Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksBerwyn and Lake Vyrnwy

Berwyn and Lake Vyrnwy

Cadair Berwyn

The highest summit outside the national parks in Wales, on a long ridge above the waterfall, with a cliff-ringed cwm and a lake below the top.

Distance
7.5 mi / 12 km
Time
5 hr
Ascent
650 m
Difficulty
Strenuous
Shape
Circular

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

Climb from the falls onto the moor and up to the ridge, following it north over Moel Sych and Cadair Berwyn. Return by the ridge or a descent to Llyn Lluncaws.

Worth knowing

  • Llyn Lluncaws sits in a textbook glacial cwm under the summit cliffs and is the highlight.
  • Deep peat on the approach. Slow going and wet feet are normal.
  • The Berwyn is a Special Protection Area for upland birds; dogs on leads throughout.

What you’ll see

Llyn Lluncaws, the cliffs of Craig y Llyn, and a view from Eryri to the Shropshire plain.

Background

The Berwyn is one of the largest tracts of heather moorland in Wales and holds internationally important populations of hen harrier and merlin.