IS THERE A BETTER SPOT TO TAKE A PHOTO?
OVERLOOKING Dyffryn Ogwen and Cwm Idwal, lies the Glyderau mountain range of Eryri. The range consists of Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach, Y Garn, Elidir Fawr and Tryfan.
According to Welsh scholar Sir Ifor Williams, the name “Glyder” comes from the word “gludair”, which means a heap of stones.
It seems that Glyder Fawr and Fach have remained true to their name as both peaks have spectacular, other-worldly rock formations.
Glyder Fawr, which stands at 1,001 metres, is the highest summit of the mountain range.
The summit has the impressive vertical frost-shattered spires of Castell y Gwynt, which makes a spectacular photo opportunity for walkers.
Glyder Fach is situated only a stone’s throw away from Castell y Gwynt, which is accessible by clambering up a bouldery path to the summit. The mountain stands at 994m and is the second highest summit of the mountain range. Just beyond the summit lies what looks like a hanging rock.
The rock is called Y Gwyliwr in Welsh, which means “The Sentinel”, but over the years has been anglicised as the “Cantilever stone”.
Like the spires of Glyder Fawr, the large rock has proven to be a popular place for photo opportunities. If taken from the correct angle, it appears to be precariously balanced.
According to the archives, taking photos on the rock has been a trend even before the selfie age.
There is a black and white image showing schoolboys sitting on what they called “The Table Rock” of Glyder Fach from around the 1930s, which is almost reminiscent of the iconic New York photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper”.
Today, people from far and wide venture to the top of the Glyderau, with many taking the opportunity to take a photo with the iconic rock.