On first impression, the villages around south Snowdonia are pretty sleepy – a few small shops and pubs, beautiful scenery, a lot of sheep and not much else.
But stick around, and you’ll find the tranquility completely shattered by one of the most impressive sights in the country.
The series of valleys between Dolgellau in the north, and Machynlleth in the south, are also known to those in the know as the Mach Loop.
On a regular basis, you can see military aircraft flying through the valleys at alarming speeds.
The valleys used on The Mach Loop. Credit: Unsplash
The Mach Loop is a must-visit for anyone still in the grip of Top Gun: Maverick fever, the hotly-anticipated second instalment of Tom Cruise whizzing around in his jet ignoring his seniors.
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The aircraft in the Welsh valleys fly so low that if you climb the hills on either side of the loop, you can see straight into the cockpit.
It’s a truly awe-inspiring sight and sound, with the familiar roar of the engines echoing around the countryside.
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Aircraft in action on The Mach Loop. Credit: James Veitch
The area is used as a low-level training areas for fast aircraft, with planes sometimes flying as low as 76 metres.
You can regularly spot planes like Royal Air Force Airbus A400M, Typhoons and Hawk jets taking on the Mach Loops.
The challenge is knowing when they’ll appear.
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The aircraft tend to conduct their training flights throughout the weekdays, but there’s no published timetable to go off.
Most people choose to wrap up warm and head up the hill armed with snacks, ready to camp out for the afternoon in the hope of catching some action.
As it’s a good couple of hours’ drive from Manchester, you might want to book into an Airbnb or hotel to make a weekend of it (the award-winning Ynyshir restaurant is also nearby).
There’s a car park on the A487 that you can use as a good starting point to find your vantage point of choice.
Featured image: James Veitch
Things To Do
Chase and Status announce highly-anticipated UK tour with just three dates — and one of them is Manchester
Danny Jones
Drum and bass icons Chase and Status have just announced a brand-new limited-run UK tour with just three dates and, lucky for us, Manchester is one of them.
Still one of the biggest electronic artists on the planet and comfortably up there with one of the best acts we’ve ever seen live, the production and DJ duo (Saul Milton and Will Kennard) are hitting the road early next year and they’ll be gracing the O2 Victoria Warehouse.
With the boys not only bringing a full live band along with them for the ride but also set to release their new mixtape, 2 Ruff. Vol 1, the crowd will be treated to both the classics and all the new tracks to boot.
To be honest, we’d pay ridiculous money just to hear that new ‘Baddadan’ track in the flesh.
With the new record dropping on Friday, 27 October, just over a year after their previous and sixth studio album, What Came Before, the 10-track mixtape is set to feature massive collaborations with Flowdan, Arrdee, Stefflondon; Becky Hill, long-time friend and collaborator Takura, as well as many others.
Everything we’ve heard so far has been an absolute banger and we can only imagine how amazing these new tracks are going to sound in a live space as good as the legendary Victoria Warehouse.
I mean, these lads spent time here at university so they know full well just how special a venue this is.
Bringing along a number of special guests for each date — sorry, they haven’t let any info slip just yet — the London-based artists will be playing the Cardiff Utilita Arena and London Drumsheds in February 2024 before rounding things off with the main event: Manchester on Friday 1st March.
While pre-sale sold out in a flash, general admission tickets go live today at 9:00am (Friday, 29 September), so you better be quick if you fancy getting some.
You can grab your tickets for Chase and Status in Manchester HERE. Best of luck getting your hands on some!
An adults-only ‘after hours’ event is happening at the Science and Industry Museum next week
Emily Sergeant
If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for.
Fancy releasing your inner child?
If you’re keen to play your way through 50 years of video games, embark on an adventure through the digestive system, or relax with a drink while discovering the small matter of the infinite vastness of the universe, then you’ll probably want to make your way down to the Science and Industry Museum next week.
With the nights drawing earlier than ever now autumn is here, this is your chance to explore the museum in a whole new light after the sun’s gone down.
Explore the museum after hours at our next adult-only, evening event on 5 Oct. 🎟️ https://t.co/GVUYI3D8UE
Play your way through 50 years of video games in Power Up, embark on a playful adventure through the digestive system in Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, experience a… pic.twitter.com/NRIqNp7tQi
It’s giving grown-ups a unique opportunity to make the most of all the museum’s best-loved exhibitions without the kids running around.
Kicking off from 6pm next Thursday 5 October, tickets to the one-off Museum After Hours event are now on sale, and include evening passes to the museum’s showstopping special exhibitions ‘Power Up’ and ‘Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You’, as well as access to the popular Revolution Manchester, Textiles Gallery, and Experiment areas.
There’ll also be the chance to see Paul Miller’s MicroCosmic installation, as well as talk to the artist himself, and get involved with lots of drop-in activities too.
An adults-only ‘after hours’ event is happening at the Science and Industry Museum next week / Credit: Science Museum Group
Several exciting textile demonstrations will also be taking place throughout the evening.
And of course, because this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be popping up on the night, and will be serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around.
Daisy Jackson -
15th July 2022 
