NCN 47 - Celtic Trail Upland Route
NCN 47 - Celtic Trail Upland Route is a 242.5 km road cycling route in Mid & South Wales with 2771 m of climbing, about 16% of it off road, and it splits into about 2 days at a moderate pace.
The route runs east to west, starting in Newport and climbing steadily through Crosskeys, Cwmfelinfach and Wyllie before the line eases into the Rhondda valleys via Quakers Yard and Cilfynydd. A long high section passes through Llanwonno and Maerdy before the route drops toward the coast at Briton Ferry and swings through Swansea's suburbs, taking in Blackpill and Gowerton. West of Bynea the ground opens out and the route crosses into Carmarthenshire, passing through Carmarthen before the character changes again on the long haul through Tegryn and Rosebush toward Fishguard. About a sixth of the distance is off road.
Worth knowing before you go
The stretch between Maerdy and Cimla is a long gap with no settlements on the line, so resupply needs planning before you leave the valleys. Rosebush to Fishguard is similarly thin for services, with only Castlebythe between them. The route is tagged as road but the off-road sections around the upland passages are where navigation requires attention.
NCN 47 - Celtic Trail Upland Route in numbers
- Distance: 242.5 km
- Climbing: 2771 m
- Off road: 39 km, about 16% of the route
- Riding time: about 11 hours, roughly 2 days at a moderate pace
Water, food, campsites and stations along this route are shown on the interactive map.
Plan it and ride it
The map on this page carries the surface breakdown, the elevation profile and every point of interest. You can split the route into days against your own pace, see what it will cost to ride, and take it with you. Download the GPX.
Read the NCN 47 - Celtic Trail Upland Route route guide.
Getting to the start without flying · Browse all routes
Route from Sustrans.
Compiled by Ed Hunton, Cicerone guidebook author, from TourTrax's own route data.