Hillwalking in Wales Vol 1

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Reviews

For ease of description I have divided the mountains into 21 groups arranged alphabetically in two volumes. Each is the subject of a separate chapter, starting with a list of the 2000ft peaks and mountain lakes in its area. Rather than invent yet another definition of what constitutes a 2000ft peak, I have relied on existing lists (between which there are, in any case, only minor variations).

In doing this I have included every peak that a hillwalker would recognise as a genuine 2000-footer in its own right. Also included are a few peaks that just miss the magical 2000ft barrier but which are obviously real mountains and fun to climb. On the other hand I have sometimes omitted mere tops that might qualify technically by the quirk of some contour line, but which on the ground clearly lack the presence one expects from a separate mountain. When all is said and done I do not think my lists will cause many surprises. (I use the terms ‘peak’ and ‘top’ more or less interchangeably and without any technical significance.)

The lakes present a more difficult problem. What exactly is a mountain lake? Clearly there is no simple answer. Some of the prettiest tarns and lakes are too small for inclusion on the map; others come and go with the weather, or even with successive revisions of the OS maps! I have therefore had to rely heavily on judgement in my treatment of lakes, and have in any event restricted myself to those in the immediate vicinity of each mountain group that have an altitude of at least 1000ft. It would be pedantic in these circumstances to aim for consistency, but I hope that any anomalies which may have crept in are not serious.

The main routes

I next give a brief overview of the group before getting to the heart of the matter with descriptions of all the routes up each peak that are likely to be of interest to hillwalkers. An interesting route in this context can mean several things: it may be a route with fine views or good scrambling; one that is useful as a link in planning a longer multi-peak expedition; or simply one that gives a quick way home at the end of a long day.

Most of the routes I describe are direct ones which do not cross any other summit en route to the top. Non-direct routes – such as those along connecting ridges – are usually included as part of the high-level walks. However, there are a few cases where the lie of the land would make it artificial to follow this guideline exclusively. Most routes are described as ascents, but as every hillwalker knows there are some routes which intuitively seem more natural as a way down. Where this is so they are described as descents.

Once the routes for individual peaks have been given, the way is clear to introduce more varied expeditions. First come high-level walks, by which I normally mean routes taking in more than one of the 2000ft peaks. Many of these are ridge walks of the sort that give the very best days in the hills. Sometimes, however, the high ground is too broad for the term ‘ridge’ to be appropriate; in other cases there may be a pass to be crossed. To keep this section within reasonable bounds my suggestions are restricted to combinations falling wholly within one of my defined mountain groups. Thus I do not cover more ambitious walks such as expeditions stretching over both the Berwyns and Arans, or straddling the four south Wales groups, or serious challenges like climbing all 14 of the Welsh 3000-footers in a single day.

Lower-level walks and easier days

Next come the lower-level walks, which are generally easier than the high-level walks. However, a few of them are quite exacting as my definition of ‘lower level’ is simply any walk that does not cross one of the recognised 2000-footers! This still leaves some pretty stiff – but at the same time excellent – expeditions, especially in the foothills surrounding the main ranges.

Not even the hardiest walkers always feel like tramping the tops, so I also give some suggestions for easier days. (In many chapters, where it is difficult to draw a distinction, the lower-level and easier day sections are combined.) These generally keep to lower ground and are suitable for days when the weather causes a late start or when the height of ambition is for a lazy day lying in the heather or picnicking by a mountain stream. They may also appeal to the more elderly hillwalker. Shortened versions of some of the other walks can, of course, also be used to give easier days.

My suggestions for lower-level walks and easier days are little more than the tip of the iceberg. They are almost incidental to my main purpose of covering the high ground as fully as possible, and to have gone further would have meant extending the scope and size of these volumes beyond all reasonable bounds. In any case the reader will have no difficulty (and hopefully a lot of fun) in constructing many other walks from the ‘building bricks’ provided by my suggested routes, which between them include visits to the shores of all the lakes or, in a few instances, to nearby vantage points.

Practicalities

As few walkers are likely to have a chauffeur, paid or otherwise, most of the walks return to the starting point. However a few point-to-point traverses are classics and too good to be missed, and so they are included, transportation difficulties notwithstanding. All the walks are intended for completion in a day, although clearly this will depend on the dedication and fitness of the party.

To avoid repetition, common sections of different routes are usually only described once and then cross-referenced to one other. This is particularly the case with the high-level walks as these are often based on combinations of routes up the different peaks. I realise that it can be frustrating when reading a description to have to refer elsewhere but, with the way routes in mountains tend to interleave, anything else would soon lead to tiresome repetition. Nevertheless I have tried to strike a balance between extremes.

I have tried to avoid too much of the ‘follow the hedge, take the second gate R, cross a field, turn L at the stile’ sort of description. This soon becomes confusing and ambiguous, however careful the instructions. I have therefore tended to quote directions (N, SW and so on), map references and the occasional grid bearing (do not forget to allow for the magnetic variation when setting your compass!). Bearings should only be regarded as approximate. Mountain paths usually twist and turn and so it is not always possible to give more than a broad indication, and you should always check directly with the map. (Note that where I use [say] N this is an abbreviation for any of north, northern or northerly, according to context.)