Rhinogs wilderness walk
Snowdonia’s Rhinog mountains are the wildest and roughest summits in Wales, so let us guide you through this tough region...
The rough peaks of the Rhinogydd contain some of the least visited summits in Wales. This range is not only the oldest in the country, it also offers the most rugged wilderness walking too. The tops are set far from civilisation and you will find your navigation skills tested to the limits in this vast area. Away from the main paths the going can be all but impossible as you try to work your way through ankle-twisting rocks and heather. Fortunately, a decent path network links the main summits but the walking can still be slow-going and energetic.
This route offers a high-level circuit above the extremely remote Cwm Nantcol and takes in Rhinog Fach (712m), Y Llethr (at 756m the highest top in the Rhinogs), and little visited Moelfre (589m). You will get a real sense of ‘being in the middle of nowhere’ as you work your way around the skyline and the views are superb in all directions, but particularly so to the west where the sea is very nearby.
You can’t rush in the Rhinogs and this route gives you plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere of this unique region.
1
SH641270 From the end of the lane, and with the farm to your right, go ahead taking a marked footpath north-easterly by a wall. Keep the wall to your right and pass through three gates. Follow the undulating path with the wall right, sometimes near and sometimes distant from you. Continue to reach the second stile right in the wall at SH659280 (this is at a point where the valley widens and flattens). Cross the stile and climb steeply up the path beyond. Continue past Llyn Cwmhosan and rise beyond it past scree slopes. Shortly cross a small dip and rise left towards the valley head above. Higher up cross an old wall continuing climbing beyond. As the angle eases, and just before the path rises again, reach a minor path junction left at SH660270. Go left here following the path to climb steeply left of boulder fields. Above these continue rising to a shallow grassy col. Continue over this and just before a path junction, curve right with the path. Follow the main path (there are a few variations) to the summit of Rhinog Fach.
2
SH665270 Take a path east, going right of a wall to cut right at a stile left. Keeping the wall left, make a rough descent to reach the Y Llethr slabs at a col above Llyn Hywel (this is after a path junction cutting back right to the lake). Keeping the wall left, cross the slabs. After this, climb the slopes of Y Llethr on the obvious path near the wall. Higher up the path is eroded and trends right away from the wall but re-joins it further up. As the angle eases, continue over the grassy top to reach the summit of Y Llethr right of the wall.
3
SH661257 Descend south-westerly by the wall to reach two stiles in a wall corner. Cross the one ahead to go right and descend by the wall. Continue by the wall and lower down join a good track (there is a wall corner ahead here) and stay ahead on this towards Moelfre. At a path fork near the wall corner stay right (lesser path) to reach the wall corner and take the path ahead still heading for Moelfre. Soon join a better path coming in right. Stay on this to fork right when it splits and head for a wall. At a path junction left of a gate in the wall, go left to rise to a path junction. Go right climbing to join the wall again higher up. At a boulder field cut left for a few paces to cut right at a small cairn and work a way up through the boulder field guided by small cairns. Higher up, continue by the wall again to cross a stile right as the angle eases. Follow the path beyond to the summit of Moelfre.
4
SH626245 Retrace your steps back over the stile and down through the boulder field to follow the path beyond (your outbound route) to reach the path junction left used earlier. Go left to reach a wall and gate.
5
SH634246 Pass through the gate following the path beyond through another gate or gap. Follow the descending path beyond to reach a lane in Cwm Nantcol. Go right to follow the lane back to Maes-y-garnedd Farm and the start.