Maybe I should have named this Mawddach Trail #2 as when Paul and the bois first tried this route last year sometime, they only managed a few miles in before they had to turn around due to the rain and the hail.  Aaah, Wales! ;)

So the Mawddach Trail has been on our to do list ever since then.  Easter Monday, having the best weather forecast over the weekend seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.

The Mawddach Trail footpath walk and cycle route winds for 9.5 miles (15km) along the disused railway track on the southern edge of the spectacular Mawddach estuary. Whilst the trail can be joined at several points it starts at the picturesque market town of Dolgellau and finishes by crossing the iconic railway bridge over the mouth of the estuary into Barmouth.

Taken from the Mawddach Trail Website

Penmaenpool Bridge looking pretty.

If there wasn’t people walking or biking along the trail, there were people canoeing.

The Mawddach Trail is a stunning multi-use path following the old disused railway line along the edge of the beautiful Mawddach estuary in Southern Snowdonia.  The almost exclusively traffic–free route, which is owned by the Snowdonia National Park, is clearly marked, and can be easily followed.  It is essentially flat, has a fairly even surface and for most of its length is at least 3 metres wide, and as such it is suitable for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users.

The bois were putting me in my place by making it look so easy…I’m putting my lack of fitness or more precisely, being the one always at the back…way back…down to a cold I had plus my brakes were rubbing on my wheel giving me that extra workout…

As we approached Barmouth, the clouds were breaking and suddenly an ice cream at Barmouth was becoming more of a reality.

Crossing the railway bridge was a bit bouncy on the bikes and by this point I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!  {Ignore the Debbie Downer in me in this post, it is one of the pretties bike rides I have ever done, so it was all worth it!}.

I captioned this on IG with “Mawddach Trail has finished me for the day…worth it for these views though!”… #truestory

Ice Cream Pit Stop with these views!  It doesn’t get much better than that.  My little heart skipped a beat when Alf mentioned he wasn’t too sure if he could bike back and maybe Paul should bike back by himself and pick us up in the car.  And then it didn’t when Paul encouraged Alf to at least try it and see how he gets on.  Or was that bribery, because during this discussion there was hot chocolate and cake being passed around the table.

And then we were back on the bikes, heading back to Dolgellau.

You have no idea how I wished this was me a couple of times. ;)

The image above should have been enough to push me on…

But no, it was this.  Master Robb Lowe trying to out do me…and out do me did.  It seems the competitiveness runs in the family.

Penmaenpool Bridge still looking pretty on the way back.

A great afternoon and one I would definitely recommend with or without kids.

17 miles cycled, 1 Strawberry & Cream, 1 Honeycomb, 1 Ferrero Rocher and 1 Chocolate Ice Cream Consumed followed by hot chocolate and a chocolate fudge cake.  You know, proper fuel.

I’ll finish it with these two images that I found on my phone that the bois had taken in the car, it’s a wonder they biked there and back to be honest!