The Cambrian Way

Dubbed 'the mountain connoisseurs' walk', the Cambrian Way stretches 479km between the mighty castles of Cardiff in the south and Conwy on the north coast. Traversing the heartland of Wales, the challenging route crosses the Brecon Beacons, the Cambrian Mountains and Snowdonia, passing through two national parks and visiting many of the country's iconic summits, including Pen y Fan, Pumlumon, Cadair Idris and Snowdon itself. It can be walked in three weeks (or in shorter sections) and is suitable for experienced hillwalkers with sound navigational skills.

The guide presents the route in 21 stages, offering comprehensive route description illustrated with OS 1:50,000 mapping and elevation profiles. Details of accommodation and facilities are provided, along with a helpful trek planner showing their distribution along the route: although the trail passes through remote areas, it is possible to stay under a roof every night – though camping is also a possibility, should you prefer. There are background notes on Wales's history and geology and local points of interest, and a glossary of Welsh place-names, useful contacts and accommodation listings can be found in the appendices.

From the Black Mountains to the Rhinogs, Glyderau and Carneddau, the route takes in lofty ridges, striking peaks and picturesque lakes. There are also fascinating glimpses into the country's ancient and more recent past: Iron Age hillforts, Norman castles, a Cistercian abbey, the Chartist Cave and relics from the mining industry. Offering superlative scenery, the Cambrian Way is a celebration of some of the best mountain walking Wales has to offer and promises a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in these celebrated landscapes.

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Clear and logical structure and layout - It doesn’t disappoint

As someone who has been walking The Cambrian Way section by section for a few years this first guidebook written by officers of The Cambrian Way Trust, was, to say the least, much anticipated. It doesn’t disappoint. Those familiar with the family of Cicerone’s excellent guides will be very comfortable with its clear and logical structure and layout. The integration of 1:50,000 map sections is very useful, though no substitute for carrying 1:25,000 maps (personally I download these and use with GPS on my phone for confident navigation).

The guide deals well with many of the more difficult sections of the route, where there is no Right of Way to follow, though I challenge anyone not to find themselves confused at times as to what direction to take. But this is what makes The Way so special - it is not all waymarked, and since it covers some truly remote parts of Wales, rightly so. Some of The guide’s suggested stages are really hard going and my advice is to think carefully about your level of ability and the difficulty of the terrain before planning your itinerary. This is challenging walking. I for one will be considering a Wild Camp on the Rheinogs! All the practical stuff is here. Of course this can quickly get out of date, so I would encourage anyone using this guide to post updates to the Cambrian Way website.

Charles, by email