A Welsh Weekend Adventure - 2 - Pen y Gwryd to Glyder Fawr

Between the rugged defile of Pen y Pass and the wild spaces of the Ogwen Valley rises the ridge of peaks known as the Glyderau or Glyders. The area is as rocky and precipitous on the Ogwen side as it is rough and uncompromising on the other and includes such exciting routes as the Cribyn Ridge,

Wonderful view of the Nantgwynant

Bristly Ridge and Tryfan; some of the finest routes in Snowdonia. This route - which should not be underestimated for all its short distance - ventures though the rough terrain north of Pen y Pass to reach Glyder Fawr, which at 3279 ft or 999 m marks the high point of the ridge.

The second day of this short adventure in Snowdonia began with a chilly morning the campsite at Capel Curig; the previous night's rain and wind had given way to clear skies and temperatures of minus 2 to 3 degrees Celsius around dawn, leaving my micro camper coated in a layer of ice. After shivering through breakfast, I made the short journey to Pen y Gwryd and the cold began to give way to a day of glorious autumnal sunshine as I set out for Pen y Pass. Why didn't I drive up and park there?

The start of the path to Pen y Pass

Because it's £10 a day if you can get a space as opposed to £4 near Pen y Gwryd and free a quarter mile down the road.

For that same reason a few Snowdon-bound hikers were walking up the road but far preferable to that is the footpath from just opposite the bus turning area just past the hotel. It's an easy well made path that brings you out at the car park but also gives a false sense of security about what's to come...

After crossing the road, a path leads up on the opposite side; steeply at first before easing into grassy terrain and becoming less distinct as the lonely tarn of Llyn Cwmffynon is seen on the right. It's hard to believe here that the road is so close behind as we seem to have entered the wilderness here but most of the walkers from Pen y Pass are heading up Snowdon on the other side of

Snowdon (2nd from R) and its range from the rest stop 

the valley.

A boggy area was met after a slight descent and the path faded in and led me me generally straight on (in a north westerly direction) with the tarn on my right, until it faded out of existence altogether and my way led through rough country, gradually climbing towards the ridge line ahead. Vestiges of a path here and there are probably little more than sheep tracks and it's more a case of finding the driest route, which eventually led me to bear left, (more to the west) up the rough slopes towards the higher ground.

The tussock grass, bogs and low rocky outcrops make for hard going and if you plan to do this route, when you reach the boggy depression

Y Garn and the sea from the top of Glyder Fawr

near the tarn, bear more to the left where a more distinct path does appear. It's no drier in the lower sections but is much easier to follow and was to be my descent route.

When it seemed as though the struggle uphill would go on forever, there was a sudden change in the terrain; the steeply sloping rough country through which I had been travelling, opened out and a path led northwards over a gently sloping plateau towards the summit of Glyder Fawr which didn't now look so far away. A short rest followed by an easy walk, led me in warm autumn sunshine to the stony crown of the Glyders where the landscape changed yet again into one of shattered boulders and grey tors that stood up high above their surroundings. One of these indeed made the highest point of the peak at 999 metres or 3279 feet and was reached by an easy scramble up.

Rock formations on the summit

This is a wonderful viewpoint on a day like this and the short video below has an all round summit panorama, which includes Glyder Fach and Tryfan eastwards along the ridge, Y Garn in the opposite direction and the Snowdon group rising to the South. My descent route retraced my steps off the summit to where I had reached the plateau but I continued more to the West to follow the top of this broad ridge down. Eventually a more consistent path was reached that I followed down over steep ground at first and then once again over the wet terrain to my start point.

This is a short route from Pen y Pass being a return journey of just 7 km which increases to 11 km (7 miles) if started from Pen y Gwryd.  The

Looking towards the start point from near the summit

additional distance from there just adds a pleasant walk to the harder going of the off path sections as well as saving at least £6 off parking which can be converted into beer at the pub - but not if driving! The total ascent is about 725 m from Pen y Gwryd and 650 m from Pen y Pass. There's also an option to follow the ridge to Glyder Fach and descend by a good path via Llyn Caseg-fraith to Pen y Gwryd, which is a walk of just over 11 km though the section between the two Glyder peaks is very rough going with boulders and a short scramble to negotiate. In these hills, modest distances can be deceptive.

On balance the best way up Glyder Fawr is by the Cribyn Ridge from Llyn Ogwen on the northern side, descending by the Devil's Kitchen path. I'll post that on here when I do it again though there is a description of the walk from the last time. Looking at the date on there I'd say it was about time I did it again as it was good.

Check out a glorious day on the Glyders - well worth it for the summit views...

If you missed it, here's the Day 1 post...
  The Wild Side of Snowdon

and here's the film of day one in some very different weather - check out the Dr Who time vortex effect near the end...