| Getting to the start of this walk isn't easy. The
road to the start is off the main A470 road between
Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolgellau. On the A470 there
is a small village called Trawsfynydd, known and recognisable
these days by its grotesque nuclear power station. Two
miles south of Trawsfynydd there is a smaller village
called Bronaber. The road leading to the start of the
walk is about a half a mile south of Bronaber, it isn't
signposted to anything and looks like the entrance to
a farm. You will on a good day be able to see the road
zig zagging away from the road across the moors towards
the Rhinogs. The road has a closed gateway just a few
metres down the road where a small stream passes underneath.
The road continues for a good mile crossing the lovely
Afon Eden where sometimes Grey Herons can be seen fishing
in the slow waters, the road will eventually reach another
closed gateway where you are most likely to see other
cars parked, this is the parking area, try not to park
your car in an obstructive place.
Pied Wagtail
|
Rhinog Fawr
|
From the parking area in the old forest you need to
take not the track that goes right towards the Graigddu-isaf
farm but instead the track that heads straight away
from the parking area in the same direction as the road
you came into it would have continued. After just a
few hundred metres the track will bend off to the left
but you should take the footpath signposted on the right
through the old forest towards the Graigddu-isaf farm.
The path will eventually reach the farm where you need
to turn left on the farm track through the closed gateway
and over the Nant Llyn-du. On your left now you should
see a few old ruins of old farms and workings. After
passing the farmers field on the right and a few hundred
metres you will see some obvious directional signs directing
the way to Pistyll Gwyn and The Roman Steps or Bwlch
Tyddiad. Turn right onto this path.
Forest Footpath
|
Pistyll Gwyn
|
You will now be walking along a pleasant footpath with
a variety of ferns, bracken and heather mixed with flowers
and blackberry bushes. The Nant Llyn-du stream will
come alongside the path and the path now follows the
path by the edge of the newer dense forest to the left.
The forests here are teaming with bird life, as you
walk through the forest path you will have a constant
bird song of Stone Chats, Tits, Blackbirds, Robins,
Sparrows and many other species. The area is also home
to many rare species like Buzzards, Red Kites and even
Hen Harriers. After almost a kilometre the path will
reach the small yet picturesque waterfall known as Pistyll
Gwyn where the Nant Llyn-du falls over a large rock
face. Leave the Pistyll Gwyn on the same footpath heading
further into the forest and still edging the side of
the Nant Llyn-du stream until you reach a crossroads
at a forest track.
At this point just keep going on the footpath by crossing
the track to the other side, cross the small wooden
footbridge and the forest now comes in closer to the
path and a few smaller streams start to come into the
main Nant Llyn-du stream as it snakes off into the forest.
The path will come to another wooden footbridge where
the streams swerves under the path with a small pond
in the stream on the right where brown trout can be
seen darting from rock to rock in the still waters.
Eventually the footpath will come to a gate at the opening
at the end of the forest. Here the true terrain of the
Rhinogs starts to become visible. Take a look at the
information board at the gate to see a map with information
on the Rhinog National Nature Reserve.
Forest Footpath
|
Brown Trout in Nant Llyn-du
|
From the information board follow the obvious path
forward as it starts heading up hill towards the obvious
col known as the Bwlch Tyddiad or pass of The Roman
Steps. This path is clear and heads up hill through
heather and over a few soggy areas. Once the path starts
to flatten out and the imposing hills left and right
become apparent stop and you should to your left see
a stone wall dissecting the area to the left. Head left
or South here and go down and over the wall, following
a faint path through the boggy grass. This path continues
on the other side of the wall and heads straight on
into a clear but rocky path that heads very steep uphill
towards Llyn Du, it takes its time getting to Llyn Du
and edges round a small rocky hill on the right all
the time. You will pass over a small wall that seems
very out of place in such a high area and then will
come to a boulder spill before eventually hitting the
shores of Llyn Du. Llyn Du is a truly amazing place,
I could sit here for hours and listen to the water lapping
on the shore while staring up at the amphitheater of
rock that is Rhinog Fawr. Look out in early summer for
the Black Newts of which there can be hundreds in this
somewhat different location for such an animal.
Approaching Llyn Du
|
Black Newt in Llyn Du
|
From Llyn Du a path that becomes less and less obvious
heads round the lakes left hand side or south side.
Take this path and follow it over boulders until you
are round the south side of Llyn Du. The path now heads
as if its going to the other end of the lake but before
it does a path goes up and off in the opposite direction
sort of going back on itself, take this path and it
will head uphill on a step ascent through what seems
an impossible route through the crags but is actually
quite easy. Once you top out again on a flat area you
will start to see the views to the west open up for
the first time. You will now see a few paths head up
hill to your left, all of these paths will take you
up a steep but surprisingly short ascent to the summit.
Choose a path at random to be honest as they all reach
the summit but none of the several paths are the official
path. Take care when scrambling up the hill as it can
be very rocky and loose terrain.
Llyn Du
|
Rhinog Fach & Y Llethr
|
Once on the top of Rhinog Fawr you will be greeted
by a nice stone trig point pillar cairn and some of
the best views in Wales. One of the best things about
this summit is that you rarely have to share it as the
Rhinogs really are that much quieter than the rest of
Snowdonia. To the South you will see the smaller twin
of Rhinog Fach and the tallest of the Rhinog range Y
Llethr, this view towards these two unique mountains
is incredible and the small mountain lakes of Llyn Cwmhosan
and Llyn Hywel just add to the picture. The views from
Rhinog Fawr to the west are over the waters of Cardigan
Bay and the Estuaries of the Afon Drywyd and Afon Mawddach.
From the summit take the obvious path heading North
West from the trig point pillar cairn heading back down
towards Llyn Du. Once you have ascended the rocky path
and are heading towards Llyn Du start heading left along
the obvious paths until you eventually reach a big stone
wall. Turn right or head north along the side of the
stone wall until you see that you are behind the far
end of Llyn Du, at this point follow the path down to
Llyn Du and skirt along the boulders round the left
hand or north side of the lake. You will now be where
you wee when you first saw the lake. Follow the path
the way you came now back down to the forest and head
back to the parking area retracing your steps all the
way.
|
Print
Bookmark
Home
Contact Us
Duration
: 5 Hrs
