Moel Fferna

[Broggy1]

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I've been quite lucky with work recently in getting to visit places near hills which has allowed me to do a good chunk of after work walking. This has proved particularly handy in doing hills that can't easily be combined with others in long weekend walks and just lend themselves well to a short evening leg stretcher.

Moel Fferna is one such hill - the most Northern of the Berwyn Hewitts and one that can be feasibly added to the others in a long day but is probably best left on it's own.

Wednesday saw me working on the Wirral till mid afternoon and with a good weather forecast and Moel Fferna being relatively close it seemed a no brainer to head there.

Perhaps the biggest headache of the day was finding somewhere to park in Glyndyfrdwy that wasn't on the edge of the main A5 road. I eventually found an obvious spot on the minor road towards the train line and set off at 3.35.

The initial route follows a stream and the North Berwyn Way through a woodland area and up past the Old Mill towards Nant. There looks to be a load of different ways to reach the ridge line between Vivod Mountain and Moel Fferna on the map but this way was fast and pleasant beside the stream and small waterfalls and in no time at all I'd reached the open fell at Nant.

From here I followed a thin track that climbed at a steady gradient up to meet a tarred track (also coming from Glyndyfrdwy). I wasn't on this long before branching off on another track to meet the ridge fence and path.

This sign pointed the way out of the Village

Initial track follows the stream in pleasant woodland

Coming out of the forest near Nant

This thin track gains height as it heads for the ridge

You briefly join a tarred track for a short distance

Before striking off towards the ridge fence

Vivod Mountain

From here it was a an easy and pleasant ridge walk over towards Moel Fferna on a good path for most the way.

The track seemed to go away from the ridge at one point so I branched off, following the fence over some rougher, boggier ground. This proved to be a mistake as even though the ground wasn't that bad next to the fence the main track had actually just looped round this bit and continued it's journey to the summit shortly after.

I enjoyed good views to the other Berwyn Fells at this point as well as across the valley to the Llantysilio Hills to the North. After a tiny bit of bog dodging I was soon at the summit shelter (no Trig Point though!) enjoying views over to Western and Southern Snowdonia.

The ridge track was initially very good

Until I pointlessly left it and struck out over rougher ground!

High Berwyn's come in to view

Summit comes in to view

Fence and path over towards the main Berwyn's

North Western Snowdonia from the summit

Rhinnogs

The summit shelter with the Berwyn's behind

I initially followed the same route off the summit before branching left where a marker directs you back on the North Berwyn Way. This path was initially pretty boggy and as I could see the track I was joining below near a quarry I decided to take route one to get down to it.

This brought me out on a pleasant grassy track which eventually became a road (of sorts) all the way back to Glyndyfrdwy for 5.45. Now all that remained was the 2 hour drive home.

I found this walk to be pretty decent if a little unexciting apart from some excellent views which gave me some good appreciation of the rest of Snowdonia. I don't get to come to Wales a lot so today was a real bonus and I can see Moel Fferna having a lot of charm on a cold and crisp winters day.

Turned left at this post marker down the hill

Looking down the descent route and valley

Moel Morfydd? A nice shapely peak whatever it is.

The last bit of descent is on an over grown and surely unused road!

[john923]

Looks like a decent little circuit for a half day. We've still to do this one so nice to see that it's not all a heathery trudge.
I assume the last picture is the road which poppiesrara tried to drive up? No wonder he turned back.

[Broggy1]

Yes it does appear to be the same one looking at his report.

I found it to be a pretty well pathed round on the whole with just a bit of bog hopping nearer the summit but almost all of it avoidable. Great views from the top.

[poppiesrara]

Yes, that looks familiarly and horrifyingly narrow, although you haven't included the foot-deep potholes Broggy! Very deceptive of the AA to portray it as a 'motor-road' and I don't recall a sign suggesting otherwise either. I wouldn't have made it too far up there before commonsense prevailed (turning round was a pretty grim prospect too though).

Done as a walk, it's rather nice, John, with - as Broggy attests - some terrific open views.

[37201xoIM]

Thanks for the very useful report - did this route myself last Sunday evening and it's a pretty easy route to follow, and made for a very pleasant walk on a sunny evening, with some excellent views. Took me a fairly unfit and unhurried 3 hours.

You're absolutely right about that "road": it's shown on maps as a normal minor road, and the sign at the bottom very misleadingly just says "Not suitable for HGVs" - it's not suitable for any motor vehicles: don't even think about it!

Given more time I'd consider returning from the summit via one of the more northerly footpaths that then descend into Glyndyfrdwy in order to avoid the road walking - but as it was I was a bit short on daylight so also opted for the easy-to-follow choice!