All walks › Llanidloes & the Cambrians
Llanidloes & the CambriansPumlumon Fawr
The highest ground in mid Wales and the source of three rivers. Big, bleak, boggy and completely deserted compared with anywhere in Eryri.
- Distance
- 6.8 mi / 11 km
- Time
- 4 hr
- Ascent
- 520 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
From the farm at Eisteddfa Gurig, take the track up towards the old mine workings and continue onto the open mountain, climbing to the summit cairns. Return the same way.
Worth knowing
- Serious upland walking with almost no path. Map and compass are not optional here.
- The ground is wet and broken almost throughout. Allow far longer than the distance suggests.
- In cloud this is a genuinely difficult navigation exercise. Save it for a clear day.
What you’ll see
Summit cairns, Llyn Llygad Rheidol in its hollow, and views to Cadair Idris and Cardigan Bay on a clear day.
Background
Owain Glyndŵr is said to have gathered forces here in 1401. The mountain is the source of the Severn, the Wye and the Rheidol, which is why it mattered symbolically as well as strategically.