Wales, Moel Siabod
So, about 3 weeks ago I am talking to Richard about what walks he has been doing and he begins to describe a walk that in his words is ‘possibly the best walk i have ever done‘ – now this is a guy who has done some amount of walks – when he goes for a pint of milk it usually involves a full travese of the Peaks, so when he describes a walk this highly it has to be done.
The walk starts in Dolwyddelan which is a couple of stops down the line from Betws-y-Coed – in fact the train is a great way todo it, as long as you catch the 8:07 (saturdays) becuase there isn’t another train until 11am – The Map needed is OL17 – which we never had but luckly for us the local Spar is open early and stocks Maps as well and it is likely to finish in the pub over the road, the Gwydir some 5-6 hours later.
Is it the best walk ever? – Its certainly a contender – its has fantastic scrambling up some impressive rock, it has beautiful forest, it has lakes, disused quarrys – it has very very few people on it and it has what must surely be some of the best views in Wales looking back onto the Snowdon Range – its certainly a contender.
This is the original guide that i recieved from Richard on the walk, with my own pictures added:
Started at Dolwyddelan (at the post office) headed up hill on the road briefly before taking a track right – looks like a farm track but is a Public footpath. As you head along it a stile to the left takes you across a field to a second stile (this is the only tricky bit) – turn sharp left and start heading up slope rather than on the obvious path… looks like you’re following a stream but is the footpath honest.
Head up slope following path through some gorse bushes as you come out at 736528 you get you’re first sight of Moel Siabod. Path follows an old wall which has fallen down – chose to walk along this as it was boggy and then head into the forest. The path crosses at a footbridge and then follows a river to a forest track. Folow this northwards for a few kilometres – there was even a handy signpost at one point until you reach the end of the forest track 724545.
Here you cross another footbridge then follow the footbridge uphill through the woods – keep to the left of the stream as it turns into a waterfall.
Just after the waterfall you break into open country (great view here!) cross the stream at this point and head up to the slope following an unclear path – any way up is good really as form here you will come to Llyn Y Foel.
From Llyn Y Foel you can see the Daear Ddu ridge to the west of Moel Siabod. You need to go to the bottom of this ridge and go round the first large boulder to see the path upwards. The ridge goes straight to the summit – its a simple grade 1 scramble and loads of escapers to the left of it – though the going never really got that difficult.
At the summit I walked across the plateau area and then continued across some fun boulders to the North East ridge. After a while this met up with a clear path and descended to a clear track at 724563. For ease I followed this down a while the across right to the old quarry buildings.
Track continued until it met a clear track which I followed back to the forest at 732548 – got on forest tracks and made my way back to the start (loads of ways of doing this and you will go back past the helpful signpost again!)
Made it sound more complex than it is but tracks were not always clear. Really enjoyed it thouh as saw nobody and got some really good views.
