Glyderau & Carneddau
DAY 3
11 SH588555 Leave no trace from your camp and regain the main Snowdon Ranger Path as it heads generally westerly to a junction/ beyond a large gate with a bridleway signposted towards Llanberis. Use this zigzag path heading north to gain height to Bwlch Maesgwm and follow the main slate track over and down into shallow valley of Maesgwm. After exiting a main gate, next to a mountaineering club hut on your right, follow the track to disused buildings where a right of way is waymarked across fields to then cross Afon Arddu at SH578585. A path junction allows you to choose a track heading uphill south-east, through rough fields up to the ruins of Capel Hebron.
12 SH582584 A footpath sign directs walkers over a stile, on the other side of the lane, and ascends through two grassy fields to gain access to the main Llanberis Path above you. Crossing the stile onto the Llanberis Path, just a little way below you is the ruins of an old house, with a faint track leading off the Llanberis Path and behind the house, north-north-east across rugged slopes behind. This is the course of a fairly well-used public right of way, with some markers along the way, as it crosses a shoulder and drops down towards the A4086 heading into Nant Peris. The final right of way descent though native woodland is a little steep and exits behind a private house, using their lane to access the road. Follow this main road into Nant Peris and pick up a right of way at SH598587, after a lay-by area, to keep off the road and cross Afon Nant Peris at a slate bridge. Use paths through fields and back to the road again.
13 SH605584 Cross the A4086 diagonally to your left, to pick up a narrow lane up to Fron Farm. Just before the farm, at SH605589, a right of way sign points uphill to pick up a footpath up Elidir Fawr, crossing Afon Dudodyn at a new footbridge at SH608595. This ascent of Elidir Fawr is a tough one; take it steady, and enjoy the views behind you, back to the massif of Yr Wyddfa and much of yesterday’s journey. Onwards from Elidir Fawr, after descending easterly down some rocky path sections, the going eases along a good track that sweeps around Bwlch y Brecan and an option to cut under Foel Goch, to avoid this ascent, on a good track. There’s a final kick up to gain the height of Y Garn, before descending south-east towards the water of Llyn y Cwn. A stony path crosses the northerly outflows of Llyn y Cwn and takes a rising, stone filled shallow gully (water here if it’s running well). Instead of taking an obvious stony path up to the right. Continue south-east towards a small flattening at 780m. From here, steeply rising stony slopes head up towards the open slopes of Glyder Fawr; a faint path does trace a zigzag and soon meets the main, cairned path to Glyder Fawr summit. From the dip below Castell y Gwynt, keep enormous boulders to your left until
an ascent
route through smaller rocks can be gained. Keep the summit boulders of Glyder Fach to your left as you pick the best route up to its summit (from the east), and then head eastnorth-east towards the top of Bristly Ridge. A direct descent route heads down the ‘Bristly
Screes’ (to the east of Bristly Ridge – screes can be very loose). A more secure path descends east-southeast, to the grassy plateau around Llyn Caseg-fraith.
14 SH667582 Before reaching the waters of Llyn Caseg-fraith, look for a grassy descent path that leaves this flattening, switching back northwest down into Cwm Tryfan. There’s a few slabs and steep sections of path to negotiate, and options open up to descend into the shallow bowl of the cwm. A good path keeps to the left of Nant Gwern y Gof, eventually crossing a stile at SH670598. Picking up a steeper, pitched path to the valley, emerge onto a wide bridleway behind the farm at Gwern Gof Uchaf. Turn right and head east along this path and through another farm/ camping area at Gwern Gof Isaf. Keep on this bridleway for 300m.
15 SH689600 Arrive at a path junction, giving option to head north-north-east to the main road (take care crossing – cars are fast here). On the other side of the road a public right of way is signposted up into farmland, heading uphill north-east towards a small footbridge that crosses a man-made ‘leat’ (water course) at SH700607. Ahead is now the southerly ridge of Pen yr Helgi Du, rising steadily for just over 400m; the final long ascent of your journey (if needed, an exit option is to keep to the bridleway south of the main road and head east back to Capel Curig). Upon reaching the grassy heights of Pen yr Helgi Du, there is one summit remaining, across Bwlch y Tri Marchog to the east. Descend easy grassy slopes to the bwlch and re-ascend to Pen Llithrig y Wrach.
16 SH716623 A final high point: observe your first summit of Moel Siabod from here; a tremendous achievement! The descent from this summit is steep at times, but initially on a good path, that keeps to the easterly edge of the summit area before swinging back on itself (west) approx 700m. Pick up a ‘Paddy Buckley’ trod that descends a series of heathery and shallow bowls towards a footbridge at SH716610.
From here, a well-used track descends easily and gradually, generally south towards the main road, using boardwalk sections across boggy ground. Once the track pops out at the A5 road, cross to the pavement to walk easily back to the Capel Curig junction where your route started.