Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksEryri: Yr Wyddfa and Llanberis

Eryri: Yr Wyddfa and Llanberis

Y Garn and the Nantlle Ridge

The eastern end of the finest ridge walk in Eryri, with a steep pull onto Y Garn and scrambling along the crest beyond.

Distance
5.0 mi / 8 km
Time
4 hr
Ascent
650 m
Difficulty
Strenuous
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

Climb Y Garn directly from Rhyd Ddu, then continue along the ridge over Mynydd Drws-y-coed as far as confidence allows. Back the same way.

Worth knowing

  • The full ridge to Nantlle is a linear walk needing two cars or a long road return.
  • The section beyond Y Garn involves genuine scrambling with exposure.
  • One of the great mountain days in Wales in good conditions.

What you’ll see

The ridge running west, Yr Wyddfa across the valley, and the sea beyond Caernarfon.

Background

The Nantlle valley below was one of the great slate districts, and the tips are still visible from the ridge.