All walks › Eryri: Rhinogydd and Harlech
Eryri: Rhinogydd and HarlechThe Roman Steps, Cwm Bychan
Paved packhorse route climbing through a rocky pass in the Rhinogydd, in some of the roughest and least visited country in Eryri.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 350 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Shape
- There and back
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
From the car park the stepped path climbs through oak woodland and then open rock to the bwlch at Bwlch Tyddiad. reverse the outward route, or continue into the empty country beyond if properly equipped.
Worth knowing
- Not Roman. Medieval packhorse paving, probably serving Harlech.
- The Rhinogydd are the roughest hills in Wales underfoot. Beyond the bwlch the ground is heather, boulders and no paths.
- The lane in from Llanbedr is long and single track.
What you’ll see
The stepped paving, Llyn Cwm Bychan below, and an extraordinarily rocky landscape at the top.
Background
The Rhinogydd are made of Cambrian grit, some of the oldest rock in Wales, which is why the ground is so broken. The steps likely date from medieval trade between Harlech and the interior.