Walk Summary
Found an ideal walk start point at end of Glenrafon near Nant Ty, rather than a residential area in Cilfodan. Slightly problematic finding the footpath from Nant Ty to Tyddyn-sabel but it did save a km at beginning and end of walk.
The most north easterly route in The Carneddau picking up a cluster of four sub 3000' Nuttalls as well as two Deweys. So in terms of peak-bagging quite a prolific route, especially as you can include one of the recently added and minor hills classified in the DoBIH's as TuMPs.
However do not be fooled into thinking it is all straight forward. The approach to Bera Mawr from Drosgl may look like a rounded summit covered in boulders but as you get closer the small crag on the top becomes larger. Antipodal to the rule of thumb:-
"It is generally not as hard as it looks from a distance".
The crag in my opinion is a grade I scramble which had I had no experience at all may well have not managed the final 30' scramble.
In other words easy enough but not to be tackled alone if you have no scrambling experience.
In spite of this, or more likely, because of this a most satisfying walk completed well within time and more or less as per planned route.
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| The route up (and down) Bera Mawr on the north side |
The most north easterly route in The Carneddau picking up a cluster of four sub 3000' Nuttalls as well as two Deweys. So in terms of peak-bagging quite a prolific route, especially as you can include one of the recently added and minor hills classified in the DoBIH's as TuMPs.
However do not be fooled into thinking it is all straight forward. The approach to Bera Mawr from Drosgl may look like a rounded summit covered in boulders but as you get closer the small crag on the top becomes larger. Antipodal to the rule of thumb:-
"It is generally not as hard as it looks from a distance".
The crag in my opinion is a grade I scramble which had I had no experience at all may well have not managed the final 30' scramble.
In other words easy enough but not to be tackled alone if you have no scrambling experience.
In spite of this, or more likely, because of this a most satisfying walk completed well within time and more or less as per planned route.
Walk Date - 02 December 2014
Walkers - Steve Smith
Accommodation - Betws-y-Coed Youth Hostel
Start Point - Nant Ty (GR - SH 63456 66988)
Start Time - 10:21
Finish Point - Nant Ty (GR - SH 63456 66988)
Finish Time - 15:05
Duration - 4hrs 44mins
Average pace - 1.81mph
Distance Walked - 11.13 miles
Height Ascended - 880.71metres
2014
November
27th Creigiau Gleision & Craiglwyn
28th Carnedd Dafydd, Pen yr Ole Wen & Foel Meirich
29th Carnedd Llewelyn, Yr Elen & Pen yr Helgi Du
December
01st Dulyn Reservoir round + Llwytmor
02nd Beras Bach & Mawr +Drosgl & Gyrn Wigau
03rd The Bochlwyd Horseshoe
05th Drum, Pen y Castell & Carnedd y Ddelw + Tal y Fan
06th Pen Llithrig y Wrach
Nuttalls (190W - 444E&W)
Drosgl (52W - 305E &W)
Bera Mawr (53W - 306E &W)
Bera Bach (54W - 307E, &W)
Gyrn Wigau (55W - 308E &W)
Hewitts (138W - 317E)
Drosgl (39W - 218E &W)
Bera Mawr (40W - 219E &W)
Marilyns (158W - 1550E,W&S)
NONE
Deweys (241W - 427EW&S)
Gyrn (16W - 63E &W)
Moel Wnion (17W - 64E &W)
HuMPs (364W - 2977EW&S)
Drosgl (23W - 21171E &W)
TuMPs 400-499m (455W - 2037EW&S)
E&W: England,& Wales
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
Moel Faban (3W - 21171EW&S)
W: WalesE&W: England,& Wales
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
Route
Moel Faban
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| Clearly marked footpath to Moel Faban |
Well don't be fooled finding a difficult river/stream crossing, suggesting it may not be the correct river crossing the path quickly disappears on the other side tending to lead you too far to the east. Despite returning close to the footpath marked on the map at Tan-y-foel I only managed to return back on track after heading north on the wrong side of a wall that had no convenient or suitable point to cross.
Having returned to the proper path near Tyddyn-sable the path is clear enough for even me to follow all the way to the summit of Moel Faban
Gyrn
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| The lower classified peak of Moel Faban beyond the unclassified Llefn from Gyrn |
Moel Wnion
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| Anglesey and the Menai Straights from Moel Wnion |
Drosgl
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| Approaching Drosgl summit cairn? From the west. |
It also heads for the Bwlch between the next summit and the final summit of the day Gyrn Wigau. The path once found is not that obvious more a boggy streak at its low point. However it is easier to follow than head straight up hill to Drosgl summit. The trick is to optimise the time spent on the path combined with the reduced time spent on rough ground on Drosgl summit approach. Can't claim to have got it spot on. I'll leave it to you to decide when you went to head left and uphill off the path.
My approach was more or less up the west side, which if you are of the excitable type, may think the first distinctive cairn you come across is the summit. Well it may be but once you reach this cairn a far larger and more likely candidate is the massive cairn to the north. Turns out the actual high point is mid way between the two marked by a small pile of stones. I am not so sure it is so in the absence of accurate GPS visited all three.
Bera Mawr
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| Grass gives way to boulders as we approach Bera Mawr summit area on the right |
As the vegetation changes to grasses more accustomed to wet ground the path gives way. By now the little crag on the top of the summit boulder field seems to be getting larger. No problem me thinks, "...it always looks harder from a distance". Continuing uphill the wet ground recedes but no sign of the reappearance of the path. By the time you reach the summit area heather and grass gives way to boulders and then minor scrambling defined only by the fact you may have to put hand on rock for a bit of balance. Head for the right hand Tors as one these is the summit. Bit of a scramble to what I thought was the summit but it is a false summit. The main event is a 30' Tor on the top plateau. As mentioned in the walk summary it may well have been too much for me. If in any doubt think carefully about tackling it alone. Study it walk round it where you can and assess the route you want to take. In my case it was the easiest route around the north side. asWords to follow. Words to follow. Words to follow. Words to follow. Words to follow. Words to follow. Words to follow. The result for me was my third solo scramble of the trip after Pen yr Ole Wen and Carnedd Llewelyn up Bwlch Eryl Farchog earlier in the week.
Bera Bach
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| Snow sprinkled Carnedd Dafydd to the left on way from Bera Mawr to Bera Bach |
Gyrn Wigau
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| Carnedd y Filiast from just south of Drosgl on way to Gyrn Wigau |
>More Photographs
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| On top of Bera Mawr towards Llwytmor Bach Click on photograph to view slide-show |
