Skills Snowdon Glyders Carneddau Moelwyns Snowdonia West Snowdonia South Winter Snowdonia 223 Moel - looking towards the Crimea Pass. Photo: Karl Midlane Karl Photo: the Crimea Pass. - looking towards p.228 (Hard) - (Hard) Amazing walking in the Moelwyns. The view from peak 672m, on the extension of the peak 672m, on the extension from The view in the Moelwyns. Amazing walking Horseshoe Meirch Skills Moelwyns Skills Snowdon Snowdon Glyders Glyders Carneddau Carneddau Moelwyns Moelwyns West Snowdonia West West Snowdonia West South Snowdonia South Snowdonia Snowdonia Winter Snowdonia Snowdonia Winter Snowdonia 222 Skills Snowdon Glyders Carneddau Moelwyns West Snowdonia South Snowdonia Snowdonia Winter 224 Moelwyns Area Overview Area Overview Moelwyns 225 Nant Peris Capel Curig Unlike its northern neighbours, the Y Foel Goch Moel A4086 Glyder Fawr (805m) A5 Moelwyns is more of a place for (1001m) 2 Skills Cynghorion hillwalkers looking to escape the crowds (674m) A4086 1 without the more demanding nature of Skills Pen y Gwryd From Pen y Pass Betws- the Carneddau. It really is a pleasant Moel Siabod y-Coed place to explore, with rugged, undulating (872m) and complex moorland terrain being the Snowdon 3 4 A498 theme. Solid navigation skills are required (1085m) Pont-y-pant Snowdon Gwynant 9 as some of the paths aren't that obvious Valley Carnedd y Lliwedd to follow. The best peaks are Moel Cribau (591m) (898m) 5 Dolwyddelan Siabod and Cnicht, although the other Snowdon Yr Aran routes in this section are mostly walks. p.74 8 (747m) Snowdon There is one isolated semi-scramble - Bertheos Moel Siabod via the South Ridge - and Craig Wen Yr Arddu A470 (587m) (589m) the infamous Fisherman's Gorge near Glyders Y Ro Wen Moel Meirch Crimea Dolwyddelan. (609m) Pass (594m) A498 7 Glyders Beddgelert Getting There Moel Druman 6 Moel Penamnen The area is easily reached from Betws y (676m) (614m) Coed via Capel Curig and the A498 down Carneddau the Gwynant Valley from the west, or the Cnicht (689m) A470 which connects Betws to Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog 10km on the east. Carneddau Moelwyns from Capel Curig Area 1 Moel Siabod via the East Ridge ............. p.226 Moelwyns 2 Moel Siabod from Llynau Mymbyr .......... p.226 3 Moel Siabod Traverse to Carnedd y Cribau .. p.227 4 Moel Siabod via the South Ridge ........... p.227 Moelwyns Moelwyns from Nant Gwynant West Snowdonia West 5 Moel Meirch Horseshoe .................... p.228 6 Cnicht Horseshoe .......................... p.228 7 Cwm Bychan Circuit ........................ p.231 From Dolwydellan Snowdonia West South Snowdonia 8 Cwm Penamnen Horseshoe ................ p.232 9 Fisherman's Gorge ......................... p.232 South Snowdonia Snowdonia Winter Snowdonia Katrin Frosin on Moel Siabod via the South Ridge (1) - p.227 . Photo: Jack Thompsett Winter Snowdonia 226 Moelwyns Moel Siabod from Capel Curig Area Moel Siabod from Capel Curig Area Moelwyns 227 scan for map Moel Siabod from Capel Curig Area Capel Curig Cafe Siabod The isolated summit of Moel Siabod is a lovely mountain with a long whale-back ridge stretching from Capel Curig Cwm Tryfan to GPS 53.106006 GPS 53.096034 -3.912833 to just above the Pen y Gwryd hotel. The two main ridges are pleasant routes and also included is the popular walk Capel Curig - p.134 -3.889162 Skills Joe Brown's Bryn-Glo straight up from Plas y Brenin. The highlight for the scrambler is Moel Siabod via the South Ridge which gives an easy Plas y approach to an exciting final barrier. The Red Brenin Skills Approach to parking spots - Capel Curig is in the centre of Snowdonia on the A5 between Betws-y-Coed and the Dot Path Llynnau Connecting Pen y Gwryd 2 Mymbyr path by coast road. It can also be reached from Llanberis up the Llanberis Pass and turning left at the top. The routes in this lay-by and Miner's 1 section start either from lay-by parking just west of Plas y Brenin. The other parking is down the A5 in the Betws-y- Track - p.132 A4086 Afon Llugwy Coed direction about 300m south-west of the Tyn y Coed Hotel. If using two cars for the Moel Siabod Traverse via Carnedd y Cribau then leave the second car at free parking a little to the east of the Pen y Gwyrd hotel. Pen y Snowdon 2 Gwryd 1 Moel Siabod via the East Ridge 2Ω Mid Moel Siabod from Llynau Mymbyr GPS 53.083803 Snowdon Distance Ascent Descent Height Gain . 2Ω Mid -3.999809 Pen y Gwryd Distance Ascent Descent Height Gain Paid ~11 km 3-4 hours 2 hours 700m lay-by Other walks starting from ~10 km 3-4 hours 2 hours 700m Moel Siabod Capel Curig (872m) A great walk up this isolated peak at the northeastern end of the Llyn Crimpau Circuit - p.214 Moelwyns. The final rocky summit ridge is easy in the dry, but This is the quickest way up and down Moel Siabod. Making the Foel The Drover's Track - p.134 Glyders 3 4 extreme slippery when wet and best avoided via a lower path. route circular can be challenging and often results in wet feet 1) From the large lay-by, turn right up the road, then take the due to the boggy terrain found around the base of the mountain. Glyders first left and cross the bridge of Pont Cyfyng. After 50m go right 1) From the parking by Plas y Brenin, walk towards the centre up a track. and turn right before the building and down to a footbridge. Carnedd y Cribau 2) Use a path to avoid the farmyard and then pass a holiday 2) Cross the bridge and follow the path up through the woods to (591m) 5km cottage on the left before rejoining the main track. quickly reach a small T-junction. 3) Go up this track through a series of gates before a final gate 3) Turn right and head up to a more major junction with a forest 3 4 Carneddau where the track turns into more of a path. track. Turn left and then almost immediately right to follow a Moel Siabod Traverse via Carnedd y Cribau Moel Siabod via the South Ridge 4) Turn right and then after 20m, turn left up a smaller path that path up the side of a previously forested area. 2Ω Mid . 2Ω 1 heads up the East Ridge. Follow the path to a flattening below a 4) Pass through one gate where the track gets a little smaller prominent rocky rise onto the final summit ridge. Distance Ascent Descent Height Gain Distance Ascent Descent Height Gain and continue up to a stile where the open hillside begins. Carneddau 5) In dry conditions, take the rocky ridge in a fantastic position. 5) Follow the path initially in the same direction, then diagonally ~11 km 3-4 hours 2 hours 700m ~9 km 3-4 hours 1.5 hours 724m You eventually drop off the rocky ridge to a grassy col. Carry up across the hillside through a couple of boggy areas - tricky straight on to the summit. to follow. 5a) In wet conditions, avoid the summit ridge by going right A fine walk which requires two cars or the use of the Sherpa A great scramble up the sunny south face of the mountain with 6) As you come out of the boggy terrain, the path starts to rise Bus Service from Pen y Gwryd to Capel. The views on the an excellent outlook. The scrambling is generally easy and any Moelwyns on a grass terrace on the north side of the ridge. Join the path up towards the rocky east ridge of Moel Siabod. It eventually at the far side of the rocky ridge just past the grassy col. Carry descent towards Snowdon are spectacular and it is usually quiet, difficulty is mostly avoidable apart from one long and exposed meets some scree at the end of the true rocky spur near a small especially from Moel Siabod summit onwards step at the top of the ridge. Photo on p.225. straight on to the summit. bwlch between the rocky ridge and the summit. Descent - From the summit, descend to the col and take the 1) Follow either route to the summit of Moel Siabod. Getting to the start - Follow Moel Siabod via the East Ridge to 7) Turn right and walk up to the summit where there is a small Moelwyns lower (wet conditions) path to reverse the route. Alternatively, 2) Head west down the ridge towards Snowdon which snakes the gate at the end of section 3. Carry straight on past a lake and stone shelter. down towards the col of Bwlch Rhiw'r Ychen. then some ruined quarry workings and finally up the left side of a loop can be made by reversing Moel Siabod from Llynau Descent - Reverse the route if you want a short day. Carefully 3) It is a short out-and-back from the col to the summit of a quarried pool. Continue up and over a shoulder before heading Mymbyr and then using the connecting path through the woods descending Moel Siabod via the East Ridge (check comments West Snowdonia West close to the banks of Afon Llugwy. Carnedd y Cribau. straight across a boggy area to the right of Llyn Foel to arrive at about wet conditions path) is also an option to create a longer 4) Go northwest down through the broken ground to reach a the base of the South Ridge (Daear Ddu). loop which can be closed using the connecting path through the large plateau. Cross this (boggy) until the hillside drops away 1) The ridge curves up and to the right towards the summit.