The Cambrian Way
Classic Wales mountain trek - south to north from Cardiff to Conwy
The Cambrian Way
Classic Wales mountain trek - south to north from Cardiff to Conwy
Guidebook to the Cambrian Way, a challenging three-week mountain trek through Wales from Cardiff to Conwy. The 470km route is presented from south to north. Often sticking to long, beautiful ridgelines, it crosses wild and rugged terrain and visits many of Wales's highest mountains, including Snowdon.Tackle one of Wales’s great mountain challenges on the Cambrian Way, a demanding 479km (298 miles) long-distance walk from Cardiff to Conwy. Often following long, lofty ridgelines, this three-week trek crosses wild, rugged terrain and visits many of Wales’s highest mountains, offering experienced hillwalkers a continuous journey through the heart of the country’s most dramatic landscapes.
Often called “the mountain connoisseurs’ walk”, this coast-to-coast route crosses the Brecon Beacons, Cambrian Mountains and Snowdonia, traversing two national parks and summiting some of the most iconic peaks in Wales — including Pen y Fan, Pumlumon, Cadair Idris and Snowdon. From high moorland and remote lakes to rocky peaks and deep valleys, this long-distance trail showcases some of the very best mountain walking Wales has to offer.
This comprehensive Cambrian Way guidebook is your essential companion for planning, navigating and completing this classic Welsh mountain route. Combining detailed route descriptions with practical navigational tools, it guides you step by step from south to north, helping you prepare for and enjoy one of Britain’s most challenging long-distance walks.
- The route is split into 21 clearly defined stages, breaking the trail into manageable sections that support flexible itinerary planning, whether you intend to walk the entire Cambrian Way or tackle it in shorter sections
- Accommodation information is provided throughout the guidebook, including hostels, B&Bs, campsites and other facilities, enabling you to choose between backpacking or carrying a lighter load
- Integrated elevation profiles and OS 1:50,000 mapping give a clear picture of the terrain ahead and support confident navigation across remote upland and mountainous landscapes
- Downloadable GPX files are available, providing a digital navigation option for use on smartphones and GPS devices
- Practical advice on planning and preparation is included, covering essential considerations such as transport to and from the route, seasonal timing, equipment choices and navigation skills required for one of Wales’ most demanding long-distance walks
Challenging and richly rewarding, the Cambrian Way is a celebration of Welsh mountain walking. With this Cicerone guidebook in hand, you can set out from Cardiff Castle and follow the spine of Wales all the way to Conwy’s medieval walls, confident you have the detailed information and planning support needed to successfully walk and enjoy this outstanding long-distance trail.
Author Top Tip
“Much of the Cambrian Way is waymarked with the Welsh hat symbol or on marked public rights of way. Substantial parts of it are over open-access country and mountain ridges and peaks where paths are not always clear. Often, there can be a confusion of paths, many of which may be sheep tracks. For these reasons, it is necessary to have good map-reading skills, particularly if visibility is bad.”
- George Tod, author of The Cambrian Way and member of the Cambrian Way Trust
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781852849900
Availability
Published
Published
11 Jul 2019
Reprinted
16 Dec 2025
Edition
First
Pages
264
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm
Weight
310g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.
Map key
Overview map
Route summary table
Introduction
The mountain connoisseurs' walk
Wales, its history, people and language
Geology and landscape
Plants and animals
When to go
Travel
Accommodation
Kit
Waymarking and navigation
Food, water and supplies
Emergencies
Using this guide
The route
Stage 1 Cardiff to Machen
Stage 2 Machen to Pontypool
Stage 3 Pontypool to Abergavenny
Stage 4 Abergavenny to Capel-y-ffin
Stage 5 Capel-y-ffin to Crickhowell
Stage 6 Crickhowell to Storey Arms
Stage 7 Storey Arms to Glyntawe
Stage 8 Glyntawe to Llandovery
Stage 9 Llandovery to Tŷ’n-y-cornel Hostel
Stage 10 Tŷ’n-y-cornel Hostel to Claerddu
Stage 11 Claerddu to Ponterwyd
Stage 12 Ponterwyd to Dylife
Stage 13 Dylife to Dinas Mawddwy
Stage 14 Dinas Mawddwy to Bwlch Llyn Bach
Stage 15 Bwlch Llyn Bach to Barmouth
Stage 16 Barmouth to Cwm Bychan
Stage 16/17A Bad-weather route to Moelfryn following Taith Ardudwy Way
Stage 17 Cwm Bychan to Maentwrog
Stage 18 Maentwrog to Beddgelert
Stage 19 Beddgelert to Pen-y-Pass
Stage 20 Pen-y-Pass to Llyn Ogwen
Stage 21 Llyn Ogwen to Conwy
Appendix A The checkpoints
Appendix B Glossary of Welsh words and places on the Cambrian Way
Appendix C Useful contacts
Appendix D Accommodation list
Seasons
The southern and middle sections should be possible in all seasons but the Rhinog mountains and Snowdonia are best tackled between spring and autumn.
Centres
Cardiff, Pontypool, Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Llandovery, Strata Florida, Devil's Bridge, Ponterwyd, Dinas Mawddwy, Barmouth, Beddgelert, Pen-y-Pass, Ogwen, Conwy
Difficulty
Suitable for those with experience of long-distance walking (either with or without camping equipment), the route demands a good level of fitness and navigational competence.
Must See
Cardiff, capital of Wales, and its castle; the Black Mountains; the Brecon Beacons; the Carmarthen Vans; the Elenydd wilderness; Devil's Bridge and Rheidol Falls; Pumlumon; Cadair Idris; Barmouth; Rhinog Fawr and Rhinog Fach; Beddgelert; Snowdon; the Glyders; Ogwen Valley; Tryfan; the Carneddau; Conwy and its castle
April 2022
Error on page 146
"...by heading NNW for 300 metres, then going W along the hillside..."
should read: '...NNE for 300 metres and E along the hillside...'
July 2021
2021 reprint updates
990 Reprint 2021 (1.594 MB)
January 2020
Stage 13 gpx file
“A minor error has been spotted in the GPX file and O.S. Map file for Stage 13 just after the start of the stage in Dylife. The text of the Cicerone guide is correct about taking a sharp left turn from the road just past the Star Inn. However, the GPX file showed taking a footpath just before the Star Inn. This makes very little difference as it leads to the same place after only 50 metres, but to avoid the any confusion a new GPX file: CWStage13GPSRevC2.gpx For anyone who has already downloaded them, it may not be worth downloading the new ones so long as this has been noted.”
“A Cambrian Way Trail Marker has now been placed at the correct turning from the road thanks to Oliver Wicks and helpers from Ramblers Cymru who have now completed the Trail Marking in Powys.”
October 2019
Stage 14 Route near Cribin Fawr Clarification
A walker has reported difficulty finding the correct route near Cribin Fawr between Craig Portas and Waun-oer. Although the description is correct, if you are walking without 1:25,000 or GPS it may not be clear about where the fence is crossed and which way to go having crossed it, as boundary fences are not shown on the 1:50,000 maps in this guide. His problem was that he didn't swing round to the left before meeting the fence and was confused when the fence was a different one from the one he had been following earlier. He then turned back and attempted to go via the forest but had to go further down the hillside to get around the trees and then reached dangerously steep slopes in places making it very difficult.
Page 167 -2nd paragraph 2nd line. Amend to :
“cross to the N of the fence which runs downhill approximately westwards.”
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