Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia

Walk Five: Moel Eilio Horseshoe
A new fence has been installed on the descent from Moel Cynghorion which does not have a stile by which to cross it. This is being investigated by the National Park Authority. In the meantime, walkers are advised to backtrack to Bwlch Maesgwm and descend northwards from there on a clear track that leads down to Llanberis.

It has been reported that the descent NE from the summit of Tarrenhendre is becoming blocked by self-seeded spruce, as noted originally. No investigation has yet been carried out, and feedback from other walkers would be welcome until such time as the issue can be checked. Meanwhile, there is the possibility of back-tracking to the gate at SH703046 and descending from there. Another, untested, possibility is to descend NW from the summit to the boundary of Access Lane and to re-enter the plantation there via a fire break to rejoin the original route.

Moelwyn Mawr: pages 146 and 147.

Having recently rewalked this route, the author has rewritten the paragraphs of the route description from "Behind the main quarry" to "climb to the summit" as follows:

"Behind the main quarry buildings is a large and wet tunnel into the hillside, and beside it a slaty ramp by which you gain higher ground (resist the temptation to enter the tunnel). The ascent passes tiny Llyn Croesor, which looks forlorn among so much darkness, but with the sun in its heaven, Llyn Croesor sparkles with the best of them.

Once above the ramp, you eventually arrive at a large reedy area framed by spoil that has been shaped into a trackbed. Off to the left, Moel yr Hydd looks inviting, but the easiest way to it means trekking far off-route beyond the quarry site to a low col to the south-west of the summit and walking easily up from there. The direct ascent of Moelwyn Mawr bears right from the reedy area, following a clear if damp path towards a ladder-stile, which is not needed, as the path passes to its left, and follows a clear route onto the shallow north ridge of Moelwyn Mawr and then steeply up to the squat and tidy trig pillar on the summit, trending right near the top. It is possible to count fifteen or more lakes from the top of Moelwyn Mawr, and the view, notwithstanding the dereliction, is one of the finest in Wales for extent, beauty and diversity.

The continuation to Moelwyn Bach will call for some thought. Begin by going east from the trig, but only for about 100m, and then turn right and descend the south ridge in a series of rock steps, crossing the subsidiary summit of Craig Ysgafn, marked by a large cairn. Above, Moelwyn Bach’s crags look impenetrable and shaky, not so much a scramble as a crumble. They are avoided them by ascending a clear path diagonally left which leads to the grassy eastern spur of the mountain from where the summit is readily attained."

July 2010

There is a correction to the map in Walk 17 on page 103.

The route description is correct but the marked route on the map after Llyn Bychan is wrong. You should take the first track on the right after Llyn Bychan (indicated correctly by the dashed red line on the detail map below) not straight on along the main forest track as indicated incorrectly on the map (see solid yellow line on detail map below).