Trail Dec 20 mini-mag

Walking high on
Moel Siabod.
The Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel,
with Snowdon behind.
IAN NELLIST/ALAMY
Near the summit
of Glyder Fach.
SNOWDONIA
4 great walks from Pen-y-Gwryd
Glyder Fach
& Glyder Fawr
This comparatively quiet route into
the heart of the Glyderau sets out from
behind the Pen-y-Gwryd, making use
of The Miner’s Track that snakes up
the mountainside to reach the rocky,
crested ridge above the pass. Follow it
west to bag the two summits of Glyder
Fach and Glyder Fawr, stopping en
route to pose on the famous Cantilever
Stone and scramble among the shattered
crenellations of Castell y Gwynt. In
high season it will be busy up here, but
given that most walkers come up from
Ogwen, you can soon leave them behind
as you work your way down the broad
shoulder of Glyder Fawr, with fabulous
views towards Crib Goch and the
Snowdon Horseshoe. To your left, look
for the lake of Llyn Cwmffnnon, with
the little-visited minor summit of Moel
Berfedd perched above. The ground
gradually gets boggier as you lose height,
but fortunately the path also becomes
clearer, eventually terminating at the
stile beside the YHA. Then it’s just a case
of crossing the A4086 to the car park
©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2020 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 021/20
s Snowdon
s Y Lliwedd
s Crib Goch
s Glyder Fawr
1 2 3
4
at Pen-y-Pass and sauntering along the
permissive path beneath the road, back
to the reward of a crisp pint and a hot
bath at the Pen-y-Gwryd.
INSIDER INFO
The Pen-y-Gwryd’s
mountain links extend
far back beyond the 1953
Everest team’s stay there.
It was also the birthplace
of the Climbers Club in
1898, while the legendary
George Mallory spent
a night here in 1914.
The hotel’s guest
bedrooms are named
after each of Snowdonia’s
13 peaks over 3000ft
(910m).The hotel is also
a Mountain Rescue Post,
acknowledged by a plaque
placed outside the main
entrance.
Crib Goch & the
Snowdon Horseshoe
An exposed but exhilarating Grade 1
scramble along arguably the finest and
certainly the most famous ridge route in
Snowdonia, Crib Goch is widely known,
very popular and often frustratingly
busy. All too often you’ll be slowed by
inexperienced walkers shuffling along
the ridge, inch by tortuous inch. This
can reduce what should be a memorable
day out to a grim ‘once and never again’
experience. To avoid this, plan ahead.
Book into the Pen-y-Gwryd midweek,
early on or late in the season. Pray to
the mountain weather gods for a dry,
calm day and get up early or, if you’re
a more experienced scrambler, hold off
until early evening. Fortunately, having
the hotel as a base ensures you can easily
get a good night’s sleep and still be up
with the lark or happily while away
the afternoon hours in the residents’
lounge before setting out for Pen-y-Pass.
From here, follow the Pyg Track until
you reach Bwlch y Moch and look for a
low slate sign marked ‘Crib Goch’. The
initial climb towards the ridge is a little
loose, but you soon get the chance to
put hands on rock. The crossing itself
narrows considerably, forcing you to
stick to the crest, which is by far the
best line to follow. The bravest and most
comfortable ridge walkers just stride
along the top, but most use the crest as a
handrail while moving along just below
The Pen-y-Gwryd’s most
famous owners were
Chris and Jo Briggs. They
were succeeded by their
daughter, Jane, who was
known to upbraid men who
wore their hats inside,
sternly declaring:
“Hats off in the house!”
it on the left-hand side. Don’t forget
to take in the staggering views, which
rank among the best in Britain. Cross
The Pinnacles to reach Bwlch Coch,
then on to Garnedd Ugain before you
reach the trig pillar at Crib-y-Ddysgl
and ultimately, gain the summit of
Snowdon. To complete the horseshoe,
descend south-east from the summit
via Y Lliwedd before following the
path down to Llyn Llydaw, where
you can pick up the Miners’ Track
to return to Pen-y-Pass.
Moel Siabod &
Carnedd y Cribau
The view from the residents’ lounge in the
Pen-y-Gwryd looks out across the manmade
trout lake of Llyn Pen-y-Gwryd
to lonely Moel Siabod, which rears up
proud and distinct, perfectly framed
like a landscape painting. It is an almost
irresistible target for a day walk from the
Pen-y-Gwryd’s doorstep, and although the
route out from here to Siabod’s summit is
often thankless and squelchy, it’s the sort
of thing that you do, as Mallory famously
said, “because it’s there”. The walk
starts from the stile opposite the hotel,
following a faint path that peters out as
you climb to a series of rocky outcrops,
following a tributary of the Nant-y-llys.
It’s a bit of a slog but try to avoid the
boggiest ground – and perhaps take
your mind off your wet feet by looking
across the valley to jaw-dropping views of
Keep an eye, or a nose,
out for the feral goats
who roam the Glyderau.
You’re likely to smell them
before you see them.
Don’t be surprised to find
them perched in some
precarious places, or
atop ladder stiles.
If climbing Snowdon,
look out for the Snowdon
Lily, a rare arctic-alpine
plant with beautiful white
flowers and grass-like
leaves that blooms in late
May and early June. It has
not been found anywhere
outside Snowdonia.
Snowdon. At Bwlch Rhiw’r Ychen, where
four fences converge, cross the stile and
ascend Siabod’s grassy western flanks,
following the fence line that rises above
Llynnau Diwaunydd to Moel Gîd. The
trig pillar that marks the 872m summit
of Moel Siabod – the highest point of the
Moelwynion range – is further on, with
far-reaching views down the spiny ridge
of Daear Ddu. Descend past the summit
shelter along the ridge before heading left
to clamber down to the path back into
Capel Curig. The going gets easier here,
and winds down through forest to emerge
at a footbridge to Plas Y Brenin. From
here, the Snowdon Sherpa S2 bus will take
you back to the Pen-y-Gwryd.
Moel Berfedd
It might seem a little perverse to stay
somewhere within sight of Snowdonia’s
most famous 3000ft peaks and instead
climb a mini mountain that is marked on
the Ordnance Survey map at just 482m.
But diminutive Moel Berfedd offers
far more than its modest spot-height
s Glyder Fach
Miner’s Track from PYG
s Moel Berfedd
suggests. It’s easy to plan a short, brisk
circuit straight from the front door of
the Pen-y-Gwryd that climbs quickly to
the summit, loftily perched above Bwlch
y Gwyddel and the busy A4086, before
heading down to Pen-y-Pass and then
picking up the footpath that leads back
to the hotel. Leave the Pen-y-Gwryd and
cross a stile, then pass through a gate to
climb the boggy grass slope. Aim for the
stone wall and then veer right slightly to
negotiate a craggy section before heading
back towards the wall, where there are
some small, murky pools. The summit
of Moel Berfedd is just over the brow, a
unique vantage point that lies at the head
of three valleys. But more impressive are
the hulking Snowdon massif and the dark,
brooding Glyderau. Leave the summit
and follow a rough ridge, dotted with
outcrops and patches of boggy ground.
On a clear day, the glassy waters of Llyn
Cwmffynnon reflect the crags and clouds
above like a giant mirror. Descend to a
col and then pick your way downhill
to the YHA at Pen-y-Pass.
Pen-y-Gwryd
s Moel Siabod
[ Plays y Brenin
GETTING THERE
The Pen-y-Gwryd is located 4 miles west of Capel
Curig on the junction of the A4086 and A498. The
nearest train stations are Bangor mainline station
or Betws-y-Coed. Book a taxi if travelling via
Betws-y-Coed. The Snowdon Sherpa S2, S4
and S6 bus routes also stop at the Pen-y-Gwryd.
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK & SLEEP
n Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel
Well, obviously – but for the full experience book a
room in the main hotel with the shared bathrooms
rather than the newer en-suite rooms. And don’t
miss the three or five course evening meal,
served when the dinner gong sounds.
n Pen-y-Pass YHA
If you can’t stretch to the Pen-y-Gwryd, the YHA
hostel at Pen-y-Pass offers affordable dorm
rooms or private rooms, with Mallory’s Restaurant
and Bar on site, serving food and drink all day.
HOW TO BOOK
Due to COVID-19, at the time of writing the
Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel is only open on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday nights, offering en-suite
rooms with continental breakfast and dinners,
and a limited bar service reserved for hotel
guests. Find more information at pyg.co.uk
To check latest availability and book
accommodation at YHA Pen-y-Pass, see
yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-snowdon-pen-y-pass
48 TRAIL DECEMBER 2020 DECEMBER 2020 TRAIL 49