Moel Hebog

Mountain/Rock

Moel Hebog

Page Type: Mountain/Rock

Location: Snowdonia, Wales, Europe

Lat/Lon: 53.00311°N / 4.13635°W

County: Gwynedd

Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Bouldering, Scrambling

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Elevation: 2569 ft / 783 m

Page By: Nanuls

Created/Edited: May 9, 2007 / Apr 15, 2011

Object ID: 292001

Hits: 3189

Page Score: 89.63% - 32 Votes

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Overview

Table of Contents

Overview

Rock Climbing

The Summit Cliffs

Y Diffwys

Y Braich

Winter Climbing

Mountain Conditions

When to Climb and Essential Gear

Getting There

Red Tape and Access

Camping and Accommodation

Maps

Guidebooks

External Links

Images

"On one side was midnight, on the other bright day; the whole extent of the mountain of Snowdon, on our left hand, was wrapped in clouds, from top to bottom; but on the right the sun shone most gloriously over the sea coast of Caernarvon. The hill we stood upon was perfectly clear, the way we come up a pretty easy ascent; but before us was a precipice of many hundred yards, and below, a vale, which, though not cultivated, had much savage beauty."

Lord George Lyttelton on his ascent of Moel Hebog (1756)

Moel Hebog (Hill of the Hawk/Falcon) is located just west of Snowdon, only a short walk northwest of the village of Beddgelert. Its steep rocky summit dominates the view from the village and is also an impressive part of the vista enjoyed from Snowdon's summit. In turn, on a clear day, Moel Hebog offers superb views of the Snowdon range, and an excellent position to grab a quality photograph of Wales' highest mountain.

Although the mountain appears steep and rocky from the west, its eastern flank has a much shallower gradient, rising slowly from the Dwyfor Valley, and offers a much easier ascent. Climbing the mountain is usually incorporated into a longer traverse over Moel yr Ogof (Hill of the Cave) (655m) and Moel Lefn (Smooth Hill) (638m) to the north, and even the Nantlle Ridge for those looking for a long day of walking. The former hill, Moel yr Ogof, is thought to conceal a cave where Owain Glyndwr, who led the last Welsh revolt between 1400-1415, hid after disappearing following the rebellion's failure. When approaching from the west, an easy scramble near the summit can be incorporated into the walk, and although the scramble is easy, there is a lot of loose rock and in wet weather it can be very slippery.

Moel Hebog from Beddgelert
(Photo by Bryan Benn)

The slightly uninspiring summit
(Photo by Nanuls)

Moel Lefn and Moel yr Ogof
(Photo by Nanuls)

Rock Climbing

Due to its marginal position and the vegetated and broken nature of the crag, Moel Hebog receives relatively few visits from climbers. The mountain's climbing is split between three areas – The Summit Crags, Diffwys and y Braich.

Climbs are listed, graded and rated with the aid of the Climbers’ Club Guide to Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn (Eifionydd) by Paul Jenkinson and Bob Wightman, so for full descriptions, please refer to this book.

Routes are graded using the British Adjectival Grading System. Technical grades are generally only given to climbs graded adjectivally as Severe (S) or above. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available HERE! Bolting is strictly prohibited on the crags listed here.

With the exception of Y Braich, all routes are described from left to right.

Route Symbols:

	A so-so route, neither good nor bad. Not unpleasant unless otherwise stated.
	A good route which is definitely worth a climb.
	A very good route, one of the best on the crag and well worthy of attention.
	An excellent route, one of the best in the area, and probably in Britain too.

	No Restrictions Used to indicate that there are currently no restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route.
	Restrictions Used to indicate that there are restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. See the Red Tape and Access Section for more details.

The Summit Cliffs

As the name might suggest, these rather broken crags (SH 567 467) can be found just below the summit overlooking Cwm Cyd. Legend has it that they are home to Britain's oldest climb, Glyndwr's Ladder (Easy), which was used as an escape from the perusing English by the Welsh rebel, Owain Glyndwr in around 1400.

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade
1.	Pursuer's Folly	72m	4	VD
2.	Glyndwr's Ladder	75m		E
3.	Wish I Could Be Elsewhere	45m	2	VS
4.	May Rib	46m		D

Moel Hebog
(Photo by Nanuls)

The Summit Cliffs
(Photo by Nanuls)

Moel Hebog
(Photo by Nanuls)

Y Diffwys

The east facing crags of Y Diffwys (SH 567 476) on the western side of Moel Hebog offer around 10 multi pitch routes graded from V Diff to HVS, and have a height of around 150 metres. Unfortunately the crag is heavily vegetated and hard to access.

Y Diffwys

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
5.	Omega	105m		D
6.	Bending Groove	135m		VD
7.	Anaconda	115m		VD
8.	Caterpillar	115m		VD
9.	Lodestone	90m		D
10.	Tension Crack	80m	4	S
11.	Compression	130m	3	VS
12.	Ignition	102m	4	VS
13.	Redog	58m	2	HVS	5a
14.	Flashback	61m	2	HVS	5a
15.	Chinaman	126m	3	VD
16.	Maiden Gully	130m	5	S
17.	Maiden Buttress	135m	6	D
18.	Pink Slab	120m		S
19.	Two Chimney Route	90m		VD
20.	Explorers' Traverse	175m	8	D

The Rock of Ages

This little crag lies just below Y Diffwys on the northern slope of Cwm Bleiddiaid. It is home to some excellent rock which reaches around 12 metres at its maximum. It is split at its centre by an obvious chimney, which can be climbed at Diff standards. Other routes, all of which are single pitch, include Terry's Rump (E1 5b), The Handcrack (VS 4c), The Wall (VS 4c) and the Fingercrack (HVS 5b).

Moel Hebog
(Photo by Nanuls)

Afon Colwyn
(Photo by Nanuls)

Moel Hebog
(Photo by Nanuls)

Y Braich

The crags of Y Braich (SH 567 483) lie on the north-western side of a ridge also known as Y Braich, which runs north-east from Moel Hebog's summit. It's low altitude and good drainage make it an ideal wet weather venue.

Routes are described from right to left.

Y Braich

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
21.	Deaf School	23m	1	S
22.	Buzzard Groove	23m	1	VD
23.	Natty Dread	23m	1	S
24.	Birth of Gravity	23m	1	HVS	5a
25.	No More Gain	23m	1	HVS	5a
26.	Not Taylor Made	23m	1	E2	5c
27.	Wild Wind	23m	1	S
28.	Talaq Talaq Talaq	14m	1	E1	5b
29.	Tropical Rain Rib	14m	1	VS	4b
30.	Dark Summer	23m	1	HVS	5a
31.	Song for a Taylor	21m	1	S	4a
32.	Spectrum	21m	1	S	4a

Y Braich Bach

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
33.	No More Flaying	13m	1	VS	4c
34.	no More Slaying	13m	1	VS	5a
35.	Ni Ydy'r Indians	13m	1	E1	5b
36.	Fair and Squaw	13m	1	VS	4c
37.	Tomahawk	13m	1	VS	4c
38.	Ar y Drwm	13m	1	HVS	5b
39.	No More Playing	13m	1	VS	4c
40.	More to Gain	13m	1	VS	5a

Winter Climbing

Moel Hebog currently only has one winter line of any note, located on Y Diffwys.

Companion's Way is a Grade II, steep rake that runs around 100m from left to right across the centre of the crag. Descent can be achieved easily at the southern end of the crag, although to be fair, your better off carrying on to the mountain's summit.

For more information see Cicerone's Welsh Winter Climbs by Malcolm Campbell and Andy Newton.

Mountain Conditions

This colourful little box below displays the weather forecast for Beddgelert, which is located just to the south-east of Moel Hebog. Remember that Beddgelert is situated at around sea level, while the mountain's summit reaches 783 metres. This means that when looking at temperature the adiabatic lapse rate must be taken into account which in Wales is a drop in temperature of between 0.5 and 1°C per 100m in altitude. Exposure and wind speed can also significantly lower temperatures.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar | Hurricane Center

When to Climb and Essential Gear

The most reliable conditions are in the summer. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. A hike will require all the gear normally require for a hike in Wales, remember this Snowdonia so be sure to pack full waterproofs. Easier scrambles and rock routes will only require a moderate rack, while longer harder routes will require a full rack with a good compliment of cams. A singe 60 metre rope should serve well on most routes, however, twin or double ropes would be a wise choice for the harder stuff.

Getting There

Moel Hebog (SH 559 533) can be reached from the A4085, which runs between Caernarfon to Penrhynddeudraeth; parking is available at Beddgelert (SH 590 481) and Rhyd-Ddu (SH 571 525). Rhyd-Ddu can also be reached on the Welsh Highland Railway, which is a steam train that runs from Caernarfon. The railway has now been extended from Rhyd-Ddu to Porthmadog with stations at Beddgelert, which is very handy for getting to the bases of both Moel Hebog and Snowdon.

Red Tape and Access

No red tape here!

Although unlikely it's worth checking the countryside access map provided by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) regarding whether or not any restrictions on movement in the area are in place.

Countryside Access Map

For climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking.

Regional Access Database

If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones.

From Snowdon
(Photo by Bryan Benn)

Moel Hebog
(Photo by Nanuls)

Camping and Accommodation

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Snowdonia National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales

Independent Hostel Guide

Campsites in Gwynedd

There are a number of YHA hostels in the area, the nearest of which is the Snowdon Ranger in Rhyd Ddu. The Plas y Brenin National Mountain Centre in Capel Curig also has a bunkhouse, and its own indoor climbing wall if you’re still feeing energetic after your day in the mountains.

Another great local option is the perfectly located Forestry Commission campsite in Beddgelert Forest.

Maps

Open Space Web-Map builder Code

Navigation Maps

OS 1:25k Explorer Series OL 17 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa

OS 1:50k Landranger Series 115 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa

Harvey Map Services 1:25k Snowdonia: Snowdonia The Glyderau and the Carneddau

Harvey Map Services/BMC 1: 40k British Mountain Map: Snowdonia

Road Maps

OS Road Map 9 Wales/Cymru & West Midlands

Guidebooks

	Snowdonia (Official National Park Guide) by Merfyn Williams with contributions from Ian Mercer and Jeremy Moore A handy book full of useful information and interesting facts about the National Park.
	Cicerone Guide: The Mountains of England and Wales: Vol 1 Wales by John and Ann Nuttall A classic book covering the Welsh ‘Nuttalls’, which obviously include the Eifionydd.
	Cicerone Guide: Hillwalking in Wales Vol 2 by Peter Hermon The second of two guidebooks describing walking routes up every 2000-footer in Wales – covers the Moelwyns to the Tarrenydd and includes the Eifionydd.

	Cicerone Guide: Hillwalking in Snowdonia by Steve Ashton A guidebook to nearly 70 hillwalking routes throughout Snowdonia, including the Eifonydd.
	Climbers' Club Guides to Wales: Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn (Eifionydd) by Paul Jenkinson and Bob Wightman A comprehensive guide to the crags of the Nantlle and Cwellyn area. A very nice piece of work.
	Cicerone Guide: Welsh Winter Climbs by Malcom Campbell and Andy Newton The only dedicated winter climbing guide to Wales. A bit dated now but nevertheless still relevant. The only problem is finding the right conditions.