Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksEryri: Ogwen and the Carneddau

Eryri: Ogwen and the Carneddau

Pen Llithrig y Wrach

The witch’s slippery hill on the southern edge of the Carneddau, with Llyn Cowlyd below and hardly anyone on it.

Distance
6.2 mi / 10 km
Time
4 hr 10
Ascent
600 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

The way up from the A5 across boggy ground and up the southern ridge to the summit. reverse the outward route or continue to Pen yr Helgi Du.

Worth knowing

  • The name means the slippery hill of the witch, and the ground lives up to it.
  • Llyn Cowlyd below is the deepest lake in north Wales.
  • Wet peat on the approach. Gaiters are not a bad idea.

What you’ll see

Llyn Cowlyd in its trench, the Carneddau plateau, and Tryfan and the Glyderau south.

Background

Llyn Cowlyd was dammed to supply Conwy and Colwyn Bay, and the leat that carries its water runs for miles along the hillside.