Moel Famau & Foel Fenlli
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:01 amPleasant winter walking through quiet, snow-blanketed countryside, either side of the very popular ascent of Moel Famau.
No-one seems to tread the paths south across the hillsides from busy Loggerheads towards the main ridge of the Clwydian Hills, and the first part of this route was easy (bar some slightly precarious side-hill walking in these conditions) and peaceful, with good views over the surrounding highlands. Joining the Offa’s Dyke Path north leads you up into wilder countryside, and the climb to the minor 511m peak of Foel Fenlli, on a steep twisting little path between the heather has a pleasing mountain feel. From the top, you can look over most of the rest of the range, and see the masses gathering below to stroll from the road up to Moel Famau; the hill itself - with all white buried below heather - having the look of somehow having risen above the snowline...
After a steep and quite awkward descent to Bwlch Penbarra (I actually thought this fairly terrifying until shaken into reality by reading of Rekrab’s exploits down the road in Snowdonia the same day!), you join what must be just about the easiest ascent to a relatively high hill (Moel Famau stands at 554m and overtops everything for some way around) anywhere. From the carpark at the high pass, a tarmacked virtual road heads at a gentle angle all the way to the impressive ruined Jubilee Tower on the summit – very comfortable going and obviously popular with families, but perhaps a little busy and noisy for many tastes. Just a little cloudy to the west for really long views, but the white-topped high Berwyns were clearly in view across the Vale of Clwyd.
The crowds quickly disperse again as you leave the summit north, and the path down to and then along the Alyn riverside in its attractively wooded valley makes for a very pleasing walkout.
Nothing too high or challenging here, but really good to be back in the Welsh hills, and hard ever not to enjoy the sights and feel of a walk in these conditions…
No-one seems to tread the paths south across the hillsides from busy Loggerheads towards the main ridge of the Clwydian Hills, and the first part of this route was easy (bar some slightly precarious side-hill walking in these conditions) and peaceful, with good views over the surrounding highlands. Joining the Offa’s Dyke Path north leads you up into wilder countryside, and the climb to the minor 511m peak of Foel Fenlli, on a steep twisting little path between the heather has a pleasing mountain feel. From the top, you can look over most of the rest of the range, and see the masses gathering below to stroll from the road up to Moel Famau; the hill itself - with all white buried below heather - having the look of somehow having risen above the snowline...
- Moel Gyw from south of Loggerheads
- Bryn Alyn
- Clwydian Hills from flank of Fron Hen
- A very monochrome view of Moel Eithinen!
- View south from ascent of Foel Fenlli
- Moel Famau from Foel Fenlli
After a steep and quite awkward descent to Bwlch Penbarra (I actually thought this fairly terrifying until shaken into reality by reading of Rekrab’s exploits down the road in Snowdonia the same day!), you join what must be just about the easiest ascent to a relatively high hill (Moel Famau stands at 554m and overtops everything for some way around) anywhere. From the carpark at the high pass, a tarmacked virtual road heads at a gentle angle all the way to the impressive ruined Jubilee Tower on the summit – very comfortable going and obviously popular with families, but perhaps a little busy and noisy for many tastes. Just a little cloudy to the west for really long views, but the white-topped high Berwyns were clearly in view across the Vale of Clwyd.
- Foel Fenlli
- NW across Vale of Clwyd
- SW towards Berwyns
- Approaching Moel Famau summit
- South over Foel Fenlli from Moel Famau
- A busy Jubilee Tower
- View towards Merseyside from Moel Famau
The crowds quickly disperse again as you leave the summit north, and the path down to and then along the Alyn riverside in its attractively wooded valley makes for a very pleasing walkout.
Nothing too high or challenging here, but really good to be back in the Welsh hills, and hard ever not to enjoy the sights and feel of a walk in these conditions…
