Home » Snowdonia Walks » Walking In Eryri Snowdonia » Moel Cynghorion from Snowdon Ranger 

Moel Cynghorion from Snowdon Ranger

By Dave Roberts   

Published – December 30, 2011

  No ratings yet.

Posted in Full Outing, Walking In Eryri Snowdonia

Moel Cynghorion from Snowdon Ranger

Further Details

Route Summary:

Start and Finish:

Distance: 11.84 km

Ascent: 564 m

Time:

Timings are approximate and depend on the individual. Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Before You Walk up Snowdon, ask yourself – Are you equipped? Do you know what you’re doing? Are the conditions safe? If you answer no to any of these, stay safe, don’t go! Check the weather forecast and make sure you know about walking up Snowdon in the Snow. If you lack experience – hire a Snowdon Mountain Guide.

Facilities:

Pub with excellent ales in Rhyd Ddu

Public Transport:

Sherpa Buses

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Parking: 

Hazards:

Some nav in mist, returning to start.

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Walk up Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon Safely Navigation and the Gear and Equipment you’ll need.

Check the Weather before setting out.

We reccommend  Met Office Snowdonia and MWIS and live conditions on Adventure Smart – live conditions

Snowdon Guidebooks:

Recommended Snowdon Maps: 

Moel Cynghorion from Snowdon Ranger Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

Download file for GPS

Moel Cynghorion from Snowdon Ranger

This is a nice little bimble from Snowdon Ranger and over to Llanberis. This is a steady walk with the main problem being how to return to the start!

The Route

Setting off from the Snowdon Ranger, you may on occasion find that you don’t want to walk to the summit of Snowdon but may need a shorter route for whatever reason. This provides a good alternative, and can also provide a more energetic ascent or descent of Snowdon as well.

You need to initially follow the Ranger path, up the zig zags and thankfully onto the flatter middle stretch. You’ll note a few waymarks for Llanberis as the path eases, which provide an alternative route to Bwlch Maesgwm and on to the summit.

This route is by the tougher Allt Llechwedd Llo, so as soon as you arrive at the second set of zig zags you turn back on yourself instead and directly up the steep slope.

There are views along Clogwyn Du’r arddu and it’s lake to make it worth it. Even better is that you get to stop for a breather whilst doing so. There’s a stile on the skyline that does mark the relenting of the slope, but the summit is just a short distance beyond.

If ever there was a summit that is underwhelming, this is it. There is only a tiny cairn, you could count the number of rocks within it on one hand. But the views, they’re something else.

The Eilio range is at it’s best from this angle, not to mention across to Mynydd Mawr, Nantlle and of course up to Snowdon herself. As a prelude or even a prologue to walking up Snowdon, it’s well worth doing.

On it’s own, perhaps not so unless you’re short of time or energy.

Descend the grassy ridge that undulates for a few kms SW on an easy gradient. You could ascend this way of course, and it would be much easier than the alternative. Take your choice. You’re probably better climbing the easy way if you’re considering Snowdon afterwards.

At Bwlch Maesgwm, the track descends to Llanberis or you can return to the Snowdon Ranger. Descending to Llanberis is the preferred route if you don’t have to return to your car, or fancy your luck with the buses (at least two will be needed to return). Descending to Ranger, the track is grassier and a little wet in places but easy enough to follow. If you do lose it the path then providing that you’re going in roughly the right direction then the worst that you can do is cross rougher easy ground and on to the Ranger Path which you’d be hard pressed to miss.

Descending Maesgwm is easy enough and the track makes an excellent MTB route. Continue downhill, crossing a bridge over one stream, but not the second one over Afon Hwch. At this point (SH575 586) you need to cross the stile to the right and across the farmland towards a ruined farmhouse. Cross the river and there’s a newly surfaced path that crosses the railway before crossing a final field and joining the Llanberis path on the tarmac section.

 

Please rate this

Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

Related Posts

Live Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon Conditions

Gear You May Need

Subscribe to the Mud and Routes Newsletter

* indicates required



Choose interests

I would like to stay subscribed to this newsletter

Mud and Routes will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:


You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at [email protected]. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here.

Comments are closed.