Proposals for new adventurous mountain bike trails in Elan Valley

The Elan Valley Trust has been working with trail design specialists Back on Track for more adventurous bike trails at Llanerchi Woods.

In a bid to accommodate more experienced mountain bikers the Trust has come up with proposals for two new trails of varying difficulties designed to  "bridge the gap" between easy and difficult mountain bike trails in the picturesque Elan Valley.

If given planning permission the new trails will broadly begin at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre. Both the Red and the Blue trails are likely to be wholly within Welsh Water-owned Llanerchi Wood.

Quoted in the Powys County Times, Jennifer Newman, of Elan Valley Trust said:

"The development of a new woodland biking trail will complement and enhance the current mountain biking available at Elan.

 "Our proposal is for a new route, utilising some existing forestry tracks and installing new ones, to create a circuit.

"The route will be a ‘stacked’ trail, which means there will be two trails of varying difficulty, one above the other.

"The lower trail will be a moderate blue trail, which will be designed for intermediate mountain bikers with basic off-road riding skills.

"Above will be a longer more difficult red trail, which will be designed for more proficient mountain bikers with "more technical sections.

"These new routes are designed to provide progression in cycling abilities and bridge the gap between easy and difficult mountain biking routes in the Elan Valley.

"There will be a few technical features designed within the trail, such as berms, rollers and climbing switchbacks."

"The construction of the new blue and red trails will provide the much desired for circular routes."

The existing Elan Valley Trail is graded as green, which is designed for beginner and novice cyclists.