ROUTE 4 MARCH 2017 13.5km/8¼ miles 5½ hours

Tryfan seen from the Mushroom Garden path.

Strenuousness lllll Navigation lllll Technicality lllll ROUTE STATS Foel-goch KATE WORTHINGTON KATE Two valleys, two peaks, one intriguing day. Here’s a tasty wander for when the weather howls on the summits, as described by Kate Worthington.

iews into two classic Snowdonia Looking into Cwm Bual valleys in one day: Nant Peris and from Bwlch y Brecan. Vthe Pass, dominated by the massif at its head – and then up and over the to Ogwen, to check out the unmistakeable skyline and Rhaeadr Ogwen (waterfalls) nestling in the valley below. And all this with the potential to tick off the quiet Glyderau peaks of and Foel-goch, if you’re hungry for tops. This route is flavoursome enough, though, if the weather dictates that higher summit objectives are not the dish of the day; but don’t underestimate the total ascent! Instead, dine on the deliciously silent Cwm Bual and then explore ‘The Mushroom grey/green rocks as per some Welsh And for afters, a steep rise up and over Garden’ as identified on OS 1:25,000 maps translations). Stay a while to view onto the more forgiving side of Foel-goch, via contours and cwms that carry you Tryfan’s western aspect from afar and for a return descent to the welcoming below the rather obscure rock formations the impressively steep sides of Pen yr Ole lights of Nant Peris… and the Vaynol Arms of Foel-goch’s Creigiau Gleision (blue/ Wen rising from the Nant Ffrancon below. of course. Tuck in now!

MARCH 2017 TRAIL 107 Thurso

ISLE OF LEWIS

HARRIS Lairg Ullapool

ISLE OF SKYE Inverness

Portree Shiel Bridge Aviemore Inverie Aberdeen Mallaig Invergarry Braemar

Fort William

MULL Oban

JURA Glasgow Edinburgh

ISLAY Berwick-upon-Tweed

ISLE OF ARRAN Ayr Jedburgh

Ballantrae Dumfries Always take a ROUTE 4 Newcastle map out with Newton Stewart Londonderry -upon-Tyne you on the hill MARCH 2017 SnowdoniaStranraer Carlisle Donegal Belfast Keswick Penrith Middlesbrough 13.5km/Wind8¼ermere miles 5½ hours Kendal Northallerton Ingleton Bentham SH606583 above you – perfect if the York Lancaster 1 Skipton Standing outside mood takes you. To gain Leeds the Vaynol Arms pub, shelter quickly, hop over Dublin Liverpool Manchestlookinger north-east Rhyl the stile and a stony path Conway 4 towards , takes you quickly down 3 Bodelwyddan Sheffield ROUTE INFO you’ll see a narrow lane onto a slender grassy Betws-y-Coed Llangollen leaving the main road, shoulder separating Derby Barmouth signposted towards a Cwm Perfedd and Cwm Dingle Tralee Peterborough Aberystwyth Birminghfarmam campsite (Ty Isaf) Bual (Old Welsh from the Waterford Killarney opposite you. Follow this Latin for ‘buffalo’). Cork Cardigan Hay-on-Wye Kenmare Distance 13.5km minor lane uphill until Descend grassy slopes 6 Brecon Gloucester (8¼ miles) Fron farm is nearly into Cwm Bual, heading Oxford TotalPemb ascentroke 1216m reached, then turn for the base of Foel- Swansea uphill, though a metal Time 5½ hours Cardiff Bristol 5 gate and past a path Start/finish Minehead signpost just before. You SH606583 Nant Peris, will soonSout hareachmpton Open via SNPA park and ride Brighton 7 Exeter AccessPoole land, but the car park easiest line is to Bodmin Nearest townPlymou th keep to a fairly the Wen opposite. The Llanberis well-trodden track 2 apparent reascent is a good Terrain road and also used to ascend solitude work-out and once upon tracks; grassy uplands; Elidir Fawr. here, there is the crest of Y Llymllwyd, mixed boulders; narrow Notice any new a noticeable path its interesting viewpoint paths; steep slopes growth of that contours into Cwm-coch below Maps OS Explorer vegetation between 450m and will take your mind off (1:25,000) OL17; over a recently 500m. Take care over your muscles! OS Landranger buried water rocky slabs around (1:50,000) 115; Harvey pipe connected SH637606. All the SH628608 From Superwalker (1:25,000) to a new small while, don’t forget to look 6 Bwlch y Cywion the Snowdonia North hydro scheme above: did the slightly summit of Foel-goch is Accommodation in Cwm globular nature of the only 50m in height above Snowdon House Dudodyn above. 1 rock formations here give you. It’s a worthwhile self-catering (01286) rise to the name ‘The viewpoint and summit to 650152; Plas Coch 2 SH608595 Mushroom Garden’ noted achieve (it gets missed Guest House From the site on a 1:25,000 map, or are out on the !) (01286) 872122 of a narrow bridge we talking ‘fungi’?! but if time or the weather Public transport crossing a river, staying is blowing you down- Buses 86 or 88: on the same side, cross goch’s very steep Yr 5 SH637604 After wards… then you can Express Motors (01286) over a stile ahead and Esgair (The Ridge). negotiating slabby escape easily via grassy 881108; S2 Snowdon break out (east) onto the Along your path you may sections of rock (take slopes (south-west) Sherpa: Traveline grassy incline of Esgair y come across numerous care if wet), this towards Esgair y Cymru 0871 200 2233 Ceunant: a delightful remains of sheep that delightful path spits you Ceunant. You’ll lose ridge running down from have fallen from the Guidebooks Great out onto a fairly level about 190m height until Foel-goch. Gain height vegetated rocks above Mountain Days in grassy area above the you reach a stile over an steeply at first and take a you: don’t look up! Snowdonia: 40 classic tumbling waters flowing obvious fence line. moment at the break of routes exploring from Llyn Cywion in the the slope to look back SH629614 Reach a SH619602 Snowdonia by Terry quiet cwm above you. You are towards Snowdon’s high 4 stile here, cross and 7 Marsh, pb Cicerone Keeping the steam to now handrailing cwms. At about 700m, you’ll see a (slightly!) Press your left, handrail it in Esgair y Ceunant in pick up a faint path that more defined path ascent to about 500m descent again. Enjoy the Tourist info Hwb contours towards Bwlch heading north-east to where a rough path will wealth of views ahead Eryri, Electric Mountain, y Brecan (this path is curve around the base of take you steeply up again now, as you parade back Llanberis 07867 976 about 50m below the Yr Esgair. Rounding this (north) towards the to Nant Peris, via your 183 info@hwberyri. path marked on a spur you’ll be greeted smoother side of ascent path: , co.uk 1:25,000 map). with a fabulous view Foel-goch, via a quirky , Best pub Vaynol Arms, towards Tryfan and the spur called Y Llymllwyd and beyond to Mynydd Nant Peris (01286) SH625615 From Glyderau, with Llyn (‘smooth/pale’ in Welsh) Mawr and the Nantlle 872672 3 Bwlch y Brecan the Ogwen and Rhaeadr – which indeed it is, set Ridge behind. Now for summit of Mynydd Ogwen falls plunging against a backdrop of the that well-deserved drink Perfedd is 100m in height from its surface. Despite dark screes of Pen yr Ole at the Vaynol Arms... GET THIS ROUTE GRADIENT ON YOUR PHONE! PROFILE Start Mynydd Perfedd Y Llymllwyd Foel-goch Finish

LFTO.COM/ 1400 TRAILROUTES 1200 In association with METRES 1000 ABOVE 800 SEA 600 LEVEL 400 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 200

MILES 0 2 4 6 8 OS Maps KILOMETRES 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2017 . MEDIA 001/17 MEDIA SURVEY. ORDNANCE 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN

108 TRAIL MARCH 2017