New mountain bike skills track in Mid-Wales
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has announced plans to build a new mountain bike skills area at its popular Mid-Wales visitor centre.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth, already provides trails for walking, mountain biking, running, orienteering and horse-riding.
Now, this new purpose-built track will be a chance for locals and visitors of all ages to practise riding a mountain bike and perfect their technique before tackling the larger and more challenging routes.
Gareth Owen, Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre Manager, Natural Resources Wales said:
“We’re proud to look after such a special site where people can get active – get healthy and enjoy nature’s gym.
“This new area will have a number of loops where riders from beginners upwards can have fun and practise some essential skills.
“The work will start on Monday (21 November). We hope the work will be finished by Christmas but this will of course be weather dependant.
“It’s a great addition to all the other facilities we provide in a spectacular setting at Bwlch Nant yr Arian.”
And the new track will be built in a landscape which is slowly evolving.
Three years ago, most of the trees around the visitor centre were cut to slow the spread of a disease called Phytophthora ramorum which attacks Larch trees.
But now more than 12,000 trees from a wide range of species have been replanted and NRW continues to plant more trees in the area.
Gareth continued:
“The site for this has been carefully selected so that it doesn’t affect the view over the lake.
“After the work has been completed, the area will be landscaped and trees planted around the track.“
This new track is the latest addition to the wide range of world-class facilities which NRW provides for mountain bikers in all parts of Wales.
Bwlch Nant yr Arian is also well known as a red kite feeding station where up to 150 kites are fed by the lake every day, providing a spectacular display.
People can keep up to date with progress and find out the latest news by following Bwlch Nant yr Arian on Facebook, or visiting the Natural Resources Wales website.
