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There are many areas of high ground in Britain which are neglected by walkers. The area to the north west of the slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog is one such place. Here boot marks in the path are hard to find and there is no one to talk to apart from yourself and the mountains. The walk starts at the small car park at the summit of Crimea Pass on the A470 from Betws y Coed to Bleanau Ffestiniog (grid ref SH701490). Walk up the main road to the track that comes in from the north. Ignore the track, instead climbing steeply westwards over grass to gain the ridge. The onward route to the summit of Allt-fawr is obvious with dramatic views into the huge slate quarries on your left. The next objective is Moel Druman which is most easily reached by heading to the north of Llyn Conglog. All too soon you have reached the second summit of the day. The views from here include many of the major peaks of northern Snowdonia including Snowdon and its satellites. Heading north west and following the fence the multi-topped peak of Ysgafell Wen is soon reached. Note the stile on your right hand side as you will return here after visiting Ysgafell Wen. There are excellent views from here to Snowdon and the other northern peaks of Snowdonia including the Glyders and the Carneddau. Retrace your steps to the stile and head east keeping the fence to your right as you descend into a broad valley. In places the path fades but provided you keep the fence in sight you cannot go too far wrong. Some caution is needed on this section as there is one section of steep ground with crags but with care these can be easily negotiated. As you descend you will approach a gully just to the south of Moel Lledr. The easiest route is to be found on the east bank of the river with care needed to avoid some crags. Reaching the bottom of the gully you encounter some boggy ground. The 'target' is the track heading back to the top of the Crimea Pass. This was accomplished by trial and error with some back-tracking necessary to avoid the worst of the soft ground. However eventually you will reach the track and all that remains is an easy walk back to the car. Apparently this track was the old road across the pass and you have plenty of time to admire the cleverly constructed route with its well designed gradients so necessary when horses were the only source of power. Suggested Maps It is recommended you take a map with you when following a walk route. The preferred scale is 1:25000 used by the Explorer series.
Note : If two maps are listed at the same scale then either (a) both are required for full coverage of the route or (b) the route is covered on both maps. Fron Deg B&B, Maentwrog - Gwynedd The Don, Blaenau Ffestiniog - Gwynedd Bryn Bella Guest House, Betws-y-Coed - Conwy Glan Aber Hotel, Betws-y-Coed - Conwy Bryn Afon Guest House, Betws-y-Coed - Conwy Cae Gwyn, Penrhyndeudraeth - Gwynedd Gwrach Ynys Country Guest House, Harlech - Gwynedd Plas Tan y Graig, Beddgelert - Gwynedd Maelgwyn House, Harlech - Gwynedd E and S Thomas, Bangor - Gwynedd Self Catering Directory Walks & Peaks Bedsearcher Hostelbookers - Hostels in England, Scotland and Wales
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Merrell Chameleon Merrell Boots
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