Rhondda 2

Length: 30.61 km

This is a repeat of SS16.

The Rhondda stage is very tough, both on drivers and spectators ! This is a great example of a Welsh forest gravel stage - parts of it are high speed with tight, twisty sections to test the drivers to their limits. Because it is on top of the Rhigos mountain also adds some spice. The stage is nearly all downhill, and with the usual mixture of fog and rain, this is a stage where only the brave tackle it with maximum attack.

Rhondda was not used in 2002, so for many rally fans this is a welcome return to the Rally GB. The stage is 90% the same stage as that used on the 2001 event.

As this is the second run through Rhondda in the space of 3 hours, the surface will be very rutted, especially if it is wet.

How to get there?

I have therefore not included any directions for this run through the stage, but if you do need to know how to get to this stage, look at the Rhondda 1 stage information.

Stage Maps

Thanks to Multimap.com, you can now view Stage Maps here.

Click here for the SS17 start area (1:25000).
Click here for the SS17 start area (1:50000).
Click here for the SS17 finish area (1:25000).
Click here for the SS17 finish area (1:50000).

Hints and Tips

Congestion at Car Park U in 2002 (was then used for Resolfen).

With this run through the stage, you may have already watched the whole field go through earlier in the morning. Take the time now to choose a different spot, to see a different type of action.

Police always warn that this area has a high crime rate, so be warned !

This stage will be popular this year, because it wasn't part of last year's event and most forest stage spectators love it's unpredictability. Be aware that you may have to walk a little bit further to the stage the later you get there.

As this stage starts at 11:02am, and you may already be wet from the first run through, make sure that you are either close enough to your car to walk back and get dry, or sheltered enough to take cover for a while if it is wet. Ideally, you should take a small backpack with some waterproof clothes. Be warned - the top of the Rhigos mountain is very wet, very often !

If you want to see the end of the rally in Cardiff, you should have enough time to watch most of the competitors through again. From Car Park U, you are 31 miles from Cardiff - but the route will be very busy and you will obviously need to allow a lot of time for parking, etc. To see the finish, you really need to get to Cardiff for 2:00pm at the latest.

If you have tickets for SS18 - Margam, you will only have time to watch the top few through. Rhondda to Margam is approximately 32 miles, but again don't be fooled by this - the roads around Margam will be very busy.

Most people I guess will watch the whole field through Rhondda 1, and then move on to Margam straight away. Spectators who stay for Rhondda 2 will probably go straight to the finish at Cardiff.

In 2003, if you want to spectate at Rhondda 2 you will need to buy either the World Rally Pass, either of the 3 Event Passes, or the Forest Stage ticket 6. There will be tickets available on the day for Rhondda 2 (subject to availability) for all the car parks.

For full ticket details, including advice, you will be able to find out all the information you need in the Tickets section.

In 2002, Car Park U (which was then Resolfen Car Park B) was gridlocked for an hour because of the way some people had parked (because spectators were late arriving). Don't be the ones to hold up all the traffic ! The picture on the left shows what the congestion was like.

Parking Information

Typical section of the parking area

The parking area at Car Park U

At Rhondda, the overnight car parks (if you have travelled from Cardiff or Resolfen overnight) are not for anyone who wants a good night's sleep. The atmosphere is excellent with the spectators, with good parking areas at the side of the road, as you can see from the first picture on the left.

Once you have entered the forestry commission area, the parking areas are not too far. You will come to a large cross-roads after less than a mile. You can either go left, carry straight on or go right to car parking areas, but personally I prefer to carry straight on.

Unlike some of the stages, the parking area, although quite thin at times is very flat at the side of the gravel road, allowing you the chance to walk around at night without risking falling into a wet ditch.

If you do take fireworks to the rally, this is one of the places to use them, as the trees act as an amplifier for the loud ones. However, do take care as this is a forest after all, and the forestry commission will not take too kindly to setting their forest on fire !

As you travel to the Rhigos mountain from the South, you pass several towns and villages, and as such you will have plenty of facilities available to you en route. In Aberdare for example, if you follow this route, there are quite a few shops selling food and alcohol, a couple of decent petrol stations and also a very good modern sports centre where you may be able to take a shower if you ask nicely.

In Ystrad, if you follow the Pontypridd route, there are 2 Texaco petrol stations (1 cheap, 1 expensive) and 1 Esso petrol station which is cheap and also has a reasonable shop area. There are also some public toilets just after the Esso on the left, which are a bit dirty but okay in an emergency.

In Treorchy there are a couple of cafe's and shops, and a small selection of cash points.

In Treherbert there is a Spar shop, an HSBC bank cash point, and a selection of other shops including take-aways. There is also a privately-owned petrol station called New Road Garage, which is slightly more expensive than supermarkets but is owned by a rally fan so is well worth a visit just for that reason! The garage also stocks the usual sweets, drinks, cigarettes, etc.Once you get past Treherbert though, the facilities stop as you enter the mountains.

If you are approaching from the North, facilities are scarce between Glyn Neath and the Rhigos mountain, but it is not too far (approximately 22 miles) so petrol should not be a problem.

Best spots for spectators

Two examples of the type of surface at Rhondda

This is another stage where if you are keen to explore and walk a mile or two you will be rewarded by finding a good section. Whether you like fast sections or twisty, slower sections you will be spoilt for choice here.

The two pictures on the left are an example of what you can expect to see. The first picture shows a fast straight section, where the road surface suddenly gets very muddy rather than gravelly. At the end of the straight is a tight right hairpin where the drivers then continue down another steep downhill section. Unfortunately this part of the stage is a long walk from the car parks (approximately 5 miles), and therefore if you do see it you are a better walker than me !

The second picture is what you can expect from a loose gravel section in the forests - a fast section with a significant kink in the middle to make the drivers slide through the apex.

There will definitely be several spectator areas within this stage, as the safety precautions have tightened up since Rhondda was last used in 2001. However, it is not known where these will be yet - but obviously will be as near to the main spectator car parks as possible.

If you have watched the whole field through earlier in the morning, take the time to explore and find a new and different type of area for this run through.