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| Rhinog Fawr   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: Snowdonia, Wales, Europe Lat/Lon: 52.84073°N / 3.99508°W County: Gwynedd Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Bouldering, Scrambling Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter Elevation: 2362 ft / 720 m | Page By: Nanuls Created/Edited: Apr 25, 2007 / Dec 11, 2008 Object ID: 288362 Hits: 1533 Loading... Page Score: 89.6% - 21 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
Rhinog Fawr (720 Ordnance datum) is the third highest mountain in the Rhinog Range, and is nestled between two glacial cwms, Bwlch Tyddiad and Cwm Nantcol. The mountain can be climbed from either valley with most people opting for the northern route. Although it may not be among the biggest mountains in Wales, its steep rocky sides give it the impression of being much larger and climbing it can be a complete joy.
The northern route starts at the Cwm Bychan car park (150m OD) (SH 644 313) and follows Bwlch Tyddiad and The Roman Steps up to Llyn Du (510m OD), gradually gaining around 360m in altitude. From here the summit can be reached, by climbing another 210m, either by circumventing the crags below the summit, or by a quick scramble up a short gully.
The southern route starts at Maes-y-Garnedd car park (190m OD)(SH 641 269) and heads up, in a gradual climb up Cwm Nantcol towards Bwlch Drws-Ardudwy (360m OD). Here the route turns north towards the summit, covering a mixture of rock and heather with scrambling up to grade 1. In poor weather navigation and route finding can become very difficult, and for those with limited navigational skills this can become a big problem.
Llun Du |
Essential GearSummer: all that is needed is the standard gear - a good pair of boots, water proofs etc.
Winter: Under snowy conditions the addition of an ice axe and crampons is requiered, and if attempting a scramble a rope and helmet is also advisable.Getting ThereThe Cwm Bychan (SH 644 313) and Maes-Garnedd (SH 641 269) car parks can be reached easily from the A496 which runs runs along the coast from Llanulltyd near Dolgellau in the south to Blaenau Ffestiniog in the north.
There is also parking available at Graigddu-Isaf (SH 680 300) on the eastern side of the mountains, which can be reached after from the junction (SH 711 307) just south of Bronaber on the A470.
The area can also be reached by rail, however getting from the stations to the mountains themselves can be difficult as public transport is pretty infrequent and hitching can be a nightmare.
Red TapeFor the most part there is no red tape, however if you intend to start at Graigddu-Isaf (SH 680 300) and walk through the forest to Bwlch Tyddiad then before setting out it is worth checking if any felling is going on as restrictions on access will be enforced on the affected area. Although For this purpose there is a countryside access map on the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) website.
Countryside Access Map
CampingThere are a number of campsites that surround the range, the best situated, but also most basic is a campsite at Cwm Bychan (SH 644 313) in the heart of the mountains and in easy distance from both Rhinog Fawr and Fach. Other nearby campsites can be found at Cae Gwyn Farm (SH 713 297) to the east of the range, and Merthyr Farm (SH 600 319) to the west.
Campsites, hostels, hotels and B&Bs can also be found at all of the larger neaby towns e.g. Porthmadog, Harlech, Dolgellau, and Barmouth; as well as in some smaller villages along the coast e.g. Dyffryn Ardudwy, Llanbedr and Coed Ystymgwern.
MapsGuidebooksSnowdonia (Official National Park Guide) by Merfyn Williams
The Mountains of England and Wales: Volume 1 Wales (Cicerone Guide) by John and Anne Nuttall
Hillwalking in Wales Vol 1 (Cicerone Guide) by Peter Hermon
Hillwalking in Wales Vol 2(Cicerone Guide) by Peter Hermon
Hillwalking in Snowdonia (Cicerone Guide) by Steve Ashton
Ridges of Snowdonia (Cicerone Guide) by Steve Ashton
Scrambles in Snowdonia (Cicerone Guide) by Steve Ashton
Climbers Club Guide Wales: Meirionnydd
Welsh Winter Climbs (Cicerone Guide) by Malcolm Campbell and Andy NewtonExternal LinksGeneral
Snowdonia National Park Authority
Gwynedd County Council
Local Information from Gwynedd.com
Local Information from Snowdonia Wales Net
Countryside Council for Wales
The National Trust
CADW
Rhinog SAC
Weather
Mountain Weather Wales
Weather from the Met Office
Weather Channel UK
Travel
Welsh Public Transport Information
Uk Train Timetable
Accomodation
Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Maps and Guidebooks
Ordnance Survey
Harvey Map Services
Cicerone Guidebooks Images
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