The Great Outdoors – July 2019

Always take a map and compass with you. ©Crown copyright 2019 Ordnance Survey. Media 051/19

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Start/Finish

Lay-by on the A5 by

Cyfyng Falls

GR: SH734571

Cross bridge over river and falls

and follow lane for 150m. Fork

R by house and walk uphill on

tarmac track until this bends sharp

R towards farm at Rhôs. Leave

track and walk ahead on signed

path, soon rejoining track. Turn L,

pass holiday cottages on L and go

over stile onto track. Continue SW

to next stile and keep ahead on

track for 500m, with NE ridge of

Moel Siabod now rising ahead.

(^2)
Fork R over ladder stile, just
before next fence, and walk
ahead over grassy slope to the
foot of a stony gully. Head SW for
800m over bands of rock, meet
Moel Siabod
Snowdonia NORTH WALES
10.5km/6.5 miles/4-5 hours
Ascent 795m/2610ft^7

I WAS HOT AND TIRED

after four hours in the car

and the inevitable delays

around Birmingham meant

the day was slipping away.

There was even a hold-up

in Betws-y-Coed, but once

past the bend at Swallow

Falls I began to think about

putting my walking boots

on. And when the pyramidal

Moel Siabod rose above

sheets of shimmering oaks I

immediately pulled into the

lay-by near Cyfyng Falls.

There was just time

for a sun-warmed pasty

and a quick slurp of water

before I crossed the high

arched bridge over Afon

Llugwy and forked up the

track towards the table of

open moorland below

the smoother N side of the

mountain and continue uphill on

the obvious ridge. Keep ahead for

1.5km on a gradual ascent to the

summit, skirting occasional slabs

of rock and crossing a subsidiary

top before a boulder-strewn

plateau leads to the top.

(^3)
From the trig point, retrace
steps for about 50m and
leave the top by picking up the
narrow path that drops SE down
the steep, rocky ridge of Daear
Ddu. Continue to the foot of the
slope and keep ahead through
heather to the nearest stream,
with confluence and a small gorge.
Cross stream and follow a faint
grass path, with stream on L.
Path becomes more distinct as it
descends towards conifer
plantation. Cross stile, join good
path and continue down to
footbridge with forestry turning
area beyond.
(^4)
Take track leading SE, then
take first track on L, rising
gently uphill. Go L at next
junction, fork R on another track
after 80m and pass through gate
onto open moorland.
(^5)
After 900m, go through
another gate and follow
track as it swings L and descends
through deciduous woodland to
gate/stile by stream close to Capel
Tan-y-garth. Continue to lane and
turn L to return to start.
Gradient profile Metres above sea level
Roger Butler
gets a spring
in his step on
Moel Siabod
The Great Outdoors July 2019 97