LUOAC - Ogwen Valley

The Ogwen Valley has walks of every type as long as it's difficult - climbing and scrambling on Tryfan, the high rocky summits of the Glyders, and the long ridges on the Carneddau. In good weather, the other high summits nearby, including Snowdon, are clearly visible.

Ogwen Valley from Llyn Idwal

Tryfan is one of the most popular peaks in Ogwen. Its view from the east is easily recognised - a jagged mass of rock on its own on relatively flat ground. The usual route up is on the North Ridge, which can be as easy or hard as you want it to be - either way, it's hands-on scrambling all the way. Just below the ridge is an easier path which bypasses the summit, known as the Heather Terrace.

Tryfan from the east
(Picture used with permission from Wilderness Wales)

Idwal Cottage and Tryfan behind it

The summit of Tryfan is a mass of boulders, and perched on the edge are two large towers, the distance between them is just longer than a stride. These are Adam and Eve - if you manage to jump from one to the other, you gain freedom of the valley. If not, there's an 800 metre drop!

Our treasurer-to-be Ken on Adam & Eve

To the southwest of Tryfan are the Glyders : Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr. Their summits are again a mass of boulders, but over a much larger area - it's not clear where the actual summits are!

Glyder Fach is reached by another scramble on Bristly Ridge, a rocky ridge up to the summit plateau. This can be avoided on the path alongside, up the steep scree slopes.

Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr and Y Garn from Bwlch Tryfan

Glyder Fach has two interesting features - the Cantilever and Castell y Gwynt (Castle Of The Winds). The Cantilever is a large flat rock balanced on some boulders. If gravity had a say, it would tip over, but it doesn't. Castle Of The Winds is a tower of rock on the edge of the summit - a short scramble up gives views down into the valleys below.

The Cantilever on Glyder Fach

On the other side of the valley, the higher Carneddau range gives a chance for high-altitude walking with not too much effort - a steep climb up to the ridge, then fairly level across to the other summits. Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn, the two main summits on the ridge, are both above 1000 metres, compared to the Glyders which are both below 1000m, so the views stretch further. On a clear day, views extend up the valley to Bangor and across to Anglesey, and to the north, the Irish Sea.

Pubs

There are no pubs in the Ogwen Valley, but the nearby towns of Bethesda, Bangor and Capel Curig have pubs and cafés.

Maps

The Ogwen Valley is covered by these maps:

OS Outdoor Leisure (scale 1:25,000) 17 : Snowdonia - Snowdon & Conwy Valley
OS Landranger (scale 1:50,000) 15 : Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa & Caernarfon