Tremadog to Rhyd Ddu
DAY 1
1 SH562401 Leave the Market Square in Tremadog and turn right at the end of the road. Look for a footpath heading diagonally uphill opposite Tremadog Garden Centre. Continue uphill as the path joins a lane. Go through a handgate at a marker post and continue uphill. Bear right as the path turns at a large boulder. You may meet climbers on the path, as this is a popular cragging destination. Cross the stile over the fence. Follow the path over the stream and, as it splits, take the right-hand fork, climbing a series of stone steps. Pass through a metal handgate and bear left at the fork along a footpath, ignoring the sign for Clogwyn Cliffs. Follow the footpath as it threads its way through bracken, continuing to climb steadily. The path joins a farm track at a fingerpost. Follow the track as it bears right at a stone wall. Fabulous views open out before you, with Cnicht and the Moelwyns on the right. Go through the gate at the top of the track beside a farmhouse, cross the yard, go through a second gate and continue along the track. Go through another barred metal gate and continue following the track beside a stone wall and fence, with crags above to the left. Go through another metal gate and continue uphill past a black metal shed. Emerge onto the road and cross two cattle grids. Ignore the footpath off to your left and continue a little further along the road to a track marked on the OS map as an ORPA (Other Route with Public Access). Ignore two paths off to the left and follow the track as it bends right.
2 SH576428 Pick up a path that leaves the track, towards hills. Head left of the crags to go through a gap in the stone wall. Trend left up and over the bwlch (pass), then downhill. Cross over a tumbledown stone wall and continue along the path. Follow the wall downhill, steep in places. Cross a ladder stile over the stone wall to your left and continue following the wall uphill. Keep heading upwards with the wall on your right. As you approach the top of the wall where it bends left, cross over to keep the wall on your left. From here head upwards to higher ground. Start heading slightly left towards Moel Hebog and ascend up a faint but easy to follow path. The climb is steep but thankfully short.
3 SH565469 From the trig pillar bear north-west, following the stone wall. Carefully descend the grassy slope. Ignore the ladder stile and continue to follow the wall as it climbs uphill between a dramatic cleft in the rock. Pick your way up through boulders and make for the higher ground – the terrain underfoot can be boggy. The summit of Moel Yr Ogof is an indistinct jumble of rocks, but on a clear day it offers up some stunning 360° panoramic views.
4 SH556478 Descend north-northwest via the obvious path from the summit, making for the low hump of Moel Lefn. When you reach the stone wall, cross the ladder stile. The path splits: the left-hand fork skirts around Moel Lefn, the right-hand path clambers up to its summit. The mountain itself splits two valleys, and you can get great views of both to either side. Head north to descend the twisty, rocky path. Beddgelert Forest is away to your right, with disused quarry workings on your left. At the fence line, cross the stile beside the wall and continue to follow the wall downhill.
5 SH553496 Cross the wall at the fence line and then go over the stile. Follow the path down to the forestry road and turn left at the marker post. Follow the forestry road, continuing ahead at two path junctions, before turning right where the road forks. Now pick up the signed bridleway and follow this to the edge of Beddgelert Forest, crossing other forestry tracks. Exit the forest via the handgate. Bear left to follow the clear path that crosses the stream of Cwm Marchnad, rather than trying to follow the indistinct bridleway marked on the OS map. To your left are the eastern summits of the Nantlle Ridge, with Llyn y Gader away to your right. The path crosses fields to emerge onto a minor road, with a metal handgate. Follow the road into Rhyd Ddu – turn right when you reach the A4085 for the Cwellyn Arms.