Wales 04 Yr Aran, Ramblers Snowdonia Routes DISTANCE 9.75KM/6 MILES ASCENT 763M/2,503FT TIME 5 HOURS TYPE MOUNTAIN To download this route NAVIGATION FITNESS PERFECT NUMBER and hundreds of others, visit LEVEL LEVEL FOR OF STILES ramblers.org.uk/routes MODERATE MODERATE VIEWS NONE 6 Anglesey Colwyn Bangor Bay YR ARAN Porthmadog 5 2 Plan your walk 4 3 WHERE Circular mountain walk from Nantgwynant. START/END Pont Bethania car The peak of Yr Aran is a perfect pyramid when seen park, Nantgwynant (SH627506). from the waters of Llyn Gwynant, and this walk follows TERRAIN Watkin Path is easy to follow; rough mountain paths the well-known Watkin Path before branching over including one rocky descent. START rougher ground to climb to the top. The summit o ers 1 & FINISH MAPS OS Explorer OL17; glorious uninterrupted views towards Snowdon, and Landranger 115. GETTING THERE From the the route passes fi ne woodlands and rushing waterfalls rail stations in Caernarfon ROUTE BY ROGER BUTLER and Betws-y-Coed, there are Snowdon Sherpa buses START Leave the car park at Go R for 500m, with the wall a small stream on the R, and walk 1 3 to Nantgwynant Nantgwynant, cross the road on the L, and gradually climb down to the track. (visitsnowdonia.info). and go up the stone steps to join to start of the rocky spur below EATING & DRINKING Ca the Watkin Path. This rises through Yr Aran. A gap in the wall leads to a Turn R for 350m and then go L 5 Gwynant (01766 890855, oak woodland, with glimpses to rough path that runs along the south (on a path used earlier in the cafesnowdon.co.uk, closed Mon the meadows at the end of Llyn side of the ridge to the top of Yr Aran. walk) to return to the top of the and Tues). Hebog café/bistro Gwynant, passes through a gate The view from the summit looks waterfalls. Turn L, cross the bridge (01766 890400, hebog- and swings L to climb alongside north up the long southern ridge of over the river and keep on the Watkin beddgelert.co.uk). Tanronnen Inn the waterfalls above the farm at Snowdon – which leads straight to Path for 400m to visit the upstanding (01766 890347, tanronnen.co.uk). Hafod-y-llan. The broad path is the summit – and down into the Gladstone Rock, where a plaque SLEEPING YHA Bryn Gwynant pitched with stone in places and great mountain bowl known as Cwm commemorates the speech given here (0345 3719108; yha.org.uk). crosses an old incline that once Tregalan. To the south, the Moelwyns in 1892 by the 83-year-old Prime Red Dragon cottages, cabin served the nearby former quarries. fi ll the skyline beyond the prominent Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, and pods (01766 890351, Go through a gate and continue peak of Cnicht and, to the west, when he came to open the path, the reddragonholidays.co.uk). uphill, with tumbling cascades on Moel Hebog rises above Beddgelert. fi rst designated footpath in Britain. VISITOR INFORMATION the R, until the path levels out by Snowdonia National Park a small, new hydro dam. From the summit, walk back Return to the waterfalls, past 4 6 Information Centre, down to the wall and turn L the ruins of a quarry manager’s Canolfan Hebog, Beddgelert Leave the main path and turn L, on a rocky path that descends next to house and some traditional slate 2 (01766 890615, seasonal). uphill for 300m, on a good path the wall, past a pool, and drops down fencing, and retrace your steps GUIDEBOOK Great Mountain that soon crosses a mining track to Bwlch Cwm Llan, by a small lake back to the start. Days in Snowdonia by Terry supported on an old embankment. and old mining spoil. Turn R at Marsh (£18.95, Cicerone, Continue uphill on a zigzag path, a gap in the wall, follow a faint path Report a path problem ISBN 978 1852845810). past old workings and one or two through outcrops and continue Via the Pathwatch app or at LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP ruins, to reach fl atter ground on the south-east below the crags of Y ramblers.org.uk/pathwatch PHOTO: ALAMY. MAP: © CROWN COPYRIGHT 2019 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA LICENCE 032/19. CREATED WITH MEMORY-MAP CREATED MEDIA LICENCE 032/19. MAP: © ALAMY. ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2019 COPYRIGHT CROWN PHOTO: Eryri (ramblers.org.uk/eryri). north side of a sturdy stone wall. Geuallt. Fork L after 700m, with WALK READERS’ OFFER USE CODE RAMBLE15 IN STORE & ONLINE *T&Cs apply, see online or ask in store for full details. Walk64_51_RR04_WALES_final.indd 51 02/08/2019 10:13.