Snowdonia
ROUGH, WILD HILLWALK
1 SH632485 From the car park, walk south on lane for 200m, with disused quarry on the right, and turn left over the bridge, with gate, to the house at Gelli-lago – home to Nantmor Mountain Centre. Take gate on left after 150m, walk behind house and cross a footbridge over stream. Follow the path uphill to cross a ladder stile.
2 SH633481
Keep ahead up the empty valley with river on the left. Open hillsides rise towards the lower slopes of Cnicht and there are impressive views looking back, north, to Snowdon. After 1km, near the head of the valley, the path bends right and you soon pass through a gate at Bwlch y Battel.
3 SH638471 Leave the path here and turn uphill onto the northwest flanks of Cnicht, where a series of rocky ribs lead up to a small grass plateau approx 90m below the summit. Turn left on the path from Croesor to climb to the top, from where a long ridge runs north-east.
4 SH645466 Cnicht might be a popular summit but the empty moors to the north are quiet. Keep north-east, over easy-going grass slopes, for nearly 2km and after passing Llyn yr Adar on the left head east to meet low crags. Keep ahead, with views to the
Moelwyns right, and at the highest point look for a gap in the fence which gives access to the top (672m) at the south end of Ysgafell Wen.
5 SH666480 Now head north, with the fence on your right, and pass two or three cairns – and plenty of small lakes – as you follow the crest of Ysgafell Wen for 2km to the shores of Llyn Edno. This is a wild lake, reminiscent of the Highlands, and the ground is often boggy where the path passes the northernmost inlet. A narrow path continues north through heather – you can leave this to find your way up to the top of Moel Meirch (609m).
6 SH661503 The next section is rough and boggy. Descend towards the north shore of the lake and pick up an indistinct path which descends west to an isolated sheepfold (SH654498). Keep left, on higher ground, and aim for a gap in a wall on the line of the right of way on the OS map (SH652498). Descend west on the south side of the river, follow a path through a small gorge and continue alongside as the river bends south-west to reach a ladder stile over a wall.
Continue south-west, through patchy woodland, to the track at Hafodydd Brithion. Follow this, around a dog-leg, to the lane.
7 SH637494 Turn left for 1km to return to the start.