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On a hot and sunny Good Friday, another sweep of some outlying peaks that, even on a day like this, saw very few other people.
The Rhinog Y Garn makes for an enjoyable and challenging morning's walk, with some pretty steep scrambling ups and downs by this route.
While the lower slopes - up to the falls and then winding through the pleasant and well-pathed deciduous woods - are easy going, the climb up to the left of the impressive cliffs of Y Garn is fiercely steep in places, making you grateful for the wiry heather on which to keep your grip at times. It's a bit of disappointment not to come out at a summit after that, but you still have a fairly long climb to go across the gentler slopes, first rough then grassy with a few little rocks, to the peak. There are good open views from here across to the higher Rhinogydd.
- Rhaeadr Du
- Disused gold mine
- Y Garn
- Y Garn
- View northeast to Arenigs from slopes of Y Garn
- Y Garn summit area
- Mawddach estuary
- Y Llethr & Rhinogs from Y Garn
The descent by the north-east ridge is very enjoyable to begin with (although there isn't really a clear way to cross the high fenced stone wall in this direction, and some might find it very difficult), with a good winding path beside the wall skirting through the heather and rocks above the forest and some easy scrambling down the steeper parts. The last part before the farm is quite tricky though - an almost vertical cliff-face down which it's just possible to find a zigzagging route, but it's never obvious and there is plenty of backtracking from apparent dead-ends. A thick covering of very dry and loose dead vegetation underfoot didn't help with this; in wet or icy conditions it might be a bit too dangerous to even try. It doesn't last long though, before you are back on the easy route through the woods to Ganllwyd.
- Diffwys & Y Llethr
- View back to Y Garn
- Y Garn descent route
- Y Garn
Taking the universal good advice that this was a walk
only to be tackled after a long dry spell, the afternoon's route was over the peaty eastern Arans.
At the risk of annoying everyone else who has suffered taking on this walk, today the route across the deep peat-hags to Llechwedd Du wasn't too difficult, even bordering on enjoyable. The hags, like those on Kinder, at least have a sort of 'honest' bogginess - you can safely assume that the tops of each are firm and easy enough, even if what's between them might not be..., so you never get an unexpected bootful as you do in reedier, wetter marshes. In these conditions, it's rather good fun hopping (long-jumping might be more accurate in places...) between, and you can make it to the rather unassuming little summit, with its good views of the other peaks of this walk and the main Aran ridge, with dry, even clean, feet.
- Ascent of Llechwedd Du, Aran ridge behind
- Erw y Ddafad Ddu & Aran Benllyn from Llechwedd Du
- Esgeiriau Gwynion from Llechwedd Du
- Moel y Cerrig Duon from Llechwedd Du
- Close-up of Aran Fawddwy
It's then comfortable enough walking along the fence over the bland round top of Esgeiriau Gwynion and down to the valley, with views of the main Arans enlivening the going throughout.
- Foel Hafod-fynydd & Aran ridge
- Esgeiriau Gwynion summit & Aran Benllyn
- Foel Hafod-fynydd & Erw y Ddafad Ddu
The best part of this walk is the next two or three miles, descending the steep-sided green valley on a really good firm grassy track with the stream tumbling down below. The long tramp back up the road north is less interesting, although still with good views as you climb to the pass, but it's probably the best way to regain so much height so late in the day. Moel y Cerrig Duon, while more shapely than the earlier peaks, is still a little nondescript, but it's an easy and dry enough ascent on a surprisingly well-trodden path from the road. There are some very pleasant parts to this route, but a lot of them are in the distance, and it might be a grim sort of slog in poor visibility - one to pick the right day for...
- Dovey valley
- View back up Llaethnant valley
- Moel y Cerrig Duon