Cambrian Way rerun: Dinas Mawddwy to Barmouth

Thursday 29th May and Friday 30th May 2025

After my walk the day before this, I had a very pleasant evening in the Dovey Valley with warm sunshine that encouraged me to wander into Dinas Mawddwy and explore the area, but when I got up the following morning it had started to rain. I had been blessed with sunshine throughout my first week on the Cambrian Way, but on the Monday of this, my second week, it had started to rain and, except for a break on Wednesday, it was still raining. I had previously attempted to do the Cambrian Way in August last year until bad weather half way through forced me off the trail so that I never even reached Dinas Mawddwy. I don’t like being at the top of a mountain in strong winds so, even more than with rain, I was diverting off the mountain-top trail to avoid them, though the previous day’s respite had enabled me to briefly resume walking along the Cambrian Way. This stage would have taken me over the lesser known Eryri hills of Maesglase and Waun-oer, and is surprisingly short. I previously climbed them in 2008 when they failed to leave much of an impression on me, so I didn’t want to do so again in strong winds and rain. The A470 road goes to the north around these hills over the pass of Bwlch Oeddrwsm but this didn’t look like a good route to walk, so I turned my attention south to where a narrow country lane snakes through the conifers of the Dyfi Forest. However, the constant backdrop of trees was frustratingly monotonous for me, so I was relieved when, at noon, I finally reached the old mining village of Aberllefenni where a bus shelter provided me with somewhere to escape the rain.

After eating my lunch I set off up the valley of the Afon Dulas, past the remains of the former slate mines and colourful displays of foxgloves and some early bell heather. The rain had now stopped, which greatly helped with my enjoyment of the walk, though the cloud was still very low and on exposed parts it was very windy. I appreciated being able to put some of my waterproofs away as I gradually climbed up the valley on a road that became a cycle track and eventually led me over the pass to the point where the Cambrian Way comes down off the hills. This stage of the trail ends at Bwlch Llyn Bach, a pass that carries the A487 road, even though there is nothing there. Options for accommodation are either to turn left into Cwm Rhwyddfor, where there a hotel and a campsite, or to turn right and head into the town of Dolgellau. Since I had nowhere booked I thought I’d have better luck finding somewhere in Dollgellau and so, rather than taking the byway that starts from Bwlch Llyn Bach and climbs over the shoulder of the hill, I stayed on the cycle lane passing through Gwerngraig. The improving weather and early hour made me doubt my ending the walk so soon, but it was still very windy and after my long walk the day before I appreciated an easier day. In Dollgellau I found a B&B that had a room available, despite being my most expensive accommodation of the whole holiday, but I really enjoyed having a room to myself and further reinforces my dislike for camping.

The following morning the weather was no better with rain and strong winds so I dispelled any thought of going over Cadair Idris on the Cambrian Way and instead plotted a course across the northern foothills. I could have followed the Mawddach Trail along the course of an old railway, but I dismissed this as being too easy in favour of something more interesting, so I climbed the hill behind the town and soon I found myself enjoying the walk, despite the poor weather. After a section of road walking I followed a narrow, enclosed, rock-filled lane that brought me into a valley beside Kings Youth Hostel and back up through woodland, beside a pretty little stream before emerging onto open hillside through thick cloud with a strong headwind. My Cicerone guidebook to the Cambrian Way gives directions for a diversion via the youth hostel and I was now on that route as it returns to the trail, rejoining beside the picturesque view over Llynnau Cregennen. I was now also on my route of last year when that view had been poor due to the weather, but now it was even worse due to low cloud, though as I sat eating my lunch the cloud slowly lifted from the surface of the lake. I now followed the Cambrian Way again across a series of fields that brought me to an old clapper bridge that heralds the start of an epic path beside the Arthog Waterfalls. Even though I came down this way last year I was eager to revisit this path that winds down the hillside past many small falls through thick woodland, though the path was very wet and slippery which meant I had to be careful of my footing.

I took many pictures though it was difficult to get close enough for a good shot and mist filled the air, but eventually my epic descent ended and I headed out to the estuary where I had views towards Barmouth. The route here is complex and after my difficulties of last year I tried to ensure that this time I stayed on the correct path, but I still couldn’t find the exactly route around Fegla Fawr, which may not actually be possible. Eventually I crossed the wooden railway bridge, while a train passed over, and brought me into Barmouth as the weather continued to improve. After buying some supplies I climbed the steep hillside above the seaside resort, enjoying the sunshine and stunning views across the mouth of the estuary. I stopped frequently to enjoy the view, including towards Cadair Idris, but it was the views across the estuary that I most enjoyed and hearing the whistles from the little engines on the Fairbourne Railway that runs across the mouth of the estuary. The following day I had a scheduled day off the trail and I spent it on that railway, riding the little train or walking beside the coast enjoying the scenery. It is not much fun walking in the rain, but when the sun shines there is nothing better.

Cambrian Way rerun: Dylife to Dinas Mawddwy

Wednesday 28th May 2025

Following the rain and wind of the previous day that had prevented me from doing any walking along the Cambrian Way I was disheartened to discover that it was still raining when I set off from the Star Inn in the former mining village of Dylife. The thirteenth stage of the trail is the longest at twenty-three miles so, with a lot of walking ahead of me, more rain was not welcome, however it soon stopped and rewarded me with clear weather in the midst of what was otherwise a poor week for weather. The waterproofs that I’d put on at first were soon found to be unnecessary as I climbed the hill with views over the valley behind me towards the hills I should have walked over the day before, rising to Plynlimon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains. My route took me over a hill, passing through low cloud and fields filled with sheep on faint paths that forced me to keep a close watch on my location to stay on route. I consoled myself with the thought that at least I was now walking a section of the Cambrian Way that I had not done the year before when I first attempted the trail before bad weather forced me to seek an easier route through Machynlleth. After descending the other side of the hill I entered a conifer plantation to climb again, navigating a complex network of paths that zigzag up the hill until I finally emerged at the highest point having successfully found the right way.

The navigational exercise continued over the hill through cloud before descending, with views to my left down the Gwydol Valley, to the pass at Bwlch Glynmynydd where the path beyond took me beside young conifers that delighted in drenching me as I passed. The sun was now beginning to break through the clouds so it wasn’t long before I dried off while trying to find my way through the grassy fields on the other side of the hill gradually descending to a woodland track that eventually brought me into the Twymyn Valley and the village of Commins Coch. After crossing the main road, railway and river I headed back uphill, soon stopping for lunch at a handy bench, before continuing to climb along the road, keeping straight ahead onto a track when the road turned sharp left. Ahead of me was an ominously steep hill, the southern slopes of Moel Eiddew, though fortunately my route soon veered left to cross the western slopes until I reached the access road for the Mynydd y Cemmaes wind farm. While wearily climbing the hill I realised that I had missed a turning, but, rather than descending back down, I kept on going until the gradient eased and then crossed over the fence to make my way through tall, boggy grass desperately looking for the correct route of the Cambrian Way. When I finally found the trail I was disgusted to see hardly any sign of a footpath which made the walking no less tiring.

While to my right the blades of the tall wind turbines whistled through the air, I tried to follow the trail along the western edge of Mynnydd y Cemmaes, which is supposed to provide you with fine views of the Dovey Valley. However, despite a great improvement in the weather, I never felt the views compensated for the difficult path when there is a wide track that serves the wind turbines, which would provide me with considerably easier walking. The access road was a pleasure to walk along and all I encountered whenever I tried to follow the bridleway was no path through rough, tussocky grass. At the northern end of the wind farm I came off the access road to come to the edge of a conifer plantation and then descend pathless slopes in the adjacent field until I eventually entered the wood where I finally had a path to follow, albeit very boggy, which led me out of the wood and down the hill beside a developing stream. With great views before me into the Dovey Valley this was an enjoyable descent, but when I reached a track I was frustrated to realise that I now had to turn right and climb back up the hill. One could take a direct course from the conifer plantation, but rough tussocky ground would probably make this even more tiring and take just as long. According to the Cicerone guidebook my route later turned left steeply up the hillside at a waymark, but I somehow missed this and stayed on the track until I eventually realised my mistake.

Again, rather than backtrack, I turned left to climb the rough grassy slope, wearily cursing the complex path which had been difficult to follow on this stage of the trail. I had hoped I would be able to go around the hill, but this proved hopeless and after much effort I eventually reached the steep eastern slopes where I was afforded with great views across Cwm Tafolog. When I was finally rejoined by the Cambrian Way I descended the steep hillside along a faint path to a ruined farm building at Craig-For where a farm track provided me with much needed easy walking for the rest of the day. I audibly moaned whenever the path began to ascend, but generally the track maintained a level course around the hill, first on the eastern slopes and then round to the north, until I finally descended into the Dovey Valley and the village of Mallwyd. The Cambrian Way crosses the valley and then climbs quite a way up the western slopes before descending through woodland to reach Dinas Mawddwy, but I was too tired for this and just walked along the road at the bottom of the valley until I reached the campsite when I stopped for the night. This was a very tiring, frustrating walk because of the lack of a good footpath to follow which made the walking difficult and forced me to be constantly checking my location. There was nothing to interest me on this stage of the Cambrian Way, except for the weather which improved markedly compared with the last two days and notably at the end of this walk I entered Eryri, better known as Snowdonia.

Cambrian Way rerun: Domen Milwyn to Dylife

Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th May 2025

When I attempted to do the Cambrian Way last year the weather was not kind to me and half way through the trail, after passing over Plynlimon and before descending into the village of Dylife, I abandoned the route of the Cambrian Way to take a lower level route on the rest of the holiday that avoided the mountain tops due to poor weather. Therefore, I was keen to do the Cambrian Way again this year, not only to cover those parts that I’d missed last year, but to do the whole trail again, and so I started again from Cardiff and at this point in the trail I had reached a hill called Domen Milwyn in the Cambrian Mountains. When I got up that morning it was overcast and already attempting to rain, even though up to this point on the Cambrian Way, my ninth day, I had hardly seen any rain and certainly not for a significant duration. I was up early to beat the rain and was soon descending into the valley and village of Cwmystwyth, and on climbing back out of the valley I crossed a field that last year had been terribly waterlogged, but was now bone dry with a clear path, for which I was thankful. Beyond, I entered a conifer plantation with Gelmast Farm in the middle providing me with a respite from the constant view of trees. 

My route took me through a two hundred year old arch, built to commemorate George III’s jubilee, and onto a wide track where I had easy, level walking with views across the Mynach valley and towards the Vale of Rheidol. A strong, cold wind prompted me to put on my cagoule but breaks in the clouds temporarily let the sun show itself and when sheltered from the wind I soon felt too warm, so my cagoule came on and off several times. It wasn’t long before I reached Devil’s Bridge where last year I had caught the steam train to Aberystwyth, but now I kept to the Cambrian Way which took me over the railway line and steeply down through gorgeous woodland to the bottom of the valley. After crossing the Afon Rheidol the Cambrian Way turns right onto a minor road, to head up the valley for a bit, before climbing steeply to eventually reach the main road at Ponterwyd where I had planned to catch a bus to Aberystwyth. However, a couple of weeks before starting the Cambrian Way, I had realised that this day was a bank holiday and the bus was not going to run, so I thought I would just take the steam train again, as I had done last year. 

But, since it was a bank holiday the trains were busy and because of the lack of rain they were not able to run use steam so diesel-hauled trains were running instead with a reduced service, consequently the trains were all full. When I was informed of this at the station in Devil’s Bridge, I decided that my only option was to walk to Aberystwyth. Since it was still quite early, mid-morning, and even though Google smugly told me the walk was going to take four hours, I eagerly set off and when I reached the bottom of the Vale of Rheidol I turned left, instead of right, to follow the road along the bottom of the valley all the way to Aberystwyth. Soon after I joined the road, to add to the drama, it started to rain and it kept raining, sometimes heavily, all the way to Aberystwyth. I had enjoyed some great weather prior to this day, so it was a shame for it to end and not far from where it had deteriorated for me last year. The forecast for the next day was even worse with strong wind and rain, which you really don’t want on top of a mountain. My plan had been to catch the bus back to Ponterwyd and continue along the Cambrian Way over Plynlimon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains, into the village of Dylife. Technically, I would have failed to have walked along the section between Devil’s Bridge and Ponterwyd, but since I had done that bit last year I wasn’t bothered about it. The weather in the morning was just as bad as forecast so I decided I would also skip the stage between Ponterwyd and Dylife and get there by the easiest route. 

I caught a bus to Machynlleth and then walked along the road, initially through the peaceful, leafy valley of the Afon Dulas, but eventually the road climbed over a mountain pass where I was exposed to the winds and rain that I had been trying to avoid. With hindsight, I could have caught another bus to Llanbrynmair and then walked along the B5418 road through the valley of the Afon Twymyn, though this might not have been much better. Dylife is an old mining village and sits high amongst the hills of the Cambrian Mountains, so it is not easily walked to from any direction. Coming from the west was an interesting experience, but eventually I reached Y Star Inn, where I was booked to spend the night and who were very welcoming despite my arriving very early and soaking wet. When doing a long distance trail in Britain over several weeks you will inevitably have days when it is very wet and windy, which is a problem for the Cambrian Way that takes a high level route. In strong winds it is not advisable to be at the top of a mountain, especially if it is raining, so I had no choice but to avoid Plynlimon on my second attempt at the Cambrian Way. It must be wondered if it is ever possible to keep to the whole trail without braving bad weather at the top of a mountain.