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OUTDOOR SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
Snowdonia and the Dyfi Valley are world renowned areas of natural beauty and a place to explore and take part in a variety of exciting outdoor activities. Then after a day of adventure you can come home to The Lodge for a restful evening. With a blazing fire and a comfy bed for a good nights sleep you will feel refreshed for another day of excitement tomorrow.
See below for a selection of the adventurous activities you can take part in locally.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
Welcome to the heart of mountain biking country!
The ClimachX was built in 2005 and is sited in the Dyfi forest on the doorstep of Fronwen. It's one of the best purpose built Enduro/Downhill trails in the country. The full route is a 15km round trip, with 9km of built single track with compressions and whoops, rock slab drop offs and some beautiful flowing turns. The last descent is one of the longest in Wales and features rocky jumps. The finale is a sequence of eight huge berms following quickly after each other. Hit them high enough and fast enough and they ride really well, but don't look down! Maps can be found on: www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk
For local guided bike tours and supported days out on the trail just speak to James at Fronwen or our local Guide Dave at BikeCorris (Advance booking required). Also see our Guided ride weekends (Click here)
We offer Mountain bike hire delivered to you at Fronwen Lodge. Click here for more information and booking
CLIMBING
Snowdonia is famous for its climbing and it's just an hour or so away but if you check out www.midwalesclimbing.com you'll find even more just that bit closer to home.
For a Snowdonia climbing adventure you'll never forget there are many companies that offer guiding and teaching. North Wales has some of the best crags in the World!
The Mach Trails are classic XC mountain bike routes featuring big countryside and big skies. Although out of favour when (gravity) Enduro exploded into the UK, they are experiencing a resurgence thanks to the rise in Gravel/Adventure/Bikepacking styles of riding.
There are main Mach Routes all starting from the nearby Town of Machyllneth (10km easy ride away) so just a nice warm up. "Mach 1" is 21km long up to "Mach 3" which is 31km and will take you about 3 hours.
All the trail maps again can be downloaded from: www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk
DYFI BIKE PARK
Owned and Built by the Atherton Dynasty, Dan has created the newsest, most impressive and exciting downhill centre in the country. Book your uplift day pass at www.dyfibikepark.co.uk
SURFING
Cardigan Bay is great for surfing, it might not have the biggest waves, but the sea is clean and in the right conditions the surf is good.
Good places to take your board by car with easy access to the beach are:Aberporth, Llangrannog, Cwmtydu, Poppit Sands [bit of a walk at low tide] and Aberaeron.
OFF ROAD & 4X4 DRIVING
If you are into your off road and 4x4's then you'll already know where to find some real gem's in these parts. Horseshoe (AKA B@stard Lane) and Happy Valley are two Lanes within easy reach of Fronwen.
RIVER RAFTING
45 minutes drive from the Lodge is the national watersports centre. Book a taster experience or a full on course. With Natural white water rapids on the River Tryweryn controlled by the release of the Llyn Celyn reservoir .
CYCLING
Hills, hills, hills! If you love the hills and you love breathtaking routes and scenery this is the place for you. With great A and B roads perfect for cyclists it no wonder on a weekend hundreds of enthusiasts descend on this area to make the most of this beautiful place.
For some great routes just talk to us and let us know how far you want to go and how much climbing you fancy doing!
TRAIL RUNNING
With forestry trails right outside the door to Fronwen Lodge you are spoilt for choice for trails to run. Ether head into the forest or take a short drive to one of our local dedicated trail centres where trails are clearly marked and you will be well looked after. Tan Y Coed is 5 minutes up the road or Beics Brenin a picturesque 25 minute drive away.
KAYAKING & SAILING
Lake Bala is a great place for kayaking and sailing. It's just a 40 minute drive away and you can hire water craft and then spend the day messing about on the lake. It's shallow, safe and clean.
STAND UP PADDLE BOARDING
Fancy having a go at the new "in" thing in leisure watersports? SUP is all about chilling out and paddling around in beautiful scenery. Check out these guys below to book a session.
WALKING AND HIKING
If you are a walker you will already know the splendor of Snowdonia National Park. Around Fronwen there are numerous routes right out of the door that are both easy or more challenging. The Pen y Bryn Trail climbs the hillside, passing ruined farmsteads and giving wide views. A variety of Slate Walks also start nearby.
Cader Idris Mountain
No one is certain where the name Cader Idris (Idris’ chair) originates. Some maintain that Idris was a national hero, killed in battle against the Saxons round about 630 A.D. Some insist that he was a giant, and yet others link Idris with the legend of Arthur. The Minffordd Path route to the summit of Cader is probably the shortest route to the summit but involves the most ascent (869m). It is a 6 mile and 5 hour walk in total there and back and takes in some challenging but walkable mountain paths and views of the stunning Llyn Cau Lake, a perfect example of a "corrie" or "cirque".
Click here for more information and a route map,
Machynlleth Mach Trails
The Mach Trails are primarily advertised as cross counrty mountain bike routes but lend themselves just as well to great loop walks to and from Machynlleth. The original maps are available for you to download from the Dyfi Mountain Bike Page, and they are currently working to produce new signage, maps and GPX files. Head out towards Aberdyfi from Machynlleth and you will get some amazing views of the estuary.
Mach Loop - Military low flying plane spotting
The Mach Loop is a set of valleys nearby to Fronwen which are regularly used for low level flight training, with flying as low as 250 feet (76 metres) from the nearest terrain. It's a spectacular sight and sound when the planes fly BELOW your vantage point! Click here for more.
