Valleycat 2 Event Notes: Issue 0 Explanatory Info for Prospective Riders Controls Released: 7pm Friday 22nd April Ends: 7pm Sunday 24th April Tymawr / Ysbyty Cynfyn Base camp for the weekend; Tymawr (‘Big House’) is an unassuming and traditional Welsh Hill Sheep Farm located Ceredigion, 15 miles from Aberystwyth. The farm sits next to the hamlet of Ysbyty Cynfyn in the Valley of the Afon Rheidol (River Rheidol) which flows from Nantymoch in the North to Devils Bridge Falls to the South. To the east gravel tracks take you through forests to mountain bothies (supposedly haunted). Beyond lies the Elan and Abergwesyn Valleys. Numerous lakes and reservoirs surrounded by rugged hills of steep grades and littered with abandoned mines. Red Kites circle overhead and slender blades of wind farms chop away at the skies from bald hill tops. There is a feel of the wild west about the place sometimes, but a bit smaller, with more sheep and 12th century abbeys. The farm is host to many expedition and disaster scenario training activities. Some of the best cycling roads in the UK also happen to live here. Use the Ordnance Survey grid reference SN 75742 79124 to find the exact location of the camp. The Aim of the Game The aim of the Valleycat is to collect as many controls as possible during the event hours which begins at 7pm on Friday Evening and ends Sunday Evening at 7pm. This gives riders 48 hours. For Valleycat 2 there will be many controls spread out across Mid-Wales and it may be possible but it is in no way expected that riders will be able to collect them all. For this edition there will also be a few bonus controls available on non-paved routes. These route sections will be described in more detail when controls are revealed. The intention is every rider gets the chance to test themselves, their equipment and finding their way around unfamiliar territories. It is not to make it so challenging as to set riders up for failure but collecting every control is not a given and dropping one or two is no shame. Assistance is not denied or prohibited if needed but riders are of course encouraged to work things out for themselves. For some the simple act of becoming more involved in the planning and route finding activity will be a significant step, those more accustomed may choose to challenge themselves to a full solo completion or to a target time. Riders may ride alone or in groups. We ask that you be courteous to other riders don’t follow someone else without their permission. Controls Controls information will be revealed in the barn at Tymawr at 7pm on Friday. Riders may then start whenever they like. Some preparation time is recommended and is key to success. Once a rider collects their tracker then they will receive a start time and they will receive a finish time when it is handed in. There will be opportunity to study online and paper maps and wifi available at the barn (its speed may of course be limited) Controls in Valleycat are passive - which means that they are not manned and riders are responsible for providing evidence that they have visited. This typically involves taking a picture. Riders will required an image collecting device. Directions: From the East/West Take the A44 East from Aberystwyth (12 miles) or West from Llangurig (12.6 miles) to Ponterwyd, Turn south onto the A4120. After 1 miles the A4343 joins the road from the left, continue straight on, Tymawr is the next turn on your left after 1/4 mile. Look out for a Valleycat sign on the gate. From the South Tymawr is situated just off the A4120 approximately 1.7 miles north of Devils Bridge. After 1.5 miles you will come across a small hamlet (a fee houses and a church) on the left, Tymawr is the next turn on the right. Look out for a Valleycat sign on the gate. Car Parking There will be plenty of space for parking on site or close by. Please look for and follow signs and instructions when you arrive, especially if the ground is wet. Camper vans are welcome but may not necessarily have access to the camping field. Let us know if you intend to bring a camper van so we can reserve a bay on the stone track next to the camping field. Camping Camping for Friday and Saturday night is included. Please bring your own tent. The camping field is basic and located near the entrance to the farm. It is served by composting toilets and hot showers. There will be two army mess tents for communal area, food and shelter during the day. At night these will be available to use for riders to take short sleeping breaks in. There will be a member of the Valleycat team at camp during the day and on call in the night but we cannot responsible for you possessions to take care what you leave lying around. Food Food will be available at camp from the mess tents in the camping field on Saturday and Sunday. There will be 2 sittings each day Saturday Breakfast (6-9am) Dinner (6-9pm) Sunday Breakfast (6-9am) Dinner (3-8pm) Your entry will get you a meal voucher for 2 of these 4 sittings. Food will be plentiful and filling and be suitable for vegetarians. Any other dietary requirements please make known to us using the contact details at the end of these notes. Local beers and drinks will be available to purchase after your ride and the communal camp area will remain in place on Sunday night. Sunday night camping will be available for an additional £5.50 per person if you plan to enjoy several beers Phone service. There is some limited coverage near the farm (one or two bars, no 3G or higher). Once out in the hills and valleys this will disappear in many places but there is useable signal in most of the larger towns (Aberystwyth, Rhayader, Machynlleth etc). What to bring Firstly in order to prove your visit to a control you will need a basic image capture device (camera). This can be on a mobile phone, but if you intend to use it frequently then some dual redundancy (a separate dedicated device) or extension battery is recommended. Valleycat is open to all types of bike and is completable on a road bikes, however there may be bonus controls available on non-paved (mainly gravel or rocky) tracks. Our test rides have been completed on 30C semi-slick and 40C gravel tyres so our recommended tyre size would be around 32C with air volume being more important than tread depth. It is feasible to complete the ride during daylight hours only, however it is likely that you will be riding in the dark at some point and you should be prepared for the consequences of delays. Good quality working lights with a bright forward beam and highly visible rear are essential. A torch or head torch is also recommended for all off bike manoeuvres, repairs and as a back up. Night lighting at camp will be minimal. A Helmet is also essential. High visibility clothing is encouraged for riding in low visibility conditions, note that the weather conditions can change quickly in this region and low visibility can occur at any time of day. You will need enough tools and spared to be self sufficient. There are bike shops in the area (listed below) but I wouldn’t rely on them too much. Spare Inner tubes, pump and a small tool kit to suit the fasteners on your bike should be the minimum. We will have a modest tool kit at camp for bigger jobs. A Spare mech hanger is also very useful. Our test ride claimed one such victim. It is also recommended to have your gear indexing in good condition before setting out. It is often the case that skipping chains and crunching gears at the start of the ride become broken components during. Some of the areas you will visit will be remote, depending on the weather there is also a good chance that you will get wet at some point, especially your feet and hands. Spare shoes, socks or gloves back at camp will be useful and if you are riding overnight some lightweight sleeping or bivi kit is also highly recommended. A heat reflective foil blanket and whistle is also highly recommended emergency equipment. Bring plenty of emergency trail food also. Finally good navigation is essential for completion of a Valleycat, you should have a robust and reliable system for navigation or a back up method. Again it is recommended that you do not rely solely on one device for all your electronic needs. A very basic schematic map will be provided in order to give control locations and OS maps will be available to view at camp. However the area involved is large and carry all maps to this level of detail may not be practical. Map Coverage Valleycat 2 will cover a vast area of Mid-Wales. As a guide to the extent of its area the following Ordnance Survey maps may be useful. Outdoor Leisure: OL23 Explorer Series: 187, 199, 200, 213, 214, 215 Landranger: 124, 125, 135, 136, 146, 147 Local Services and opening times Nearest Hospital: Aberystwyth North / West Ponterwyd BP Petrol Station Ponterwyd Aberystwyth Open: 7am - 10pm 1.3 Miles Red Kite Cafe and Takeaway Llywernog Ponterwyd Aberystwyth SY23 2AD Open: 8am - 4pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-8pm 2.6 Miles Nant yr Arian Forest Visitors Centre Bwlch Nant yr Arian Ponterwyd Aberystwyth SY23 3AD 3.5 Miles Druid Inn Goginan Aberystwyth Dyfed SY23 3NT Open: 12pm-12am 6 Miles SPAR 32 Terrace Rd Aberystwyth SY23 2AE Open: 24 hours 14 Miles South The Hafod Hotel Devil's Bridge Aberystwyth SY23 3JL Open: 12-3pm and 7-9pm for food (7-9:30 Fri-Sat) 2 Miles The 3 Bridges Bar Devil's Bridge Aberystwyth SY23 3JL Open: 11am-12am 2 Miles Y Caban Chocolate Shop Devil's Bridge Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 3JL 2 Miles Bike Shops Summit Cycles 65 North Parade, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2JN Open: Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am - 5pm, Sun: Closed Tel: 01970 626061 14 Miles Clive Powell Mountain Bikes Cwmdauddwr Arms West Street Rhayader Powys LD6 5AB 01597 811343 20 miles Contact Details Please contact us with any questions on [email protected] These notes will be updated for all riders with any further information before the event..