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On a glorious summer day, a really rugged and testing route through some of the wildest mountains of Wales.
(Far less photos than usual in this one due to a horrible computer collapse – but do take my word that the views are fabulous… and that it’s much rougher going than the few green-ish views I retained suggest!).
- Rhinog Fawr over Cwm Nantcol
From Cwm Nantcol, there doesn’t seem to be much of a path up to the west ridge of Rhinog Fawr, and it’s a tough climb through uneven heather & rock terrain. But with patience, it doesn’t take all that long, and then – rather contrary to expectation - there’s a path to follow for almost all the remainder of this route. The climb to the summit is an enjoyable one over huge boulders and then firm rock-strewn grass, and the peak a terrific viewpoint over Snowdonia to the north.
From all I’d read, there was nothing in Wales I’d dreaded more than the descent from Rhinog Fawr, but – while steep and painstakingly slow going – apart from a very loose scree section, it isn’t actually all that bad (there are certainly far, far worse descents about). Follow the path east from the summit to a very narrow downward gully, grit your teeth and take it on, and from its foot there’s a clear enough route down to the Bwlch. Again quite surprisingly, there’s then a really decent off-map path from the highest point of the pass steeply straight up to Rhinog Fach. Tiring and a big climb, but never too difficult and very easy to follow. The summit area is again rocky and interesting, and the views extend over most of this very craggy range. After a steep descent, the area beside Llyn Hywel and looking back up to Rhinog Fach is a stunning resting place.
- Rhinog Fach over Llyn Hywel, Rhinog Fawr behind
The rest of the route is a little easier and less dramatic – Y Llethr in particular being flat-topped and characterless. After that though, there’s a nice undulating ridge-walk to and over Diffwys, and while the descent to Llyn Bodlyn is steep, pathless and quite marshy, the views back up over the reservoir to Diffwys’s terraced crags are worth the effort.
- Crib-y-Rhiw & ridge to Diffwys from Y Llethr
- Diffwys
Thankfully after a pretty gruelling day, the field path back down to Cwm Nantcol is then well-kept and easily graded – a gentle end to a great mountain route.
- Y Llethr from descent path