THE line of vintage lorries taking on one of Snowdonia's steepest mountain passes were putting my own efforts to shame.
I honestly thought, with the Rover's engine note rising from its usual simmer to an urgent third gear hum, that I was doing well. The A470 just south of Bleanau Ffestiniog is a bit of a desolate place at the best of times, packed with challenging corners and tricky inclines, and I summised that I done rather well there on what was a wet, cold and windy morning in the wilds of Wales.
Then I saw the parade of ERFs, Scammels and Cammells chugging faithfully up the other side (albeit rather more slowly, and presumably on their way to a show somewhere). The same road that broken me into a sweat was no problem at all for lorries older than my parents. Still, that was the only downside of two days of being let loose on the wonderful, empty roads of one of my favourite parts of the world.
I love driving in Wales for all sorts of reasons. There is, for example, the cerebral joy of pulling up in places with names like Cwmllecoediog, and the frustration of trying to pronounce them properly. Then there's the food, the drinks and the people you come across on your travels, all of which are second to none. But best of all are the miles and miles of empty roads which wind their way across some of Britain's most rugged scenery. Some of the best ones, like the famed Evo Triangle, are little pieces of petrolhead heaven less than two hours from Liverpool and Manchester.
Usually, I'd head towards the Horseshoe and Llanberis Passes but this time a journalistic assignment in Dolgellau gave me the chance to discover some equally cracking driving further south than I'd usual venture, but it's well worth a try. If you ever find yourself in Dolgellau with a couple of hours to kill, enough money to pay for 100 miles of motoring and even a vaguely nice car then I can happily reccomend the following; the A487 to Aberystwyth, A44 as far as Llanidloes, the backroads past the beautiful Llyn Clywedog reservoir, hit the A470 at Llanbrynmair and then blast yourself over the mountains back to your starting point.
It's hard work, but you'll love it. I just wish I could drive roads like these more often...
David Simister's review of his destination in Dolgellau - the charming Cross Foxes hotel - will appear in the next issue of GR8Life Magazine.
