The past 4 months have been tough for so many people in too many different ways. The difficulties of missing family and friends combined with the anxieties of current events then compounded by the lack of access to hobbies and usual sources of relief. Being prevented from accessing the mountains may seem irrelevant and frivolous to some in such serious times but wild places are a great source of solace. They can give peace in times of stress, space to think when life is overwhelming and provide context for the moment in which we live.
So the Welsh Government’s move from a stay at home message to stay local opened up a limited opportunity to get out into hills again. Fortunately enough we are able to access the Carneddau from home via a few different routes and a drive of a few miles opens up a number of additional access points. Keeping within the guidelines was important but also with consideration that I did not want to add any burden on the emergency services or mountain rescue team. It goes without saying that this statement is true when ever I go out in the hills but felt a personal responsibility to underline this point in my head during times such as these. (On a bit of a tangent… I had a conversation with a friend during the height of lockdown regarding people’s reliance on and expectations of a Mountain Rescue service. Having witnessed a couple of rescues up close, the volunteers at the various teams do an incredible job at all times and to keep any type of service through times such as these is a credit to everyone involved. However, for me personally having an available MR service is not a pre-requisite to going into the hills and if there was no such service in Snowdonia it would have no bearing on the decisions I take at a personal level. In my opinion too many people give no consideration for the what ifs during a mountain day and this means when things start going wrong they have few options but to call for help. That said even with the most diligent of planning things can and do go wrong and so we should all be appreciative of the time and effort the team members put in.)
So with a double safe mindset and a belly full of pent up enthusiasm we set out to Cwm Eigiau from Dolgarrog. Past Llyn Coedty onwards up the mountain track to Llyn Eigiau. The site of the dam which on the night of 2nd November 1925 burst releasing 350 billion litres of water down the valley and onto the village of Dolgarrog. Sadly 16 people died in the disaster. At Llyn Eigiau the dam walls still stand tall with a huge break in them stirring ones imagination of the horrors of that night. From the dam a mountain track continues for a couple of miles into Cwm Eigiau terminating at the long abandoned slate quarry below the imposing cliffs of Craig yr Ysfa (cliff of the gathering, most likely named for where the shepherds used to collect their flock from the high pastures). This is one of the great mountain cliffs of the UK and was a playground for the early pioneers of rock climbing in Snowdonia during the dawn of the 20th Century.
The various faces, gullies and buttresses of Craig yr Ysfa offers the the competent rock climber many days of entertainment but only provides intimidation and awe to the uninitiated walker. Although if you are keen and willing to explore the depths of the huge chasm, aptly named The Ampitheatre, which splits the two main buttresses a scrambled ascent can be found at around grade 2. The technical difficulties are low but the seriousness of the positions should not be underestimated. From the top of the crag a good path can be followed up to the summit of Carnedd Llywelyn standing at 1,064m only Yr Wyddfa and it’s subsidiary peak Garnedd Ugain are higher in all of Wales and England. The name translates as “Llywelyn’s Cairn” named in honour of the Welsh Prince (although it is not clear whether this was Llywelyn the Last or Llywelyn the Great). On a clear day the summit provides views across the southern Carneddau, the Glyderau and to the summit of Yr Wyddfa and beyond. While on a poor viz day the whole of the Carneddau becomes a first rate testing ground for a walker’s ability to navigate accurately. This is not the place to find out that you don’t know how to take and follow a bearing!
From the summit we drop down to the Bwlch Cyfryw – drum which sits between Carnedd Llywelyn and Carnedd Dafydd (taking it’s name from another Prince of Wales). From the bwlch a descending line can be taken north west following a water course into Cwmglas Mawr. If you keep a look out on the way down you can’t help but notice strange items of scrap metal littering the hillside. First assumption would be that they are remnants of an industrial past but we’re a long way from the nearest quarry or mine site. Take a closer look and you may see part of an engine, section of a radar or half of a wing. They are what is left of a military plane which crashed in 1950 during a training exercise. Tragically all 6 men on board died and a plaque has been placed near to the impact site to remember them.
As we reach the Cwm we find ourselves standing beneath Llech Ddu (the black slab) an imposing cliff of dark rock guarding a rocky rib which descends from the tip of Carnedd Dafydd. The rib is know as either the Llech Ddu or the Crib Lem spur depending on who you ask. It is one of the UK’s premier grade 1 scrambles but see’s only a fraction of the traffic that finds itself attracted to the likes of Crib Goch or Tryfan’s North Ridge. No doubt due to it’s longer approach but for me this remoteness adds to the allure. Direct access to the spur is defended by the cliffs of Llech Ddu and so a slightly devious ascent is required into Cwmglas Bach and then a traverse of grass slopes and rock bands onto the spur proper. With clear skies a stunning view is on offer back down the valley over the Menai and Anglesey. However if the cloud is low and there is no one else around then the spur feels a very different and much more serious place.
The ridge is followed over rock steps and alpine-esque aretes without any undue difficulty all in a fantastic position until you reach the rocky summit slope of Carnedd Dafydd. A quick jolt uphill to meet the summit cairn and we can enjoy the reward of another one Snowdonia’s great panoramic views. Our circuit takes us back over Carnedd LLywelyn and then down the ridge which forms the eastern wall of Cwm Eigiau. A quick stop to admire the wild pony’s who have now returned to make the most of higher ground during the summer months and on wards to link up with the mountain track descending from Melynllyn and Dulyn reservoirs. The latter being the site of one of the UK’s finest mountain bothies outside of Scotland. From here it is a straight forward walk home.
The Carneddau (The Cairns) is an incredible mountain range. It is simply one of the great mountain areas of the UK. Yes, for those who only walk over the domed summits from Ogwen or as part of the Welsh 3000 then I understand the opinion that “they’re just rolling hills!” but this is mistaken. Anyone who is willing to explore the cliffs and Cwms in the search for solace then the Carneddau provides in a way that few places can equal.