Sunday October 4th, 2026. Red Dot Route Glyderau. This was the fourth attempt of the Club in 7 years to get a decent day on the Glyderau ‘Red Dot’ route. The forecast this time was no more promising: mist all day at Penypass and fog on Glyder Fawr, but actual conditions proved much better with sun and good visibility until early afternoon.

Selina led a group of 7 with an early start from the free layby in Conway east of Pen y Gwryd, taking the brisk climb on stone steps 1.5 miles up to Penypass. The route (so-called from the recently repainted splashes of paint on rocks marking the way) climbs steeply from behind the Youth Hostel on a tussocky grassy slope for some 2300ft. This took some 2.5 hours with just a brief stop for coffee. The mist lifted progressively, swirling dramatically across the landscape and giving increasing glimpses of Llyn Cwmfynnon and the junction of the Pyg Track where it winds up Yr Wyddfa to the junction of the Crib Goch route.

At last, the shattered grey stones of the peak of Glyder Fawr came into view, gleaming in bright sunlight. The party were now able to enjoy lunch, treated to wonderful views from this lofty eyrie. The vista stretched from Yr Wyddfa and Siabod in the south to the brown domes of the Carneddau across the Ogwen valley to the north; below, the green trough of the valley of Nant Ffrancon ran north to Bangor and the Menai, while in the distance the wind turbines of Gwynt y Mor dotted the sea off Llandudno.

The walkers now stumbled eastwards across the astonishing landscape of the Glyder plateau, a rough chaotic boulder field of lunar-like appearance, where sharp pinnacles reared up above a pavement of jagged grey rocks. The rugged triangle of Tryfan soared unexpectedly just a short distance to the north After a mile or so the party reached the extraordinary tumble of rocks forming Castell y Gwynt and heralding the peak of Glyder Fach, just a little lower than its twin, Glyder Fawr.

On this occasion the party made a determined effort to reach both summits, the more supple and intrepid achieving the final scramble up and over jumbles of huge vertical slabs. Just a short distance to the east lay the iconic ‘watchman’ of Y Gwyliwr, known to many as the Cantilever rock, a long slender slab jutting out impossibly into space. Another scramble got the whole party onto this feature for the celebratory photo.

Now, as the weather closed in with mist and damp, it was time to leave the plateau and find the long and arduous Miner’s Track, eventually dropping gently down the south slope of the mountain. The ragged uneven stones and often boggy conditions made this a long haul over a couple of weary hours. The party were glad to reach the sanctuary of the main road for the trip home. This was a great and strenuous day out of some 6-7 miles over as many hours on these unique mountains, made memorable by the unexpectedly good morning weather. Noel Davey.

Thursday September 24th 2026. Abersoch and Environs. A party of 18 ramblers assembled at the Farm Shop in Sarn Bach for a circuit around the environs of Abersoch devised and led by Jane. It was a bright and dry day.

The first section led along Llanengan footpath #32 from Lôn Pentre Bach to Creigir. This has recently been reinstated after lobbying by the Club during many years of de facto closure. Its significance lies in providing an alternative route through pleasant fields for walkers between the many caravan sites of Sarn Bach and the main village of Abersoch, avoiding the dangerous narrow section of the Sarn Bach road.

The route continued up to the viewpoint at the iron age fort site of Pen y Gaer, providing fine views to Porth Neigwl, Rhiw and Garn Fadryn, together with the fine example of oxbow lakes formed by the Afon Soch below. There was a brief stop for a panad here. The road across the long Bont Newydd bridge and causeway led through the quiet and charming village of Llangian and up to the Abersoch-Mynytho road. Y Clawdd Mawr continued north-east for over 500m, comprising a prominent, straight and level path on an historical earthwork bank lined by hedging. This has been kept well maintained in recent years with assistance from AONB (Ardal Harddwch) volunteers.

Lunch followed in a field with mountain views, near the so-called ‘Finnish’ Village, a collection of Scandinavian-style timber-framed holiday cabins. The route then turned south to Abersoch for about a mile down the long dry glacial valley known as the Nant Fawr or Old Reservoir route, now adopted by the Mariners’ Path. Coming out by the Harbour, the group skirted round on Lôn Pont Forgan to the centre of the village, still quite busy with late September holidaymakers. A few took the option to continue straight to the beach, but most continued round to the Outer Harbour, passing traditional cottages, the Lime Kiln and jetty and climbing up to Penbennar headland. This once pleasant footpath with sea and mountain views has now been ruined by rebuilds of formerly modest holiday houses into pretentious palaces hedged by tall fences which hide the views. However, the climb was still worthwhile for the splendid view from the South Caernarfonshire Yacht Club of the Borth Fawr beach sweeping for a mile to the south.

The walk climbed down past the now iconic beach huts and along the beach, cutting inland along Golf Road and past the Golf Club. The potholed track across Morfa Gors was followed skirting round the great marsh of Cors Llyferin, an impenetrable haven of willow, wildlife and reeds. The track eventually climbed to the metalled Lôn Haearn, bed of the former railway linking lead mines to the old wharf at Penrhyn Du. Near the end of this a useful short cut path was taken past the sewage works buried in trees back through fields to the Farm Shop which provided welcome refreshments at the end of the day.

This was an enjoyable and interesting circuit of some 7.5 miles over about 5 hours with 1200ft of ascent, notable for its choice of cafes and toilet facilities. Despite being a longer than usual Thursday walk, there were few takers for the several ‘escape’ routes on offer. Noel Davey

Sunday September 20th, 2026 Moel Ysgyfanogod - Foel Penolau. A bright, dry and sunny day brought out 18 walkers led by Noel for an outing in the Northern Rhinogydd. The first challenge was to get everyone into 4 cars and drive up almost 1000ft by a narrow and precipitous lane to a rough patch to park near Moel y Geifr.

The route led off south-east on a good, gently rising track, turning north-east between the twin lakes of Llyn Eiddew Bach and Mawr. A steady climb took a well engineered track associated with a number of manganese mines developed in the 19C mainly to serve the burgeoning iron and steel industry; but their heyday was just a decade from 1885-95.

There was a stop for coffee near some of the mine workings amid a striking landscape of fractured blocks of stone. At about 1850 feet at Llyn Du a narrow, rocky path turned north, eventually leading up a grassy slope to the summit of Moel Ysgyfarnogod, at just over 2000ft. From here there were spectacular views in all directions, stretching from Llŷn to the Arenig and north into the heart of Eryri.

A short hike brought the party to the rocky mass of Foel Penolau where a scramble reached the extraordinary flat slabs marking the summit either side of a deep gully. Another splendid viewpoint was the scene for lunch, looking down to the placid lake of Trawsfynydd, its relic nuclear ‘castle’ commanding the north and a presently defunct footbridge crossing to the village in the south.

The afternoon leg was back north-west down a cross-county moorland route passing Llyn Dywarchen. The focus below now was on the Glaslyn Estuary with its bright green saltmarsh and the towns of Port and Penrhyn. The final treat was to view from the south the remarkable cairn circle of Bryn Cader Faner, its jutting ‘crown of thorns’ astonishing travellers on the ancient trackway since the bronze age.

This easy route, now part of the Ardudwy Way, soon brought the walkers back south-west to join the outward path. This proved a rewarding and relatively easy day out of some 7 miles and 1700ft of ascent over 5-6 hours. Noel Davey.

Thursday September 10th, 2026. Penmachno. Nia led 14 ramblers on a circuit from Penmachno village, an area rarely visited by the Club. The forecast was not good, but the morning remained bright and dry with rain setting in only about lunch time.

The walk started from the church on the western side of the village, taking a road and field paths south-west through the pretty valley of Afon Glasgwm, a tributary of the Machno. The route crossed the river and passed Plas Glasgwm, one of several substantial houses and farms in the area, many taken over by the Penrhyn Estate in the mid-19C. At Blaen Glasgwm the route entered an extensive area of woodland and coniferous trees forming part of the Gwydir Forest Park.

A steady climb led to a network of forest tracks at about 1000ft elevation curving round the slopes on the south and east of Moel Pen y Bryn. These are used for some 30km of the Penmachno Mountain Bike Trails, overseen by Natural Resource Wales and managed and maintained by a local volunteer group (Menter Bro Machno).

After lunch, the party gradually descended a long straight track north-east, part of the Slate Trail, with open views down to the Afon Machno and the peak of Pen y Bedw looming across the valley. The approach back to Penmachno across words)lowland fields passed Hafod Dwyryd, a fine house of 17C origin.

Back at the village, across the Pont Llan, there was a chance to visit the St Tudclud, a Victorian building, but the third church on the site since at least the 12C. Its main interest now lies in an important collection of early Christian stones with Latin inscriptions dating from the 5-6th Century which suggest that Roman political and cultural structures lingered here well beyond departure of the legions. Another stone is thought to be from the grave of Iorwerth Drwyndwn, the father of Llywelyn Fawr.

Despite the damp, this was a pleasant and interesting walk in a lesser known area, covering about 5.5 miles and 1000ft of ascent in 4 hours. Noel Davey.

Sunday September 6th, 2026 Cwm Prysor. Today’s walk was in Cwm Prysor, the valley linking Trawsfynydd and Bala. It was a walk of two halves, combining a hike in the hills and moorlands above the southern side of the valley and an easier return along a former railway track on the northern side. Annie and Noel jointly led a party of 8. The weather was lovely: 16-21C, dry and sunny with a brisk balmy breeze from the SW.

The route started from a layby on the A4212, taking a track along Nant Budr, past a farm of that name, and climbing gently around the hill of Y Foel. There were ruins of substantial farmholdings at Buarth Brwynog and Hafod y Garreg. Moorland paths then kept above marshy ground in the broad upland watershed of Nant Braich y Ceunant with a stop for coffee at an abandoned sheepfold near the stream.

A 500ft ascent brought the party to the top of Bwlch y Bi at 1850ft. An awkward fence crossing led onto a long, straight and sometimes marshy path along the fence line across a plateau to Moel y Slates. The good visibility brought remarkable views of the basin of mountains, stretching from the Rhinogydd in the west, to Cader and the Arans in the south and the Arenigs in the east, while to the north the more distance peaks of Eryri were clear apart from a cap of cloud over Yr Wyddfa.

The path continued north-east, gradually descending to the conifers of Penllyn Forest, where there was a stop for a late lunch, looking across to Arenig Fawr and Llyfnant. A perilous half mile march along the verge of the busy A4212 brought the party past the small lake of Llyn Tryweryn to the safety of a locked gate into a cleared forest area managed by Twthill.

The route soon joined the track of the former railway, a remarkable feat of engineering opened in 1882 and closed about 1962 as the waters of the infamous Tryweryn reservoir flooded the rail section nearer Bala. The track runs along a manmade ledge descending gradually from 1300ft to 900ft at Trawsfynydd, offering lovely views of the valley 300ft below . This is now a permissive path, varying from muddy sections where culverts have failed, open gravel and grass in well drained areas and some attractive treelined sections. The crown of the route is the superb long 500ft viaduct which curves and arches gracefully over the headwaters of the Afon Prysor below. Further on is a conspicuous natural hillock topped by a stony mound which is all that remains of Castell Prysor, an early Welsh castle.

After 4 miles or so, a path led down beside the Afon Llafar crossing a fine slate footbridge a short distance to the start point on the main road. This was a rewarding day out covering some 11 miles and 2400ft of ascent over almost 8 hours. Noel Davey.

Thursday August 27th ,2026. Slopes of Yr Eifl. Just half a dozen walkers led by Michael and Debby gathered 900ft up at Mount Pleasant above the village of Llithfaen, most others being deterred by the promise of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Given the wet conditions, it was decided to confine the walk to the shorter ‘D’ option on the lower slopes of Yr Eifl rather than tackle the peak of Tre’r Ceiri, the original objective.

At first conditions were indeed wet, but fortunately the rain soon abated and eventually stopped, leaving cloudy conditions but quite good visibility and some dramatic views of the landscape as mist swirled around.

The main focus of the walk was the wonderful tapestry of purple heather and yellow gorse adorning the open mountain slopes at this time of year. The party learnt from Michael (a landscape specialist by profession) that this comprised mainly the short growing Western Gorse or Furze, while the heather comprised a subtle mix of the vibrant Bell Heather and the lighter purple Common Heather, depending on micro conditions of aspect and soil.

The route first took a track south-east along the ‘Wal Fawr’, pausing at a viewpoint where a granite structure has been erected identifying the panorama visible peaks and prominent outcrops. Near Caergrbin, a path led north through the heather broadly following the 1000ft contour round the southern slope of the main peak of Yr Eifl which remained in full view. This eventually converged with the main track coming up from Trefor.

The track was followed up north for a while to the col at about 1650ft where there is a (presently locked) gate giving access to the top of Garn For, the third of the trio of Eifl peaks, which has been largely hewn away by granite quarry workings.

Lunch was taken here in misty damp conditions. The return route back down the track to the Mount Pleasant carpark brought back better visibility and a stunning spectacle of the distant hills of Llyn seen through mist eddying up from the deep cleft of Nant Gwrtheyrn far below. The alarming corkscrew road and new footpath leading down to the National Welsh Language Centre came clearly into view.

This outing of just 3-4 miles over 2-3 hours proved more rewarding than the forecast conditions suggested. Noel Davey.

Sunday August 23rd , 2026. Capel Curig-Llyn Crafnant-Llyn Cowlyd. A glorious summer’s day – dry, warm but not hot, with a light breeze and good visibility – was ideal for this foray into the hilly lake country north of Capel Curig.

After some difficulty finding parking places at the popular walking centre, a group of 13 ramblers led by Eryl took the path east, then north to Llyn Crafnant. This has recently been much improved with stone paving and gravel compared with its previous often muddy state. The route climbed steadily past Crimpiau into the Cwm Glas Crafnant National Nature Reserve. There was a coffee stop at a vantage point at 1000ft elevation with a grand view of the lake nestling 500ft below in a narrow valley clothed in dark green conifers.

A good track led along the western shore; while quite popular with walkers and cyclists, the lake was tranquil and free of the noise of watercraft infesting the nearby Llyn Geirionydd. At the north of the lake, a road and then a bracken infested footpath ascended steadily, opening up wonderful views across the hills to the Conway Valley, the Denbighshire Moors and the windfarms off the Llandudno shore. Nearer to hand were the impressive ruins of the ‘Klondyke’ mill which crushed lead and zinc ore for just a few years at the beginning of the 20C and after closing was the scene of a scam built on false rumours of huge local silver deposits.

The path next led across open heather moorland, reaching 1650ft, where a late lunch was enjoyed looking down to the dam at the northern end of Llyn Cowlyd. This long, narrow and sombre lake, reportedly the deepest in Wales, is hedged between the crags of Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Creigiau Gleision. It was built originally as a reservoir, but later used to generate hydro power for the aluminium works at Dolgarrog and now, following their closure, feeds into the National Grid, at least when water levels are high enough.

After crossing the dam, the route led 2 miles along the western shore, heading into the late afternoon sun. At the end there was a final short ascent followed by a last leg down across open grassland to reach the A5 and a short step back to Capel Curig.

This was a long but most worthwhile day covering 12-13 miles over 8.5 hours on mostly easy paths through a fine and varied landscape. Noel Davey.

Thursday August 13th, 2026. Inigo Jones-Penygroes. A group of 11 ramblers, led by Kath Spencer, met at the Inigo Jones Slateworks near Groeslon for a circular walk on another warm and dry sunny day. The Slateworks was opened in 1861 to make school writing slates, but evolved into today’s popular attraction, selling domestic and craft slate products.

The walkers set out north along Lôn Eifion, one of a number of paved multipurpose amenity routes – the Lonydd Glas – which now benefit the county following the controversial 1960s rail closures. This section runs through woodland giving some welcome shade. At the old station of Groeslon the route crossed to the eastern side of the A487 bypass to the south of the main town, turning south across the characteristic landscape of cottages and small walled fields connected by narrow iron gates developed by the workers of the nearby slate quarries in the 18th and 19th centuries. There were some lovely views looking north towards Dinas Dinlle, Llanddwyn Island and Newborough Forest.

Further on the westerly Clynnog Hills and Yr Eifl were prominent. Some of the paths were overgrown or otherwise impassable, requiring a stretch along the quite busy old road between Groeslon and Penygroes. Paths then cut to the east of Penygroes, skirting the large Machpalah cemetery and leading through reached the vineyard and popular café at Pant Du.

The walkers enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch here in the dappled shade of an apple orchard grown for cider making with a fine vista to the south across the valley to Graig Goch and the Nantlle ridge.

The afternoon leg skirted the southern side of Penygroes and regained the Lôn Eifion, making light work of the 2 miles back to Inigo Jones, much of it hugging the eastern wall and woodland belt of the Glynllifon Estate.

Icecreams at the café were a final treat after an easy and enjoyable walk on an intricate route of some 6 miles over 4 hours. Noel Davey.

Sunday August 9th, 2026 Mawddach-Llyn Gwernan. An alternative walk from Dolgellau was substituted today in place of the programmed one at Sychnant where the recent devastating wild fires had closed the footpaths. Hugh led a party of 10 on a fine, dry and sunny day with light winds.

The walk headed out from the Marian Cefn carpark directly onto the Mawddach Trail leading westwards along the broad estuary towards Barmouth. This is a popular multi-use track, today very busy with cyclists and walkers, and now apparently also a section of the east-west Cross-Britain Way – a good stretch for a chat.

There was a stop for morning coffee at Penmaenpool close to the wooden toll bridge built in 1879 and the George III pub. A memorial here records the 1967 ferry disaster when 15 lost their lives. An old signal box, under restoration, and a splendid signal were reminders of the route’s heritage as the former Barmouth-Dolgellau rail branchline closed 60 years ago.

After about 3 miles the route turned up into the pretty Abergwynant woods, where the National Park is restoring native broadleaved trees to replace conifers. A short detour was taken to a vantage point providing a superb view down the estuary to the rail bridge at Barmouth. A pleasant woodland path continued south-east, passing the impressive remains of a limekiln.

There was then a steady ascent of about 600ft on a narrow lane through the woods alongside the tumbling Afon Gwynant. Mossy walls above the river provided a good spot for lunch. At the Kings Youth Hostel a pleasant ‘green lane’ turned off, climbing steeply past Hafod Dywyll into more open countryside of small walled fields. There were fine views of the long and massive Cader ridge above, to the west the jagged peaks of Pared y Cefn Hir near Llynnau Cregennan and across the estuary to the Rhinogydd range.

Back down at Ty Nant, where the Pony Path climbs Cadair Idris, the route turned onto a country lane, part of the ancient Ffordd Du trackway. This passed the well known former hotel beside the fishing lake at Llyn Gwernan. Open upland field paths then cut east, giving more lovely views of the mountains. Eventually the path descended steeply under venerable trees looking down onto the narrow streets and fine grey stone buildings of Dolgellau.

Love Lane finally brought the party back to the start point at the Marian playing field after a most enjoyable walk of some 10.5 miles and an ascent of 1500ft over about 5 hours. Noel Davey.