Scramble in Tryfan’s shadow
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SH685601 Start at the car park at Gwern Gof Isaf farm and campsite, where parking is £2 per day. Stick your two quid in the collection box in the yard, signposted ‘Reception’. Walk up the driveway a short distance and cross a ladder stile over a stone wall just to the right of the farmhouse. Make your way up to the broad, low ridge of Braich y Ddeugwm, which begins with a series of humped, bouldery crags. From the very start of the ridge you are treated to arguably the best views of Tryfan anywhere in Snowdonia, which just get better with every step you climb.
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SH683599 From this point, at the foot of Braich y Ddeugwm, the scrambling here is essentially what you make it. Heading straight up the back of the ridge is slabby and direct, or if you walk along the base of the crags to the right there are some fun scrambling options to choose from. You might even be tempted to head down off the ridge and ascend again another way, which time will permit as this is a short route with lots of room for adaptation. The ridge itself breaks once or twice but is easy to follow, interspersing grassy paths with short rock sections. Mighty Tryfan continually grabs your attention away to the right. On a clear day you can easily spot the twin pillars of Adam and Eve (or Siôn a Siân in Welsh) that mark Tryfan’s summit and watch as the daring/foolhardy jump between them.
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SH671586 After a steady climb you’ll reach the knoll of Drws Nodded. From here an unmistakable path heads up the relatively seldom-visited Y Foel Goch, one of Glyder Fach’s sister peaks. You can either continue to Llyn Caseg-fraith, which makes for a great lunch spot with more spectacular views of Tryfan, or you can cut off the corner and start heading towards the summit of Y Foel Goch.
It is a relatively gentle climb up grassy slopes, although occasionally boggy in places. A small cairn marks the summit.
4
SH677582 From here, begin the gentle descent towards a small, peaty llyn, then climb again to reach the summit of
Gallt yr Ogof, which is also marked with a cairn. There are great views of the Carneddau peaks to the north, Moel Siabod to the south and Capel Curig to the east, as well as the Ogwen valley below. Apart from the minor hill of Cefn y Capel, this is the most easterly point of the Glyderau and you’re almost guaranteed to have the summit all to yourself.
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SH685586 From the summit of Gallt yr Ogof follow the faint path down the ridge, heading towards the cave marked on the map, which gives this peak its name. The cave itself looks impressive from the valley road below, although it’s actually just a big crack in the cliff face. Reaching it from either above or below also involves a steep and slippery scramble that we wouldn’t recommend. Instead, as a fence line comes into view, head down towards it, looking out for a simple stile that allows you to cross over to the other side.
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SH689594 Follow the faint path along the fence line, descending towards the river at the base of the cwm. When you reach a ladder stile, go right to pick up a faint path that heads downhill in the direction of Gwern Gof Isaf. Follow this across the tussocky and sometimes boggy ground. The stream can be crossed via various rocky sections. Go over one ladder stile before crossing a second ladder stile back to the farm and the start of the
route.