Cader Idris is not the name of a single mountain, but of a mountain range, which was once thought to be amongst the highest in Britain, a remarkable assertion considering that its neighbour Aran Fawddwy is taller, although neither even reaches three thousand feet in altitude. The misconception derives from the powerful, independent presence of … Read more
The Black Mountains comprise the most extensive upland range within the Brecon Beacons National Park, casting broad, grassy ridges projecting like the fingers of an arthritic hand. Collectively, the ridges stretch for fifty miles, with thirty miles of this above the 2,000ft contour. The culmination of these whale-backed elevations is at Waun Fach, an … Read more
The Nantlle Ridge is frequently recommended as an alternative to Snowdon without the crowds, although this is to undersell an entirely independent massif that warrants recognition, not as a quieter surrogate, but because it is one of the finest standalone ridge walks in Wales. Furthermore, the Nantlle Ridge provides not just the mountain grandeur of … Read more
There is something special in the air amidst the Preseli Hills, a pervading atmosphere of antiquity that captures the imagination, elevating this ridge of gently undulating moorland into a quest for adventure. Wherever you wander, there is a sense of an ancient past, from the prodigious quantity of prehistoric remains to the powerful links with … Read more
Snowdon is majestic in its glacially sculpted profile, exuding undisputed dominance as the fundamental nucleus of the national park that bears its name. The mountain well deserves its plaudits and is all things to all people, a multifaceted giant, friendly in benign conditions to all abilities, yet with a ferocious reserve for those who stray … Read more
Pen y Fan is the highest point in South Wales and a mecca for its denizens, with two million people living within an hour’s drive of the national park and seemingly born with the innate desire to stand on its top. The mountain also attracts walkers from far and wide, the National Trust now estimating … Read more
On the face of it the Clwydian Hills have a lot going for them. The range extends in an attractive, defined ridge for twenty miles from close to the North Wales coast, running south towards Llantysilio Mountain above Llangollen. The highest point reaches a respectable 1818 feet (554m) and the views possess pleasing variety. It … Read more
Y Mynydd Du is a landscape to inspire folklore, legends and myths. There is the tragic tale of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach and temperature inversions forming swirling valley mists are locally purported to be dragon’s breath. You may take this frivolous lore with a pinch of fairy dust, but you will nonetheless … Read more
Commonly called ‘The Rivals’, rather appropriate for this group of three pointy peaks thrusting from the ocean and jostling for attention, the name is merely an anglicised adaptation from the pronunciation rather than a direct translation. In the modern Welsh language, there is no such word as Eifl and it perhaps derived from olden days … Read more
Arenig Fawr gains its place on the Worthy list principally through the attractive combination of altitude, isolation and the consequent superiority as a viewpoint. As an ascent, the route via Llyn Arenig Fawr is a rewarding walk and the summit is a fine place to be. Beyond that, the mountain’s other faces are less distinguished, … Read more