"A broader look at the MTB phenomenon from a beginner's viewpoint"
What about the beginner?
The popularity of mountain biking just keeps on shifting up a gear. And why not? Having fun on a bike in the great outdoors is something almost anyone can do. Guy Kestevens’s authoritative blog post admirably covered the experienced rider’s view of Wales’ trails. Well, 1 good blog post deserves another. So let’s have a broader look at the MTB phenomenon from a beginner’s viewpoint.
Off-road rough-riding has been around for as long as there have been bikes to do it on. You’ll need:
To guide us further we had a chat with the good folks at tyred-out.com, they offer a range of courses aimed at people with all levels of mountain biking experience.
Q: How difficult are the trails?
A: Trails vary in difficulty, depending on the quality of the trail surface, to the design of the trail and its location, as well as the ability of the rider. Generally speaking, a novice rider would be better off starting on a cross-country trail, as these tend to lend themselves to more gentle contour-following riding, with the option of opting out of more technically-demanding sections by riding the forest road adjacent. Once the rider’s confidence and skill level have grown, more ambitious rides can be undertaken, and at greater speed!
Q: What level am I? Intermediate or beginner?
A: From our point of view, a beginner is anyone who can ride a bike and who wants to develop their mountain bike riding skills. An intermediate rider would be someone who has a good level of fitness and some experience of mountain biking, but who wants to develop their skills and techniques to enable them to ride the trails better.
Q: Why do I need a course? Can’t I just get my bike out and ride?
A: Snowdonia has a number of excellent waymarked trails, where riders can turn up and ride on their own. However, having a guide allows you to maximize the day, concentrating on learning and developing the skills and techniques required to ride the trails with speed and confidence, without the dangers of getting lost, hurting yourself and losing confidence. Also, a guide can take riders to places off-the-beaten track - hidden gems of riding where skills can be developed away from the crowds!
Q: What are your favourite trails in Snowdonia?
A: Snowdonia, and Wales as a whole, has some of the best mountain biking in the world, with the Penmachno Trail arguably one of the best cross country trails in the country, suited to a wide range of mountain biking abilities. Set deep in the Gwydyr Forest, the trail offers breath-taking views, rolling scenic riding and technical sections, appealing to both adrenaline seekers and leisure riders alike.
Tyred Out operate from their base in the Glasgwm valley, Penmachno, in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. They say they are ideally placed for mountain biking at all levels of ability, in some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country.
Duncan Lucas holds the Guinness Book World Record for filleting Atlantic Halibut at 4mins 20 secs
A Q&A session with some of the personalities behind Pembrokeshire Fishweek
Duncan Lucas - showboating !
Having blogged about something fishy going on in Pembrokeshire previously, and with the festival due to begin in just over a weeks time, we caught up with some of the folks involved with the festival in Pembrokeshire. We started by asking a few questions of ‘probably the most highly skilled fishmonger in the UK’ Duncan Lucas…….
1. When did you start in the seafood industry? I started filleting fish at the age of 8, my family owned a fish farm in early 70s and we were first business to promote ready filleted product. I became an independent Fishmonger at 19 “I was amazed that we could take a wild hunted product and then make amazing fillets with our hand skills” and won the UK Fishmonger of the Year on 4 occasions. My wife Sue also learnt how to fillet fish within a family fishmongers. A married couple Passionate About Fish.
2. What is the easiest fish to fillet? This is a difficult one to answer, every species is different and for me at the age of 45 its not about ease, its about enjoying every single fish I fillet.
There are also so many different methods to fillet the same fish !!! Give me a fish and a knife and I can make any fish boneless of course, pockets, boats, twirls etc I would say the easiest is Mackerel filleted into a cutlet probably 10 secs max 2 cuts !!!
I do hold the Guinness Book World Record for filleting Atlantic Halibut “hippoglosus hippoglosus” 4mins 20 secs to fillet a fish weighing over 60lb “over foot long” fillet, skin and cut into 150g-170g portions set in 2008. “He’s a record breaker”
3. What would you consider is Pembrokeshire’s seafood speciality? All of the local seafood is Pembrokeshire is a speciality, fresh landed from a local boat….. Seabass, Mackerel & brown crabs I have seen amazing quality every year. The best fish I seen in Pembroke is European Hake, the loins are amazing baked
4. How would you prefer to cook fish? I am a fishmonger and adore working with seafood, my wife Sue is an amazing cook and in fact on a lot of the courses we run on consumer training Sue manages the cooking demonstrations. Her great skill is simplicity, the taste of fish is enhanced by the ingredients not over powered by added flavours. Steamed or baked is my personal favourite.
5. Do you have any top tips on cooking fish recipes? Yes get a cook book ! The best way is to read and experience dishes in restaurants. Personally I would recommend BBQ or bake in parcel. If you want more info you can Mail my Sue directly info [at]passionateaboutfish.co.uk
Mitch Tonks appearing live at Pembrokeshire Fishweek
Mitch Tonks
Next up is Mitch Tonks. Mitch has won many accolades, best fish restaurant, best fish book and a fishmonger for the 21st century! He will be wowing crowds with cooking demonstrations over the duratio of the festival…..
1. What is your favourite fish dish to cook? Grilled red mullet with greek salad
2. Do have an unusual fish recipe? Monkfish livers with capers and shrimps. If you can get the livers from your fishmonger, they are fantastic.
3. What is the easiest fish we the public could cook at home? Try roasting a whole fish.
Just put a whole sea bass or sea bream for instance on a piece of foil lined with a piece of baking paper, add a couple of cloves of garlic and some rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes, take out and open at the table and serve with lemon juice.
4. What would you consider is Pembrokeshire’s seafood speciality? The shellfish is particularly amazing, but then the quality all together has been superb
5. How would you cook the shellfish? I’d cook crab or lobster boiled up and served with homemade mayonnaise, simple and fantastic
6. Where is your favourite place to eat fish in Pembrokeshire? There are some beautiful beaches in Pembrokeshire so ideally I’d take a bbq and eat on the beach
7. Why do you come to fish week in Pembrokeshire,is there anything special you like about the festival? I love the fact that the week just celebrates fish, nothing else but fish, perfect for me!
8. What are you doing at fish week? I’m doing some demos at the opening with my friend Matt Tebbutt from the Foxhunter in Nantyderry and presenter on Market Kitchen, that should be great fun, a lot of banter and a lot of inspiration we hope.
fish and sea food companion
More about Mitch
When he isn’t presenting or writing Mitch Tonks runs the Rock Fish Grill.
Mitch also has a series of widely acclaimed cookery books of which the latest is ‘Fish: the Complete Fish and Seafood companion’
The Origins of Pembrokeshire Fish Week
Last but not least we get a chance to ask about the festival from an organisers perspective, we asked Kate Morgan from Pembrokeshire Council
1. What are the origins of fish week? How did it start? Pembrokeshire Fish Week started after a Sewin Fishing competition which roves the country came to the area to fish the Teifi and Taf.
We persuaded the organisers to include the Cleddau River in the competition by securing sponsorship to host their awards dinner in Pembrokeshire College. Now on a roll we decided to involve local restaurants and encourage increased fish menus and eating opportunities, creating a ‘Fish Week’.
The event has just snow balled over the years, really capturing visitors imagination, and events and activities broadening in choice and offer. Pembrokeshire Fish week has really developed as a festival, becoming a platform for all sorts of opportunities and creating a really broad appeal, with the Fish theme running through it, hence our strap line- A seriously Fishy Festival.
2. What are the visitor numbers for last year? Do you expect them to grow this year? Visitor numbers exceeded 20 thousand last year, with 13,500 in the  two main opening weekend events  alone. We anticipate this figure to grow by at least 5% this year. We are seeing an increase in interest from visitors wanting to come to the area for the week as well as day trip visitors
3. How has the show grown over the last 10 years? The festival has grown from having two or three activities on each day, to now having over 200 events with over 100 being fish and food based.
Other events include angling, river and sea trips, coastal adventures, bushcraft, talks, slide shows craft and storytelling, cookery and fish preparation as well as music and art. It is a really good example of a food tourism event and a Sense of Place.
4. Do you like fish? I love fish and shellfish, and thankfully so does my family. I love a good fish stew to share or a simply cooked fresh Brill
Thanks Kate
The festival is on between 27th June - 5th July 2009. Treat yourself to a culinary short break, find a place to stay and other ideas for your family holiday at Visit Wales.
On the day the Snowdonia New Visitor Centre opens, David Atkinson tells us about his sneak preview
Today, after a 12-month delay, a last-minute cash injection and some of the worst weather conditions for the construction team, Hafod Eryri, the new visitor centre and cafe atop Mount Snowdon, finally opens its doors. Â “Psychologically the opening will provide a huge boost for Welsh business and culture,” says Alan Kendall, General Manager of the Snowdon Mountain Railway, the company leasing the building from the Snowdonia National Park Authority.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan will officially cut the ribbon on the £8.3m project, leading a conga of dignitaries up the highest mountain in England and Wales from Llanberis.  I beat him to it two weeks ago.
I had been following the Snowdonia Progress blogand caught the Snowdon Mountain Railway for a sneak preview. Â The train takes me far as Clogwyn station, from where it’s a 45-minute uphill trek to the summit. From today they will be running services up to summit station. Â Finally I crest a steep ridge and conquer the summit.
At the top
Lyn Llydaw Lakes from the top of Snowdon
My reward? My first up-close view of Hafod Eryri and a hen party from Kent cracking open the bubbly. Â A low, granite-built rectangle with two long walls of panoramic windows inspecting Ireland to the west and Anglesey to the north, Hafod Eryri comprises an open-plan cafe with interpretation material about the geology, environment and folklore of Snowdon around it.
Opinions
Back outside I find bride-to-be Ruth Bastable of Tunbridge Wells on her second glass of bubbly. “It blends in with the mountain landscape and I like the idea that people can learn about the geology of the region,” she says.
Less enthusiastic is hill walker Michael Sheen from the Wirral, who has climbed Snowdon 18 times. “As a mountain purist, I don’t think we actually need a structure at all. Personally,” he says, “I’d prefer to commune with nature.”
Architect Ray Hole designed the building to withstand the extreme weather conditions and the grey- granite facade bears an inscription from the former National Poet of Wales, Gwyn Thomas: ‘The summit of Snowdon Here you are nearer To heaven.’
David Atkinson is a travel writer specialising in Wales;
