| The Berwyn Range Area/Range |
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| The Berwyn Range   | 
| Page Type: Area/Range Location: Powys, Wales, Europe Lat/Lon: 52.88000°N / 3.382°W Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Mixed, Scrambling Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter Elevation: 2723 ft / 830 m | Page By: daveyboy Created/Edited: Jan 22, 2006 / Oct 16, 2008 Object ID: 155328 Hits: 2021 Loading... Page Score: 89.46% - 20 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview Of The Range:_THE BERWYN RANGE
Isolation - Height
The views the waterfalls in fact everything a day on the mountains requires ENJOY...!
 The sharp ridge to the pointed summit of Cadair Berwyn on the right seen across the waters of Llyn Lluncaws
The Berwyn range of mountains are a beautiful unspoilt and relatively unknown area of upland in the north-east of Wales, offering great walking opportunities, free from crowds. The Berwyns Range is a large wild and remote area of mountains, hills, ridges and extensive moorland. Much of the land here is now open access land giving free walking out and into the wilds when before the access was limited. Part of the area is also a National Nature Reserve and provides an important habitat for Black Grouse and many different Birds of Prey. The highest of the peaks in this range is that of Cadair Berwyn at 830 metres. This is a distinctive rocky prominent best seen from the east due to its cliffs. It is on top an impressive ridge that overlooks the lake of Llyn Lluncaws. This lake I have a fantastic picture of taken from the ridge as if it is a blue sky in the ground. The range also has many other peaks and tops.
These tops from the north along the ridge are Cadair Bronwen at 785metres marked with a cairn. Cadair Berwyn's North Top is next with its trig point at 827 metres. Further south the ridge turns into the prominent which makes Cadair Berwyn at 830 metres. The next heading south and the last of the major summits is that of Moel Sych at 827metres. These four tops can all be done in a one day walk and the Berwyn's being very open and round on the upland area are an easy group of summits to do in most weather conditions.
When walking the Berwyns one must always visit the highest and most famous waterfall in Wales Pistyll Rhaeadr.
At 240 feet it is also the highest in England and Wales and one of the great Seven-Wonders of Wales. It is also higher than the Niagra Falls.
More about this waterfall later...!
From the heart of The Berwyns flows the great Ceiriog River a tributary of the famous River Dee. From the valleys it then meanders eastwards from Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog beneath part wooded slopes and rolling hills through the valley of Glyn Ceiriog to the border town of Chirk. From here it then heads in a north direction meeting the famous River Dee. The River Dee then meanders on north through Cheshire and on into the Mersey Estuary.
Although The Berwyn mountains are within easy reach to the busy cities of Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester it remains a relatively quiet and untouched area. Also the Ceiriog Valley remains little visited when compared with that of the busy Dee Valley to the north.
There is a great guide book for the area called:-
WALKS AROUND THE BERWYN MOUNTAINS AND THE CEIRIOG VALLEY
The book is by a David Berry featureing an insight guide to the area and giving 32 great walks suitable for all abilities.
It is available through KITTIWAKE Books more information via this link.
www.kittiwake-books.com
ISBN 1902302621 - ISBN-13 9781902302621Getting There:-Although deep within the Berwyn's.
It is best to aim for the small Welsh village of Tan - y - Pistyll and the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall area...
There is ample parking in this village and waterfall although if you park in the Tea Shop and Waterfall car park you do get charged but this is good in a way as there is more security being a manned car park and also being next to the rather busy Tea Shop.
Directions to get there are a bit complicated but i hope these are clear.
From the Midlands region:-
Take the Major M54 and A5 road signposted from the M6 North Wales and Telford. Then head for Shrewsbury along the A5 then after Shrewsbury heading North on the A5 for Oswestry.
Just north of Shrewsbury there has been a fast dual carraigeway section built that bypasses the village of Nescliffe. When you reach the end of this carraigeway section there is a roundabout and minor B-Classified road signposted for Knockin when heading for Knockin follow this B-Road the B4396 to the village of Llynclys. This B-Road meats a cross roads along with the A483 continue straight over onto the A495 then the B4396 again. Follow the signposts for the small town of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.
When in the Village centre there is a minor road signposted WATERFALL...! Follow this road all the way and you will end up at the start of the walk.
From The North Region:-
Take the M56 Motorway from the M6 near Manchester.
Follow the M56 signposted for North Wales and Chester at Junction15 turn south onto the M53 round the Chester bypass which becomes the A55.
From the A55 take the A483 south towards Wrexham then Oswestry then on the A483 south of Oswestry at the village of Llynclys take a right turn and follow directions from given above.
From The South and Mid Wales Area:-
From South or Mid Wales the main town to initially head for is Welshpool that is on the A483.
Welshpool can be accessed from the west via the main A470 near Dolgellau.
From the south Welshpool can be accessed on the A483 all the way from Swansea.
Both the A470 Cardiff to Conway road and the A483 Swansea to Chester road cross each other at the town of Builth Wells so access is easy.
From Welshpool head north on the A483 towards Oswestry. When at the village of Llynclys as with the previous this time turn left and follow the directions above.
Tan - y - Pistyll Map
Llynclys Map
Welshpool Map
The above links are Street Map Web-pages that can be used to work your way there.
Below is an embedded Google Earth map of the Berwyn Ridge which the shadow created by the cliffs of Cadair Berwyn are clearly visible
View Larger MapGetting up on the Summits:-Where to start
The best starting place as mentioned is from the village of Tan - y - Pistyll and the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall.
Park up at the Tea Shop and Waterfall car park.
There are public toilets and of course snack and drinks from the Tea Shop.
From the car park follow up through the obvious valley in a northern direction along the east side of the valley where the path climbs the east side all the way up to the lake of Llyn Lluncaws.
From the edge of Llyn Lluncaws you then head for the obvious path up onto the main ridge that strides the side of Moel Sych. When out on the ridge set off north to Cadair Berwyn, The North Top and Cadair Bronwen.
Return back along the main ridge south haeding back for Moel Sych.
An easy fence line follows the route along the top of the complete ridge so in the worst of weather this is a good reference to follow.
Moel Sych has a cairn on its summit then from there you just head along another obvious fence line that takes you down to the top of the Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall.
From up here the views and sounds of rushing water are stunning:-
Being the type of ridge they are they are very common in the summer where people who visit the waterfall also combine the summits into a days trek. They can be harsh in the winter periods as they are well isolated from any of the nearby villages. Map reading compass and a GPS are good things to have experience in.
The graphical represented image shown is from a web site called www.viewfinderpanoramas.org and gives a view of all summits visible from the summit of Cadair Berwyn.
Many other summits are on this web page via this link www.viewfinderpanoramas.orgThe Great Waterfall of Pistyll Rhaeadr:-Pistyll Rhaeadr
The great waterfall of Pistyll Rhaeadr is the highest waterfall in England and Wales and at 240feet is 60feet higher than the Niagra Falls.
Also Pistyll Rhaeadr is one of the great Seven Wonders of Wales.
When driving towards Tan - y - Pystyll the waterfall itself and the cliffs of the hanging valley are both clearly seen. The area around this waterfall in the summer months looks like a tropical rain forest environment. Many different and unusual rare plants grow in the vacinity of these falls. The reason for this is due to the spray from the falls in it creates a humid atmosphere with its own kind of eco-system.
The Home Page for Pistyll Rhaeadr
Some Lovely Photos of this stunning Waterfall.
This waterfall also after a very heavy downfall of rain can be very impressive and the roar from the water can be heard from at least a mile up the valley thundering away.
 Pistyll Rhaeadr after an autumn down poor
A Picture of Pistyll Rhaeadr after a heavy downpoor.The Tea Shop:-The Tea Shop here also called Pistyll Rhaeadr has been a long going business and has always done a good service. The snacks and drinks they do here are great from traditional Welsh cream teas to full meals also hot tea and coffee to many a cold drinks.
Such a traditional Tea Shop
The garden at the Tea Shop is fantastic and gives great views of the waterfall but in the summer months this garden becomes very busy.
Another thing great about the Tea Shop garden is the wildlife. The birds are very tame. Blue and Great Tit's many different types of Finches all come and land right next to you and will even eat out your hands.Red Tape:-The lower footpaths are primarily on farmers land so stick to the paths if you know what i mean. Further up on the open slopes of the summits there is what is known as a Permissive Path system in place which is agreement between the area and land owners so as to let us use the land for walking.
This does also cover a kind of vague free to rome rule but i will not jump at that one yet...?Camping - Bed and Breakfasts:-Camping is pretty open in the area and even better the great Tea Shop is also a self catering holiday apartment that can house up to 6people.
Also people have camped on the top area of the waterfall and that must be a right buzz hearing that water roaring over its 240feet fall.
Also the area behind the Tea Shop is an official camp-site and is run by the same people as the cafe and self catering.
Nice little business venture there...!
Local towns for Bed and Breakfasts:-
The nearest town or should I say large village is that of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant at the end of the valley that leads out from the waterfall.
The following is a handy link for all you wish to know local to this area.
www.britinfo.net
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Bed and Breakfast
Other towns that are not to far away from the area are as follows.
Oswestry in England:-
Oswestry Bed and Breakfasts
Bala in Wales:-
Bala Bed and Breakfasts
Plenty of other information on this area can be gained from a search engine such as Google - Via this link.Mountain Conditions:-  Heavy rain on the Berwyn Summits
The Berwyn's conditions can under any circumstances deteriate fast.
I have had fantastic sunny starts to the day finishing in grey damp very bad visibility mist and heavy rain. In other words a bit of everything LOL.
When there is snow up there it is the area up/down and around the waterfall that can be dangerous as its this part that has the steepest areas of rocks and the well defined path sections can also become very icy.
Alot of people that visit this stunning area and the waterfall do not understand the dangers that are here. Most people wear the wrong kind of clothes for a start - ie trainers etc. Just be sensible...!
Local Weather Via This Link. Images
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