There’s no shortage of wonderful walking in Snowdonia, but sadly there’s no shortage of mountain weather either. There are many days when cloud totally obscures the summits and the wind and rain conspire to make any ascent an uncomfortable one. For days like these, this is my favourite walk, though it’s an amazingly spectacular walk in good weather too, especially for those that find the summits just that little bit too high. It starts in the beautiful Cwm Idwal, a National Nature Reserve and famous for its links with Charles Darwin and then ends in Cwm Tryfan, in the shadow of one of Wales’s most iconic peaks.
Distance: 6 miles 10km)
Time: 4 hours
Start & finish: Ogwen Cottage SH649604
Paths: Mainly good, clear paths with one steep, untracked section.
Maps: OS Explorer Series (1:25 000) OL17 Snowdon
TIC: Betws-y-Coed TIC | Tel: 01690 710426
Your route
From the car park, follow the main cobbled path up towards Cwm Idwal, but after just a few paces turn right to walk into a deep gorge, known locally as ‘Tin Can Alley’ – originally a quarrying experiment. Continue up out of the gorge and then break right at the top to follow a steep section out onto flatter ground. Now keep ahead on a mix of vague boggy paths and newly laid stone paths until you come to a stile. Cross and continue ahead to drop to a beach on the shores of Llyn Idwal. This must be one of the best viewpoints in all of Snowdonia.
Turn right to walk along the beach and go through the gate at the end to now follow a good path all the way along the western side of the lake. At the end, there’s an option to shortcut left, but for the best views, continue straight ahead to climb, still on a good path, up towards the cliffs and gaping fissure of the Devil’s Kitchen. This leads to a path junction before you reach the top.
Turn left (downhill) and descend on a good path that heads back down towards the lake. Continue over the Idwal stream and down to the foot of the Idwal Slabs, a popular rock climbing venue. Now take the path that continues along the eastern shores of the lake until you come to a wall and gate. Turn right ahead of this and follow a steep and very vague path straight up the hill.
This is the most difficult part of the walk as the going is both rough and untracked in places and it’s very steep. Keep the wall to your left and wind your way ever up until you finally crest the foot of Y Gribin ridge. Now a whole new vista opens up with great views of the peak of Tryfan ahead and more across to the Isle of Anglesey back behind you. Keep ahead to drop easily to the shores of Llyn Bochlwyd, another beautiful upland tarn, and keep this to your right to locate a good path that leads up the hillside opposite towards Bwlch Tryfan.
Take this path and climb steadily upwards to the atmospheric saddle of Bwlch Tryfan where a stile hurdles the wall. Cross this and drop straight down the other side to the floor of the valley, where a good path leads left. Follow this down the valley with great views all around and you’ll eventually reach a stile. Cross and continue down a good stone path to join a track close to farm buildings. Turn left onto this and follow it easily down to the road. Now walk easily back along the pavement to Ogwen Cottage.
