Moel Ysgyfarnod

There can be few places in Snowdonia, nay Britain, that can match the rare qualities of the northern Rhinogydd. Here the sandy shores of Cardigan Bay give way to acid grassland, blanket heather, gritstone slabs and oligotrophic lakes, and what can loosely be described as civilisation gives way to a rough but tempered wilderness. Tier upon tier of gritstone edges rise up along the hillsides, edges that would not look out of place in the Peak District of England, but are framed by the rugged outlines of Snowdon, the Eifionydd and the Moelwynion rather than the softer hills of Derbyshire. This remote corner of Snowdonia was once described by one of Wales’ most prolific Medieval writers as the “rudest and roughest district of all Wales”, and while the quarrymen and miners have now been and gone and the woods aren’t quite as dense as they once might have been, the statement remains true to this day.

Moel Ysgyfarnod (623m), which roughly translates as Bare Hill of the Hare, is the highest peak in these parts. In isolation it’s a fairly unremarkable summit, which is not to say that it lacks interest, but is arguably less spectacular than the range’s other hills. What makes so Moel Ysgyfarnod special is its position and the journey that must be undertaken to reach it. The approach, whether it be from Trawsfynydd in the east or Eisingrug in the west, must be one of the most underrated hikes in the region - there are few paths here, and consequently, even fewer visitors. Those who enjoy solitude and the freedom to pick their own line will find much to satisfy, and with every twist and turn of the landscape, this freedom is rewarded with a multitude subtle wonders.