40 great mountain days in Snowdonia with a Cicerone guide

Description

This inspirational guidebook describes 40 superb routes among the valleys and heights of the Snowdonia National Park, inviting walkers to explore the less well-known regions of Snowdonia as much as those that are eternally popular. These walks have been chosen to encourage experienced walkers and mountaineers to try something new in this much-loved region, while at the same time offering clear descriptions of classic routes for those new to Snowdonia.

All the routes in Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia are day walks – graded from moderate to arduous to help you choose the right route – and all of them make for a great day out in Snowdonia, whether in the ice and snow covered winter or during long summer days, the walks in this guide can be enjoyed all year round.

• 40 graded walks throughout the Snowdonia National Park area
• routes illustrated with Harvey maps and pictorial route diagrams by artist and outdoor writer, Mark Richards
• some routes include mild scrambling or long days in rugged country

This is the second title in the Cicerone Great Mountain Days series, which include the Lake District, Scotland and the Pennines.

• Seasons
  all year round but check the weather forecast before you go, choose your walk accordingly and take appropriate gear
• Centres
  Conwy, Aber, Betws-y-Coed, Ffestiniog, Dolgellau, Capel Curig, Llanberis, Beddgelert, Bala, Machynlleth
• Difficulty
  routes graded from moderate to arduous; map and compass skills recommended for all routes; terrain often bouldery or marshy, complex and trackless
• Must See
  classic summits such as: Snowdon, Cadair Idris, Pen yr Ole Wen; horseshoes such as: Carneddau, Cwm Eigiau, Moel Eilio; ridge routes and scrambles such as: Tryfan, Nantlle Ridge and family days out including Conwyn Mountain and Aberglaslyn Gorge

July 2010

There is a correction to the map in Walk 17 on page 103.

The route description is correct but the marked route on the map after Llyn Bychan is wrong. You should take the first track on the right after Llyn Bychan (indicated correctly by the dashed red line on the detail map below) not straight on along the main forest track as indicated incorrectly on the map (see solid yellow line on detail map below). Please download the corrected pdf page here.

July 2011

Changes to route description on pages 146 and 147, Moelwyn Mawr.

Having recently rewalked this route, the author has rewritten the paragraphs of the route description from "Behind the main quarry" to "climb to the summit" as follows:

"Behind the main quarry buildings is a large and wet tunnel into the hillside, and beside it a slaty ramp by which you gain higher ground (resist the temptation to enter the tunnel). The ascent passes tiny Llyn Croesor, which looks forlorn among so much darkness, but with the sun in its heaven, Llyn Croesor sparkles with the best of them.

Once above the ramp, you eventually arrive at a large reedy area framed by spoil that has been shaped into a trackbed. Off to the left, Moel yr Hydd looks inviting, but the easiest way to it means trekking far off-route beyond the quarry site to a low col to the south-west of the summit and walking easily up from there. The direct ascent of Moelwyn Mawr bears right from the reedy area, following a clear if damp path towards a ladder-stile, which is not needed, as the path passes to its left, and follows a clear route onto the shallow north ridge of Moelwyn Mawr and then steeply up to the squat and tidy trig pillar on the summit, trending right near the top. It is possible to count fifteen or more lakes from the top of Moelwyn Mawr, and the view, notwithstanding the dereliction, is one of the finest in Wales for extent, beauty and diversity.

The continuation to Moelwyn Bach will call for some thought. Begin by going east from the trig, but only for about 100m, and then turn right and descend the south ridge in a series of rock steps, crossing the subsidiary summit of Craig Ysgafn, marked by a large cairn. Above, Moelwyn Bach’s crags look impenetrable and shaky, not so much a scramble as a crumble. They are avoided them by ascending a clear path diagonally left which leads to the grassy eastern spur of the mountain from where the summit is readily attained."

Contents

Preface   

Introduction   

About this guide   
Weather to walk?   
Before you start   
Recreation and the mountain environment   

The Walks

SNOWDON AND MOEL EILIO   

1.    Snowdon Horseshoe   
2.    The Rhyd Ddu Path and the Snowdon Ranger    
3.    The Watkin Path and Yr Aran   
4.    The Pyg Track and the Miners’ Track   
5.    Moel Eilio Horseshoe    

GLYDERAU   

6.    The Glyders by the Bristly Ridge   
7.    Y Garn to Elidir Fawr and Carnedd y Filiast    
8.    Tryfan   
9.    Bwlch Tryfan, Y Foel Goch, Gally yr Ogof and Cefn y Capel    

CARNEDDAU   

10.    Conwy Mountain   
11.    Tal y Fan   
12.    Drum, Foel-fras, Garnedd Uchaf, Drosgl and the Aber falls   
13.    Llyn Anafon and the eastern Carneddau   
14.    Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llywelyn and Pen yr Helgi Du   
15.    Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe   
16.    Creigiau Gleision and Llyn Cowlyd   
17.    Llyn Geirionydd and Llyn Crafnant   
18.    The Carneddau: end-to-end   

EIFIONYDD   

19.    Mynydd Mawr   
20.    The Nantlle Ridge   
21.    Moel Hebog, Moel yr Ogof and Moel Lefn   

SIABOD AND THE MOELWYNION   

22.    Aberglaslyn, Llyn Dinas and Cwm Bychan   
23.    Moel Siabod    
24.    Cnicht and Cwm Croesor   
25.    Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach   
26.    Moel Meirch and Ysgafell Wen   

RHINOGYDD (THE HARLECH DOME)   

27.    Bwlch Tyddiad and Bwlch Drws Ardudwy   
28.    Rhinog Fawr   
29.    Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr   
30.    Y Llethr and Diffwys    

MIGNEINT AND THE ARANS   

31.    Carnedd y Filiast   
32.    Arenig Fawr and Moel Llyfnant   
33.    Rhobell Fawr    
34.    Aran Benllyn    
35.    Aran Fawddwy    

CADAIR IDRIS AND THE TARREN HILLS   

36.    Cyfrwy, Pen y Gadair and Mynydd Pencoed   
37.    Pen y Gadair from Ty Nant   
38.    Mynydd Pencoed, Pen y Gadair and Mynydd Moel   
39.    Tyrrau Mawr and Craig y Llyn  
40.    The Tarren Hills    

Appendix 1:     Concise Walk Reference and Personal Log   
Appendix 2:     Bibliography and Further Reading   
Appendix 3:     Glossary of Welsh Words   

Index