Afan Trail Volunteers have re-opened the Genesis section of the Penhydd trail at Afan Forest. Genesis has been shut for 10 years and took three months to repair.

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Laith Madlom from Afan Trail Volunteers explains…

“Trails such as the Afan Valley network have created a lifeline and income to some deprived areas with the decline of coal mining in South Wales by bring tourism to rural areas. Keeping the trail network maintained should help with keeping riders coming back for more and regenerate the valley. Your help in spreading the message would be greatly appreciated!

“Around ten years ago the hillside that the Penhydd route ran over was cleared of its trees for harvesting. As a result some of the trail sections were abandoned and the route redirected down new trail sections. This led to the Penhydd and Blue Scar trails not being link-able in any way when Blue Scar was built several years later.

“By re-opening the Genesis section, we have created a nice way of linking the two trails together. The trail is about 200-300m long and involved clearing 10 years worth of vegetation and reconstructing a stone wall as well as repairing or building features like berms and drops over three months.

“Over the next year, we plan to reopen another old section of trail and start the planning of new trail sections in Afan with the help and approval of Natural Resources Wales.”