Great news for mountain bikers in south Wales as the Twrch trail at Cwmcarn will be re-opened this weekend.

The trail was closed due to felling operations and trail improvements but will be ready for action again tomorrow (February 13).

Bob Campbell, Natural Resources Wales MTB Ranger for Afan Forest Park and Cwmcarn trails, said: “Good news! We will be reopening the Twrch trail at Cwmcarn on Saturday 13th Feb with a bit of luck with the weather! Please make sure you keep to the waymarked trail as it is still in the ‘work site’ and failure to do this could result in it being closed again so please help us keep it open. We will also still have spots to repair as it gets ‘ridden in’ however its good to be able to get it finally open again with some new views, happy riding!”

Earleri this year, Cwmcarn recorded a ten per cent drop in visitors over confusion caused by the closure of the forest drive.

Cwmcarn would normally expect to receive 250,000 visitors in a year but is this year expected to only register 225,000. Michael Owen, Cwmcarn Forest visitor centre manager, believes this is because the public thinks the forest is closed due to felling.

There are over 150,000 diseased Larch trees being felled in Cwmcarn, a process that started in 2014, but the only attraction that is closed is the seven mile scenic drive – the cycling and walking trails are still open.

Watch Emyr Davies training on a sloppy Welsh downhill track

Mr Owen told the BBC: “We have been trying all sorts to publicise the fact we are not closed, the only thing you can’t do is the seven mile drive. You can still walk it and cycle. The valley floor is unaffected, apart from the strange buzzing in the distance (of tree felling work).”

It is worth saying that the felling has affected the Cwmdown uplift. At the moment it is only servicing the Pedalhounds downhill track, opened in 2014, and the Cafall XC loop, not the Twrch trail or Y Mynydd downhill track. There is no word yet on when this situation will change.