Taith Ardudwy Way

Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd August 2024

Terrible weather overnight before this walk showed no signs of easing the following morning so I delayed setting off, not wanted to walk in those conditions, and especially not on the mountain top route of the Cambrian Way. From Barmouth the trail crosses the Rhinog Mountains on the most demanding section of the Cambrian Way with some steep scrambling, smooth slippery rocks and protruding stones hidden by heather, so it is recommended that if bad weather is forecast, then you should seriously consider an alternative bad-weather route. I had previously been in the area in 2005 when, in poor weather, I climbed the easier, southern slopes as far as Y Llethr, before returning two days later in perfect weather to climb the craggy mountains of Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr. I had been looking forward to returning to the area, but while the remains of Hurricane Ernesto crossed Britain I had to look at the alternative route. My Cicerone guidebook includes details for the Taith Ardudwy Way as a bad-weather alternative to the complex terrain of the Rhinogydd, but while the storm continued to pass overhead I stayed in the bunkhouse where I had spent the night until mid-morning when it finally began to clear. Even so, as I headed back onto the route of the Cambrian Way it was still very windy with low cloud and light rain that soon had me regretting even this little section of the trail.

My guidebook doesn’t begin the bad-weather route until Bwlch y Rhiwgyr, which comes after walking over an exposed ridge that reaches more than five hundred metres high. This ridge was far too exposed for these weather conditions so I hastily retreated onto a track which took me past Gelfawr where I joined the route of the Ardudwy Way crossing the western slopes of the ridge while the rain got heavier. Despite the poor weather, the hillside was beautifully decorated with heather and gorse, and soon I reached Bwlch y Llan where I crossed the ridge, and the Cambrian Way, to descend the sheltered eastern side as the rain began to ease again. With improving views ahead of me, across the valley, I made my way to the Cerrig Arthur stone circle where I turned left and climbed back up the hillside crossing the ridge, and the Cambrian Way again, at Bwlch y Rhiwgyr, where Cicerone’s bad-weather route begins. On the stony path through the pass I was greeted by strong head winds and on the lengthy, easy walking that followed I had extensive, but misty views across the coastal plain of Arududwy. The proscribed route would have had me gradually descend almost all the way down to the river, Afon Ysgethin, only to climb back up the hillside again, so instead I branched off the track, keeping to Access Land, making my way across to the bridlepath that climbs back up the valley, passing Llyn Irddwyn, heading back towards the hills.

The ground was very wet which made it very difficult for me to find firm ground to walk on, and that didn’t change when I reached a turning where several impromptu streams rushed down the hill to the bridge, Pont-Scethin, and the fast moving Afon Scethin. The path beyond was just as wet, but eventually a good, surfaced track appeared until I branched north to continue beside a wall with good, though still very misty, views out to sea and eventually brought me to a road. When I came off that and began to descend into Cwm Nantcol I had views east towards the Rhinog Mountains where I should have been walking this day and I felt rather frustrated that the weather had not allowed me to enjoy them. I feel as if I have unfinished business in the Rhinogydd so I want to come back soon and enjoy these mountains after this fleeting but tantalising glimpse. On reaching the valley bottom I followed the road to the Rhaeadr Nantcol Waterfalls campsite, which I had booked earlier in the day while waiting for the weather to clear. With more strong winds and rain forecast for overnight I needed a good, sheltered location to camp and this was perfect with the added bonus of the waterfalls themselves which were a stunning sight thanks to the recent heavy rain.

The following morning, after the wind and rain of Storm Lilian had passed, I resumed my trek along the Ardudwy Way, which initially passed through lovely woodland to reach Pont Pen-y-bont and after another stretch of road walking I came to Dinas Campsite. Beyond that, a narrow, often very wet path led me past a small lake and through craggy hills decorated with bracken and heather. This area was plagued with deep bogs that left me with wet feet for the rest of the day and were a trial for me to get through until I finally reached Ffridd Farm where the ground became grassier and easier underfoot, even though route-finding was now more difficult. The weather was much better this day with occasional breaks in the clouds for the first time all week and tantalising views towards the Rhinog Mountains on my right, whose complex terrain looks like a fascinating place to lose myself. Soon the high mountains of Eryri, better known as Snowdonia, came into view and this kept me going over increasingly wet ground while the Ardudwy Way finally left to end at Llandecwyn and leave me with difficult route-finding on sketchy paths. Slowly, I battled on through the exceptionally wet ground at the northern end of the Rhinog Mountains before eventually descending into Cwm Moch and after a brief rise I was rejoined by the Cambrian Way, fresh off the spine of the Rhinog Mountains, but the torturously wet path did not end until I had safely reached the road beside a reservoir, Llyn Trawsfynydd, at the end of the bad-weather alternative.

Soon, I climbed away from the road along a cyclepath that was a joy to walk along after the phenomenally wet ground around the Rhinogydd and despite a confusing area, where the proscribed route led me into a frustrating dead end, I had an enjoyable end to the day. The track led me across the dam, through a felled conifer plantation and with the Moelwyn Mountains before me I reached a road that led me down into Maentwrog and the Vale of Ffestiniog where I made my way along busy roads to the campsite where I was staying. My first day around the Rhinog Mountains on the Ardudwy Way lacked interest and, while the weather and scenery on the second day was much better, both days were marred by exceptionally wet ground that made the walking arduous.