed, a real delight to ride through.
The route takes just over 32km taking two hours riding in total. With picture stops and a cup of tea at the centre the total time is closer to 3 hours. It is a realtively unchallenging easy route, and a great intro to cycling in Snowdonia. The second time of riding we took the chance to ride aorund Bangor and take in the old pier, why not while you are there.
Gravel Shack 