The Wayfarer Pass by Ron Trill

"Wayfarer" was the pen name of W.M.Robinson, a cyclist of some renown who wrote regularly in the magazine "Cycling" until shortly before his death in the nineteen-fifties. Soon after the Great war, in March 1919, I believe, he undertook with companions a rather snowy crossing over the Nant Rhyd Wilym pass in the Berwyn mountains of North wales, between Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceirlog and Cynwyd, a few miles to the West of Llangollen. His subsequent account of this crossing entitled "Over the Top" which appeared in "Cycling" stirred the imagination of many cyclists and in fact became one of the most celebrated of all articles printed by that magazine. After his death a subscription to provide a suitable memorial was opened and in due course one was erected at the top of the Nant Rhydd Wilym, which henceforth has been known as the "Wayfarer Pass". In 1982, the C.T.C. Birthday rides were based on Chester, and one day was set aside for a mass picnic at the top of this pass by all four groups of riders. The two easier rides travelled by train to Chirk and rode the twelve miles or so up the Ceiriog valley to the hotel at Llanarnon D.C. for coffee. I believe Wayfarer and his friends had stayed at this hotel before their adventure over the pass. For us, it had been an easy ride so far and although there was a very hard climb ahead, it was a fine August day and we did not have the snow hazard as Wayfarer & Co. did.

Shortly after the coffee stop we entered a track via a gate. While rideable at first, it soon became a shade too rough and steep for comfortable riding, so we joined the majority and walked. There must have been many hundreds of cyclists ahead of us and a very colourful procession it was winding its way up the bare mountain side right to the top. A memorable spectacle. Some of the harder riders tried to ride all the way up, but with the top in sight, one very rocky stretch had them all beaten.

It was a rather crowded summit, especially by the memorial, but we found a spot to sit for a picnic lunch. Not many lingered there. The picnic over, the memorial inspected and photographs taken, most of us were away down the other side, in ones or twos or small groups. This half of the pass was easily rideable, apart from a few patches of loose gravel where one or two riders came to grief. We were soon back in civilisation, near Cynwyd where the pubs were still open and doing an exceptionally good trade for a weekday. Rhewl was the tea stop and a very hilly lane route took us there, to what we thought was a very well deserved tea. It was just 10 miles to Ruabon station for the train to Chester.

This had been the sort of ride which is not only enjoyed, but relived again and again. The top about 1600 feet above sea level does not put this pass amongst the highest in the British Isles. The followers of General Wade, in Scotland, know that! But it is an easy pass, given plenty of time and a fine day. Or it was 14 years ago, and as I have written in an earlier article, things can change in 14 years!

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