Great Mountains: The Carneddau

The largest area of upland in either England or Wales that sustains a height of more than three thousand feet is called the Carneddau and lies in North Wales within the Snowdonia National Park. The highest points within the Carneddau are the twin peaks of Carnedd Llewellyn and Carnedd Dafydd with another five peaks that rise above three thousand feet. These, with one exception, all lie on a single, long ridge of great mountains that maintains a height above three thousand feet for almost its whole length. The ridge starts on Pen Yr Ole Wen whose craggy slopes rise steeply from the shores of Llyn Ogwen and gazes across the lake into the iconic Cwm Idwal. I have climbed this mountain by just one route on three separate occasions. The obvious route of ascent is direct from Idwal Cottage, but this is an unrelentingly steep ascent and I had been warned against it in favour of the eastern ridge. A path follows the Afon Lloer into Cwm Lloer, but it has invariably been very muddy, though the weather is usually poor when I take the path. I first took this route in 2003 during my first walking holiday in Snowdonia and I think the weather was good, but the path was still boggy and difficult to follow. Once the gradient eases as you approach Ffynnon Lloer the route up Pen Yr Ole Wen turns towards the eastern ridge with an easy scramble.

If the path beside the stream was better this would be a grand way up along a great ridge that steadily climbs with precipitous drops into Cwm Lloer on your right. It is a shame that despite three ascents by this route I don’t have any good pictures of the climb up this great ridge that leads all the way up to the summit of Pen Yr Ole Wen. In 2006 I descended straight down to Idwal Cottage from the top and I remember it being an awesome, relentless scramble that destroyed my knees for weeks following. I would love to attempt the challenge of the south ridge as an ascent, but good weather would be essential as it is an accident hotspot. A much easier and gentler route up is the one that I took as a descent in 2015 down the grassy slopes of the north west ridge of Braich Ty Du, but while this definitely works as a descent it would be very dull as an ascent. Attention at this point should be on the main Carneddau ridge that starts on Pen Yr Ole Wen and sets off around the top of Cwm Lloer gradually rising to the large cairn that sits at the summit of Carnedd Dafydd. This is truly a great mountain with rock in abundance everywhere and impressive cliffs that fall spectacularly down the northern faces.

In 2007 I climbed these northern slopes on Crib Lem, a ridge that separates Cwmglas Bach and Cwmglas Mawr, requiring a scramble that is not too difficult even for someone like me. It is a grand way up a mountain, but if you prefer your climbs considerably more gentle then the slopes of Mynydd Du on the north-west ridge would be better, but for me this is better as a descent so I took this route down in 2005. The main ridge continues above the precipitous cliffs of Ysgolion Duon for an excellent walk across a saddle that doesn’t drop below three thousand feet before climbing up to the top of the highest point in the Carneddau, Carnedd Llewelyn. A great ridge heads off east from the summit before turning south narrowing deliciously along Bwlch Eryl Farchog before rising steeply to Pen yr Helgi Du. This was my route off the main Carneddau ridge in 2003 and again when I repeated the walk in 2009 and 2019. A round of the two main peaks of the Carneddau with Pen Yr Ole Wen and Pen yr Helgi Du must be the best mountain walk in the range and is why I have done it three times. It is great in any weather and I endured some terrible weather on the round in 2009, but I still enjoyed it as these mountains are too great to be ruined by a bit of bad weather.

On the other side of Carnedd Llewelyn is its companion, the shapely Yr Elen that is connected to its parent by a narrow ridge. In 2007 I descended from the top down the broad grassy slopes of Braich y Brysgyll, but for an ascent I prefer something steep and the north-eastern ridge provided me with a glorious route up in 2015. In 2003 and 2006 I visited Yr Elen as a diversion from the main ridge returning to Carnedd Llewelyn to continue along the main ridge, but this unfairly relegates a fine mountain to a supporting role tagged onto its bigger parent. This is not fair as it deserves to be climbed for its own sake and not simply to tick a box in a list of mountain tops. Resuming the walk along the main Carneddau ridge a long descent down the slopes of Carnedd Llewelyn takes us to the grass saddle of Gwaun y Garnedd before rising again to the top of Foel Grach. Just beyond the summit is a small refuge hut that was very welcome on my walk in the area in 2003 as it provided me with shelter from heavy rain and gave me somewhere dry to sit while I had my lunch. Grassy slopes continue the descent and now for the first time the ridge drops below three thousand feet, but it isn’t long before the gradient rises again to a peak whose fortunes has improved considerably.

At one time Garnedd Uchaf was not considered to be more than three thousand feet high, but then a re-survey revealed that it was, although it is still the smallest in the Carneddau. The first couple of times I visited it I had difficulty finding the top because of low cloud and a low prominence, until eventually in 2006 I had good weather and was able to appreciate the great views across to Yr Elen and Carnedd Llewelyn. Since then the top has been officially renamed Carnedd Gwenllian to tie in with the historical connection of the names of the other peaks, but I will always remember it as being Garnedd Uchaf. At this point the ridge splits in two descending west over Bera Bach and Drosgl on a ridge that I have climbed a few times, twice (in 2003 and in 2015) climbing onto the ridge from the nature reserve to the north and once (in 2005) from Bethesda to the west. Despite long grassy slopes it is a convenient route up to the Carneddau ridge. East of Garnedd Uchaf the ridge crosses a boggy saddle before rising one more time to reach the summit of Foel-fras, the last three thousand footer in the Carneddau

The terrain beyond Foel-fras is broad and grassy with much less rock and less of the mountainous feel as the ridge descends over Drum, also known as Carnedd Penyborth-Goch, gradually descending all the way to the coast. I came down this ridge in 2003 and it makes a great descent with far reaching views out to sea. In 2006 I got off a train at the station in Llanfairfechan and walked from the coast all the way into these great mountains on an epic walk that took in all seven peaks in the Carneddau in one single day. This is the only time I have reached them all in one day as usually I do the northern peaks separately from the highest peaks, for example, as I did in 2003. Although the whole range is an awesome series of mountains it is really the two highest mountains, Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd, and those near them that deserve the accolade of being Great Mountains. In that area rock abounds with sheer cliffs, narrow ridges and great views that are enough to hail these mountains with ultimate praise.

Snowdon from Nant Gwynant

Friday 16th March 2007

While researching my post on Snowdon that started my series on great mountains I listed each time I had climbed the mountain and realised that I had never described the occasion when I climbed Snowdon in March 2007. A colleague at work had expressed an interest in climbing Snowdon, which is not uncommon as this mountain, more than any other, seems to exert an unnatural attraction to non-hillwalkers that has resulted in me leading another three trips up Snowdon with friends and colleagues. Despite the time of year almost guaranteeing wintry conditions I arranged this trip in March taking advantage of a four-day week at work. The weather forecast for Friday had looked good at the beginning of the week, but by the time Friday came around the forecast had deteriorated significantly, nevertheless my colleague picked me up and drove us all the way over to the valley of Nant Gwynant parking in the car park that during the summer is always packed to overflowing, but not on this occasion. With thick cloud overhead and cold temperatures we had the path to ourselves as we set off out of the valley climbing into Cwm Llan on the Watkin Path.

It was great to be climbing a mountain again after the winter exile, but we should have picked better weather as the views were terrible, though the craggy hillside was fantastic to see and as we climbed I exclaimed emphatic enjoyment at being in such tremendous scenery again. My colleague soon realised he should be brought a pair of gloves with him as the temperature plummeted, but I had deliberately brought a spare pair of gloves with me so I gave these to him. He seems to have also borrowed my walking pole as the pictures I took near Bwlch Ciliau clearly show him holding it. I don’t remember why he had my walking pole, but he may have realised that climbing a mountain is a much more serious undertaking than he had thought so asked to use the pole to ease his efforts up the steep path. The pictures that I took on this walk show that despite the poor weather we still had views south to Yr Aran and over the ridge down to Llyn Llydaw even under the dull, grey clouds.

From that point we were crossing the loose stones that lie on the steep southern slopes below the summit of Snowdon and I remember trying to carefully select the best, easiest route through this difficult terrain to ease the way for my colleague. The Watkin Path is the most difficult of the six official right-of-ways up Snowdon mainly because of the difficult traverse of these slopes. My colleague was rather annoyed when I told him we had taken the most difficult route, but I argued it is actually easiest route from Nant Gwynant and it could have been much harder. When we finally reached the western ridge the gradient was now much easier, but the weather was really harsh with bitterly cold wind and freezing temperatures as we made the final ascent to the top. At the time the summit building had been recently demolished and work had not yet started on the new building, so when we got there we found the astonishing sight of the tiled floor of the old building, but no building. The summit of Snowdon was covered in hoar frost, but no snow and it was stupendously cold.

We tried to find shelter behind the summit rock to have our lunch, but it was so cold I soon realised that it was silly trying to eat our lunch in this weather, so I suggested we both head straight back down without eating our lunch. Retracing our steps past the site of what is now the Summit Visitor Centre (Hafod Eyri) we continued past the top of the Watkin Path and across the narrow ridge of Bwlch Main veering left down the southern ridge above Clogwyn Du. I had come up this ridge in good weather in 2005 and would follow my steps of this walk coming down the ridge in even worse weather (but warmer) in 2008. I have not been along it since and it is not on any of the official routes up Snowdon, yet I remember it as being a good route with plenty of rock to keep me interested. This rock may have caused some problems for my colleague as I remember near the bottom he said the gloves that I had given him were now soaking wet, probably due to him repeatedly touching the wet rocks for support during the tricky descent.

Eventually we reached Bwlch Cwm Llan where we turned left to take the path into the valley and rejoin the Watkin Path for the short distance back into Nant Gwynant. This was a tough walk in bitterly cold, damp weather that really tested my colleague who was not used to climbing mountains, but he came through it in one piece and was able to drive us all the way back to Leicester.

Great Mountains: MacGillycuddy’s Reeks

When I first started researching the mountains of Ireland I soon came across a range that goes by the bizarre name of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, which is a name that is just too fabulous to ignore. I was instantly smitten just by the name and organised a holiday to Ireland in 2005 to visit this range of hills in County Kerry that includes most of the highest peaks in Ireland. I had bought the Cicerone guidebook, “The Mountains of Ireland” by Paddy Dillon, which directed me to the car park beside Kate Kearney’s Cottage on my first full day in Country Kerry. A good path zigzags up the hillside before depositing me onto the broad, boggy ridge north of the easternmost peak on the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks ridge, Cnoc an Bhráca. Another peak, Cnoc na dTarbh also known as the Bull, sits behind and I obediently followed Paddy Dillon’s direction to contour the side of Cnoc an Bhráca to bag Cnoc na dTarbh, but this is a waste of time as the real attention is on the ridge that leads over MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. When I was there in 2005 I had clear views all around including across the flat land at the head of Dingle Bay towards the hills of the Dingle Peninsula, but it was west along the serrated ridge where my eyes were fixed.

Great mountains walks are ridge walks and a great one starts from Cnoc an Bhráca dipping briefly before climbing stony ground to the top of Cruach Mhór, which is distinctive due to a small grotto built at the summit that houses a small statue of the Virgin and Child. This is the first peak on the ridge above three thousand feet and beyond this point the ridge is particularly rough with some challenging scrambling required before the top of The Big Gun is reached. In 2005 the sunshine that I had enjoyed up to this point was obliterated as thick cloud enveloped the ridge robbing me of any views for the rest of the walk. A narrow arête continues the ridge to the highest point in the Eastern Reeks, Cnoc na Péiste, anglicised as Knocknapeasta. This is the fourth highest mountain in Ireland and the other three are not far away. When I was there in 2005 I was walking in clouds down a grassy ridge that had now widened providing me with a welcome rest after the rocky challenge and delights along the narrow ridge over The Big Gun. The ridge passes over Maolán Buí with little variation in height before reaching Cnoc an Chuillinn where a steep descent leads to the grassy mound of Cnoc na Toinne.

Another descent brings you to the lowest point on the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks ridge where most people, me included, would decide that they have had enough for the day, but the way down from there is known as the Devil’s Ladder and is a horrible gully full of loose stones and dirt. The difficulty is so legendary it is probably not as bad as feared and there are far worse places, but it is discouraged and the alternative is a zigzag path that climbs the northern slopes of Cnoc na Toinne, but since most people will have their eyes on Carrauntoohil the necessary re-ascent puts most people off this route. The western section of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is best done from the west as I did in 2005 following Paddy Dillon’s directions starting from the road at the foot of a concrete track that climbs to Lough Eighter. This is the start of the Coumloughra Horseshoe, which is one of the greatest mountain walks in either Britain or Ireland. Taken in a clockwise direction the first peak is Cnoc Íochtair and points towards the ridge over Skregmore. In 2005, I emerged from the mist at this point into bright sunshine and the sight of a thermal inversion where clouds filled the valleys and hills appeared above the clouds like islands.

Religiously following Paddy Dillon’s directions I made my way towards the side peak of Knockbrinnea whose only virtue is excellent views of the Eastern Reeks, but the earlier valley fog had now lifted to obscure my view of the peaks. Returning to the proper mountains the horseshoe continues to the top of Beenkeragh, the second highest point in Ireland, and a proper mountain in every sense of the word. From the small rocky top a deliciously narrow ridge leads across the gap to the steep slopes of Carrauntoohil eventually reaching the large metal cross that sits upon the highest point in Ireland. The clouds that had plagued me earlier in my walk in 2005 had now gone and I was afforded with tremendous views particularly across the Eastern Reeks that I had walked over a couple of days before now clearly showing the peaks that had been thick with cloud when I had passed over them. Eventually I left the top of Carrauntoohil to walk along the narrow ridge that leads to Caher, the second highest peak in Ireland, but not before sitting on the grass at the bottom of the saddle with my legs stretched out towards the edge of the cliffs above Coumloughra with the small lakes in the valley below pointing towards the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula in the distance.

The final peak on the chain of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is Caher, the third highest mountain in Ireland, and has a fine ridge with several tops, the eastern being the highest. When I was there in 2005 mist came down at this point obscuring my view, but I was still able to appreciate the walk over this great mountain. After passing over the western top long slopes took me all the way down to Lough Eighter, but before leaving I was treated to the fabulous view of the Coumloughra Horseshoe as the skies cleared again revealing the gorgeous view of the narrow ridge that circles this short valley. MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is an awesome range of mountains of sustained delight from Cruach Mhor at the start of the Eastern Reeks to the horseshoe ridge walk that includes the three highest mountains in Ireland. I have only been to this fabulous range of mountain once, but when I return to Ireland it surely must be a target.

The Lost Walks of 2004, part three

The Nantlle Ridge

Sunday 29th August 2004

I am continuing to look at my walks that have disappeared into the mists of time having taken place before I started this blog and before I got a camera so my only record is my faulty memory. The weather on this walk was terrible as I parked in the village of Rhyd-Ddu and crossed the River Gwyrfai before climbing the steep grassy slopes of Y Garn on a path that I remember being sketchy, but is probably much clearer now. It was raining as I made the climb and I was soon enveloped in clouds so by the time I reached the top I had no view. Somewhere around there I must have bumped into someone else who was also walking the Nantlle ridge as I remember setting off along the ridge with him. On the narrowest part of the ridge, around Mynydd Drws-y-coed, it was very windy and my woolly hat was whipped off my head by the wind and disappeared down the steep eastern slopes followed by a desperate search from me. My fellow walker immediately said I wouldn’t see the hat again and he was proved right as I reluctantly gave up looking for it and grumpily joined him back on the narrow ridge. Fortunately after this point the weather started to improve so that by the time we reached the tall obelisk on Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd the sun was out and it was becoming a very nice day.

Continuing along the fabulous ridge we dropped down to Bwlch Dros-bern where we tackled the crags of Craig Pennant head on. At the cairn on Craig Cwm Silyn my fellow walker decided he’d walked far enough and turned back while I wanted to keep going to the next peak on the ridge even though the ridge was now broadening tediously. With little variation in height I reached the cairn and trig point on Garnedd Goch where I had extensive views out to sea into the vast Cardigan Bay. Now my problem was how to get back to Rhyd-Ddu with no obvious route except for simply turning around and retracing my steps all the way back. Instead, I descended the pathless eastern slopes eventually reaching the end of the road in Cwm Pennant. I think I had some challenges trying to get down, but I don’t remember any of the details so I was left to take the bridleway through Bwlch-y-Ddwy-elor into Beddgelert Forest finally returning to my car after a walk that I must have felt needed to be done again as I was back in 2005. However, I again had bad weather and this time it didn’t improve so I was back in 2009 and had bad weather again. I have never had much luck with the Nantlle ridge.

Cnicht and the Moelwyns

Monday 30th August 2004

For my final walk over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2004 I moved south to the tiny village of Croesor that lies at the foot of one of the most distinctive mountains in Wales, Cnicht. As I climbed out of the village and turned towards the mountain, Cnicht looked increasingly dramatic with a sharp peak that stands out against the horizon. This was a very satisfying climb as I slowly approached the summit on steepening terrain until finally I reached the top only to find that behind the summit was not an equally steep descent, but a flat ridge. This may spoil the view from the east but the spectacular view from the west remains and when ascended from this direction proves to be very satisfying climb although it is disappointing that beyond the summit the terrain broadens and deteriorates significantly. At the time I had a meaningless desire to reach the top of all the mountains in Wales so I felt compelled to cross the undulating landscape and climb to the top of shallow rise of Ysgafell Wen before nipping up Moel Druman and then I crossed over to Allt-fawr. Having done that worthless task I passed by Llyn Conglog and dropped down into Bwlch Cwmorthin to the abandoned mine buildings that litter this area.

Climbing past the disused quarries I assume I diverted to the top of Moel-yr-hydd and may have also bagged Foel Ddu, although since that doesn’t reach two thousand feet I may not have bothered. I certainly reached the top of Moelwyn Mawr as this is the highest point in the immediate area and from there crossed the gloriously craggy ground that lies between Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach. I returned to this area in 2019 to do a version of this walk visiting the same mountains but from the other side starting with the Moelwyns. They are fabulous mountains with plenty of rock adorning their eastern slopes and the traverse of the two is an excellent exercise in route selection, however I have no memory of my walk between them in 2004. I vaguely remember being at the trig point on Moelwyn Mawr and I have a clear memory of the descent down the gentle grassy slopes of Moelwyn Bach, but nothing else. It is annoying that I have a better memory of walking along the road back into Croesor than I have of the tremendous rocky traverse between the Moelwyns. That is why I have described these as the lost walks as they have almost become lost in my memory following many other fabulous mountain walks in later years.