The Carneddau

Thursday 5th September 2019

After parking on the A5 below Tryfan, just as I had at the beginning of the week, I did a walk that I have done several times before with the first in 2003 on my first walking holiday in Snowdonia, and was repeated in 2009 in poor weather conditions. I set off away from Tryfan up a path beside the Afon Lloer that is very muddy and difficult to follow, which is how I remembered it previously being when posts helped determine the route, but these are not now to be found. I thought it surprising that the path has not seen any remedial work carried out on it as the National Trust often does in putting down a good surface. Dark clouds hung overhead over the Carneddau and would obstinately refuse to budge throughout day, although further afield small breaks in the clouds increased as the day progressed. When the gradient eased I broke away from the path and headed towards the east ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen scrambling up the rocks onto the ridge with a relish that I hadn’t shared sixteen years earlier when I had been still quite new to scrambling. I had considered climbing Pen yr Ole Wen by the ridiculously steep southern ridge, which I’ve never climbed although I did descend by that route in 2006, and totally destroyed my knees in the process.

Continuing steadily up the ridge I plunged into clouds and eventually reaching the summit of Pen yr Ole Wen where I was hit by bitterly cold winds that blew straight through my cagoule and rapidly cooled my sweat underneath. Hastily I put my fleece on to wrap up against the cold before hypothermia set in and headed off along the ridge, north, passing over Carnedd Fach before reaching Carnedd Dafydd. It seemed brighter at the summit so I hopefully thought the sun was about the push through the clouds, but it was ultimately unsuccessful so I remained within the clouds as I continued along the ridge above Ysgolion Duon. This is a great, long ridge that stretches for almost two miles with precipitous drops north as the ridge slowly descends to the low point at Bwlch Cyfryw-drum crossing very stony ground that is quite challenging in misty conditions. At the col the clouds suddenly parted to reveal views into the valleys on either side of the pass and ahead of me towards Carnedd Llewelyn, the highest point in the Carneddau, who after a brief reveal pulled the clouds back down over itself as if to hide its shame. Slowly, I made my way up the extensive scree slopes until I reached the summit where I had my lunch.

After eating, I set off east from the summit and out of the clouds down the developing ridge of Penywaun-wen with spectacular views south towards Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir and the ridge that leads towards Pen yr Helgi Du. At a cairn I also found stunning views east into Cwm Eigiau despite grey clouds overhead. As the ridge narrowed I came across a steep rock face that requires a tricky scramble down, but I have no memory of this from my earlier times doing this walk. It could be that I was less bothered by the sheer drop ten years ago, but now I was rather relieved to be safely down and able to continue along the narrow ridge over Bwlch Eryl Farchog. Ahead of me was a steep scramble that I do remember from the previous occasions and is an interesting climb that took me all the way up to the top of Pen yr Helgi Du where I now had a problem. It was only 1.30 in the afternoon and I had almost finished the walk. In 2003 I had diverted to Yr Elen, north of Carnedd Llewelyn, and on Pen yr Helgi Du I had made my way along the grassy ridge to the peak of Pen Llithrig y Wrach. This peak bagging was a waste of time so I had not done them in 2009, but the walk must consequently have been similarly short, although I have no memory of that, or any record of it.

Following my route of 2009 I turned south and headed down the long ridge of Y Braich to the artificial water channel that goes from the Afon Llugwy all the way around the side of the hill into the Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir. I followed this leat upstream until I reached a service track and followed that down to the main road where my car was parked some distance away. I was not particularly enamoured of this walk after becoming bitterly cold near the summit of Pen yr Ole Wen and it had taken me a long time to warm up again. This is a great mountainous walk, and I particularly enjoyed the ridge after Carnedd Llewelyn, but ultimately it failed to excite me with the downsides being the muddy walk up, the lack of a view from the ridge and my feeling very cold for most of the walk. With half the afternoon remaining I decided to do a small walk up Crimpiau, which is reputed to have a good viewpoint, but unfortunately there was too much cloud cover on the mountains to get much of a view. I parked in Capel Curig and headed along the path that I had ended my walk of two days previously before turning north on the bridlepath that heads beside the Nant y Geuallt through lovely, bracken-covered scenery. At the top of the pass I turned left taking an often boggy path up to the summit of Crimpiau where the views were at their best away from the mountains.

The sun was shining here with gradually improving weather despite a strong wind and good views over terrain that I am not familiar. To my west was the Llyn Crafnant Reservoir that is surrounded by conifer plantations while to the north, and tantalisingly close, was Craig Wen, whose profusion of rocky outcrops was a tempting place to explore. It was tricky finding a route off the hill with the slender path along the ridge top proving illusive and very wet underfoot with many deceptive dead ends. Eventually I managed to find my way along the complex ridge and steeply, safely, descend back onto the bridlepath that I had taken on the way in. This was very exhausting short walk, but at least I was able to enjoy some of the sunshine that was available away from the mountains.