All walks › Eryri: Ogwen and the Carneddau
Eryri: Ogwen and the CarneddauCarnedd Llewelyn from Cwm Eigiau
The back way onto the second highest mountain in Wales, through an empty cwm that most visitors never see. Long, wild and usually deserted.
- Distance
- 8.1 mi / 13 km
- Time
- 5 hr 30
- Ascent
- 800 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
A track runs into Cwm Eigiau past the breached dam, then paths climb to the ridge and along to Carnedd Llewelyn. A circuit is possible over Pen yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig y Wrach, returning to the same road end.
Worth knowing
- The single-track road in is long, steep and has few passing places. Not one to rush.
- The Eigiau dam failed in 1925 and the flood killed sixteen people in Dolgarrog below. The breach is still open.
- Carneddau ponies roam here. They are semi-wild and should be left alone.
What you’ll see
The breached dam, Craig yr Ysfa’s cliffs, and a huge grassy plateau at the top with almost nobody on it.
Background
The Carneddau are named for the Bronze Age burial cairns on their summits. Carnedd Llewelyn is traditionally associated with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.