EPIC RIDGE WALK
1 SH570525 From the car park, cross the road and go through the gate to pick up the Lon Las Gwyrfai trail. Cross the footbridge and leave the trail by taking the next path on the right which leads to a gate next to the Drws y Coed road. Carry on towards Y Garn and cross a stile as the ground starts to steepen. I won’t sugar the pill, before you now lies 600m of brutal ascent! An hour should see you on the summit plateau of Y Garn, where a wall is crossed and a choice of two large cairn shelters await. Once you’ve had a breather and sampled the dizzying view down to Drws y Coed, head south and pick up the wall which will guide you towards the daunting prospect of Mynydd Drws y-Coed. The ascent is exhilarating and sections of Grade 1 scrambling can be taken direct or dodged on the left until the narrow summit ridge is gained. Before you continue, take some time to look around, for the vista is something special. After a short descent it’s time for more ‘up’ and you have a number of options. A bypass path forks left and contours beneath Trum y Ddysgl along with an obvious way on the right which is more direct. For maximum airiness, stick to the crest. From Trum y Ddysgl, another brief descent leads to a narrowing of the ridge. This section is extremely pleasant but contains a notch that should be treated with caution in damp conditions as the polished, slatey
strata can be greasy. A short plod thereafter lands you on the top of Mynydd Tal y Mignedd, adorned by an impressive obelisk, said to have been erected by local quarrymen to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. This is a great place to hunker down for lunch.
2 SH535513 Two ridges depart from Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd and the one you want follows the fence line south-south-west before plunging steeply down to Bwlch y Dros Bern. This is a short but slightly awkward passage, so take your time. At the bwlch you say farewell to smooth grassy slope and hello to a more
rugged terrain of heather and rock. A serpentine path leads upwards getting established on the ridge and, finally, finding a way through a small boulder field. You are now on Craig Cwm Silyn, the highpoint of the walk where the view back towards Snowdon is quite sublime. From the
cairn, take the stony path to a wall which is followed all the way to Garnedd Goch’s trig point. If time is on your side then take a short detour to the rim of Cwm Silyn to enjoy the immense view of The Great Slab and the twin lakes of Llynnau Cwm Silyn. From Garnedd Goch, follow the wall down to Bwlch Cwm Dulyn (easier in poor visibility) or (my preference) weave leftwards down through scree and heather to pick up a good path.
3 SH509488 Your choice now will depend on energy levels and the desire to bag one more peak. An out-andback to Mynydd Graig Goch (officially given mountain status in 2008) will add another 2km to your day but leave you satisfied that you’ve ‘done’ the ridge. The choice is yours! Your descent starts from Bwlch Cwm Dulyn and follows an initially damp path on the right-hand side of the gorge. At a fork, keep right and continue descending to the field system to Maen Llwyd where your second car awaits.