Snowdonia zip line. BKCC Trip

[Krazyken]

Colin

Dave Bence and I are in please let us know what you need to book the hotel.

[Moleman]

Cool no problem Dave. 


            1, Moleman   +  Zip line
            2, The gaffer  + Zip line
            3, Speedy J    + Zip line
            4, Iancider     +Zip line
            5, Krazyken
            6. dave_bence + zip line

I will booking these tomorrow. If anyone else decides they would like to go to this? I will see if there is still room at our hotel for you. If not you will have to sort something out close by.

[Krazyken]

Colin

Just been through all the reviews for these hotels on Trip Advisor and only the Royal Victoria has consistently good reviews,  The others are average to poor.  As Iancider has had a good experience here as well, my vote would be for this hotel, it seems to be worth the extra.

[Moleman]

I will look into it mate. 

[Moleman]

Everything is booked.    If anyone else would like to join us you are still welcome. 
So far we are 2 westys & 2 soft tops   

[Moleman]

Some Zip line information for the guys going to do this.

Arrive on Time: Please ensure you arrive on time (10 mins prior to your start time). Adventurers who are late or miss their session, together with on-the-day cancellations, will be charged at full price and not be refunded.

Clothing: We advise you to wear clothing that you won't mind getting dirty or even slightly damaged. Dress for the weather. Sandals or shoes without laces are unsuitable. Training shoes or walking boots are recommended. Long hair must be tied back. Jewellery and body piercings should be removed or taped over.
Parking: Available on site, follow any directional signposts.
Toilets: W/Cs available on site.

Dogs: Dogs are permitted at Zip World, but they must remain on a lead at all times

Site Closure: Sometimes Zip World has to be closed at short notice due to bad weather (lightning, high winds, snow or ice). If this happens we will try to contact you. This is made easier if mobile telephone numbers have been provided at the time of booking.

If you have any queries, enquiries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.

PLEASE NOTE: If weather determines site closure on your day of booking we will try to notify you as soon as possible. You will not receive a refund, but will receive an open voucher to return at a time of your choosing as per our terms and conditions. Also note that you are coming to a mountainous environment and you must dress for the weather conditions.

PLEASE NOTE: Riders must arrive 10 minutes prior to booking time for registration, ALSO please be aware late arrivals, 20 minutes into a booking or thereafter, maybe moved to the next available time slot, this is dependent on availability.

If you guys have any questions then let me know & I will find out for you.

[Iancider]

I suddently realised today at ten oclock that exactly one month today, I will be on my way to Snowdonia to experience the closest thing to flying as I zoom down Europe's longest zip wire.

Yeehahhh!!!

[Bulldog Bri]

Hope your gonna have your GoPro cam stuck to your head

[benchmark51]

Don't forget to take a spare pair of shorts.

[Moleman]

you can always join us Dave. 

[benchmark51]

I don't think so, I control my movements with a balanced diet thankyou.

[Iancider]

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SNOWDON CONVOY 19th July

I can promise you all a spectacular journey up with incredible scenery.  It is a long jouney with nearly six hours driving but nearly four hours of rest stops.  There is no need to worry about fuel - the fuel stops and comfort breaks are planned.  We have an excellent lunch stop near Dollgellau for around 12:40.

As this is the longest convoy we have attempted, I have broken it down into a series of Sat-Nav way-points.  That way if the convoy breaks please just make your own way to the next way-point.  You will also have the phone number of my able Navigator to keep me informed if the tail has dropped-off.  It would be a really good idea to drop the waypoints into your sat-nav before you go so that at each stage you just need to call them from the recently found list.  I will also give everybody a route card with full details so if you get lost without sat-nav you will still be able to find your way.

Meet at ALDI car-park Bradley Stoke  Brook Way, Bradley Stoke BS32 9DA - enter via Ferndene. Arrive at 7:15 to depart 7:35 prompt (The shop does not open till 8:00)
We will have a comfort stop just 20 minutes in at the Severn View services on the M48

Crossing the old Severn Crossing you will need £6.40 ready in an envelope.  It is important you get through quickly and catch-up because we exit immediately after the bridge on the A466 to Chepstow.  There is a long lay-by at the begining of the dual carriageway and I intend to wait there if the convoy breaks.  DO NOT miss that A466 turn off the M48 or you will have a 16 mile detour!

Comfort stop Usk NP15 1EG
Fuel stop LD3 7EN Brecon
Half a mile later comfort break and refreshments - Morrisons LD3 7SE
Lunch at Cross Foxes Bar/Grille near Dolgellau LL40 2SG at about 12:40
Fuel Stop, Tesco Porthmadog LL49 9NU
Bedgellert, comfort stop and walkabout LL49 9NU
Craig-y-Dderwen hotel  Betwys Y Coed LL24 0AS at about 17:10 - there is fuel at the Shell petrol station right outside

168 miles, elapsed time = 9.5 hours, driving time = 5 hours 55 mins, Rest stops 6, total: 3 hours 35 minutes, Fuel stops = 2 + destination, 85% scenic, no narrow roads

There will also be a route card for the for Sunday/Return as well which I can give you to also programme the return way-points.  That will be a different route and also very scenic route via lake Vyrnwy - is a little quicker and more direct:

146 miles, elapsed time = 7.5 hours, driving time = 5h 30mins. Rest stops 4 (Pub Lunch), total: 2 hours, Fuel stops = 2, 75% scenic, no minor roads - dispersal point (and another fuel point) will be the Severn View services on the M48 - make your own way from there. Estimated time at dispersal point 19:05

[Moleman]

Sounds great mate. Thanks for doing this. 

[dave_bence]

Thanks Ian

Looking forward to this event

[paintman]

Should be a great video Colin, with your camera attached to you helmet I guess...... (on your head before anyone makes the obvious comment)   Lol......    

[Iancider]

Okay,

Heres the latest on the weather for the whole route over two days.

Saturday a.m. - very likey to get wet with thundery stoms up to lunch time where it might even be sunny.  By mid afternoon we have a long rest and walkabout planned and it could be good with a small risk of a shower.  Early evening as we arrive it could be bright and sunny with a small risk of light showers later in the evening.  The forecast for sunday is pretty good - low risk of occasional showers and low wind means the the zip-wire looks promising.  Some sun, cloud and a small risk of showers on the way back but good sun as we arrive back in Bristol.

So today's forecast  not nearly as bad as was forecast yesterday but mid morning Saturday could be challening.  It might be raining as you set out to the rendezvous tomorrow otherwise the decision to put the roof on could be taken in the Aldi Car-park.  If we go topless and it looks risky later on I will stop the convoy soemwhere to put our roofs on.  Sorry Dave it looks like wet-suit for you

[benchmark51]

Hope the weather is good for you and you have a good time riding the ziiiiiiip line. Don't forget your spare shorts. Hope the thorms don't bring any lightning and you all make it down without getting any crispy bits!
(sorry couldn't resist)

[Moleman]

Can't wait & hoping for good weather. 

[dave_bence]

Sorry Dave it looks like wet-suit for you

Not this time Ian, I'm double-driving Ken's MGF

His car has lots of useful features like a roof, windscreen, doors etc

[Pilgrim Anna]

Sounds fun, but too pricey for us at the moment!

['The Gaffer']

Well what a day!!! Fantastic!!! Great company as usual along with great weather. Oh, and the zip lines were truly amazing. Thanks Ian & Colin for organising this one.

Keep checking out this thread as there will be videos and pics posted over the next week of us nutter's flying down pieces of steel rope at 100mph and 500ft in the air

[Moleman]

It was a ready good few days. 

We started out at 7.15 am while the heavy rain came down.


But when we set off if was only light rain for most of it.










When we stopped for lunch the sun came out & when we went to set off again it was tops off.


Then one last stop before we got to the hotel for ice cream & Ian's drugs fix. 



Then day 2.


Phil on the first one.


Then the nervous wait for the big one.







Vidoe's to follow guys. 

[alastair]

Looks like you had a great time guys!

[Hairy Santa]

Looks like the lot of you had one hell of a time, my hat is off to the girls for doing it as well

great photo's, cant wait for the video's 

[WALNUT]

I can only see 4 cars at meeting point.

[Bulldog Bri]

great photo's, cant wait for the video's

Expect Ian's compiling it now with some suitable music

[dave_bence]

Fab weekend

Big thanks to Ian and Colin for their efforts

The soggy start:


Lunch stop:


Fastest hood removal competition:




Afternoon stop in the very pretty village of Beddgelert:






The race to the ice cream shop:


Our "interesting" hotel, quite an experience :










But we all survived and were still smiling in the morning:


Then my camera battery went flat - hopefully others have more photos and videos of the Zip World experience to post up.
Definately one of the maddest but most enjoyable things things I've ever done

[Moleman]

Here is 2 more I have just found.
Ian & Dave about to go down the first one.

Me & Rach about to go down the first one

[Moleman]

Ok I'm sorry to say not all my video's came out. 

but here's the ones I have. They have not been edited so any of you guys that want a copy can edit them to their liking if they want to copy it. 

The first run on the little one. Me & Rach line up & watch Dave Bence & Iancider go before us.


The next one is Iancider & Dave Dence going down the big one


Then closely followed by The Gaffer & SpeedyJ


Then Me & Rach going down the big one.
You may want to fast forward it to when we are about to go as it goes on a bit as I haven't edited it.

[Hairy Santa]

Brill 

[garry h]

Great story glad you all had good time 

[Iancider]

Excellent vids Colin. 

[WALNUT]

Looks as though it was worth the long drive

[Iancider]

Hoping to pop-up some more video soon but it is going to be a week.

I ended up having an AA rescue having broken down in a lane that was about as remote as they get.  I got an instant failure while travelling slowly - with combustion in the rocker cover that blew a couple of the plug-leads off.  It took 5 hours to be picked up and a two-trailer relay haul to get us home and we crept into bed at 03:00.

But there is good news and it is now fixed.  I have never seen this before but a spark plug blew-out and I had zero warning.  My internal combustion engine became a hybrid and did some external combustion as well.  I've replaced the plug and remade two spark-plug caps and its running well again.  Just got to recover some sleep now.

[YellaBelly]

Looks like you guys had a great time! You need to go again though Colin, you kept your head looking down instead of ahead for a more dramatic shot lol!

Kudos to you all for doing it too I love the big coasters, but not sure how I'd feel about doing that one

[benchmark51]

He was looking down to spot a soft bit to land on, just in case.

At least there were no cones!

[YellaBelly]

Good point! lol!  

['The Gaffer']

Great vids!!! There is no describing how you feel when the countdown is happening

[Moleman]

Looks like you guys had a great time! You need to go again though Colin, you kept your head looking down instead of ahead for a more dramatic shot lol!

The camera had shifted in the bracket mate that's why it wasn't a good shot as the first. 

I'm glad you got your car sorted already Ian. 

It was a good weekend guys & like Walnut says well worth the long trip. 

[Krazyken]

Ian, sorry to hear about your woes on the way home.

Having seen this close up, I vote for Walnut & Hairy to team up down the wire next year with the added benefit of 2 nights in the "weird" hotel.  It was a cross between Fawlty Towers and the Bella Vista from the Only Fools & Horses Margate trip.

I might even put my Doctors Sicknote away and have a go myself!