Nestled neatly between the two glacial cwms of Bwlch Tyddiad and Cwm Nantcol, rises one of Wales’ most enigmatic, but often overlooked little mountains, Rhinog Fawr. Its origins are ancient, being of far greater antiquity than the rocks of the surrounding area. Before the Glyder, Cadair Idris and even Snowdon where thrust up by unremitting tectonic forces, the gritstone rocks of the Rhinogydd stood aloft, and although the natural courses of erosion have now worn them down to mere shadows of their former selves, they remain distinctive and immemorial characters in the Snowdonian landscape.

Although, along with its southern sister Rhinog Fach, the mountain lends its name to its home range, the Rhinogydd, Rhinog Fawr isn’t the highest mountain in the collective, this honour goes to Y Llethr, a little further south again. Despite this, Rhinog Fawr is the better known of the two, and consequently receives more traffic, albeit in Welsh terms, an almost insignificant volume.

Its slopes, which are often steep, are covered by a thick blanket of heather and rock. Paths, and other linear features, are few and far between, and anyone wishing to make a visit to the mountain should be a navigator of some competence. Rock climbing, as all things, came late to Rhinog Fawr, and it wasn’t until the final years of the 20th century that any exploration of note took place. Now, for those willing to commit to a long approach, and to accept that finding the right crag might be an endeavour in itself, there’s plenty on offer here. Plenty on offer that is, if the climber is a good one; for the crags and cragletts of the mountain are typically Spartan in character, and do not surrender their treasures as readily as those of the surrounding area.

The weather will play a major role in the success of any trip to the area. For the hiker, poor weather means having to rely heavily on the mountain’s complex and delicate topography for guidance, while for the climber, even a small amount of moisture can erase the rock of friction and render it wholly unscaleable. Timing, therefore, is key to success, and since Rhinog Fawr’s proximity to the sea means that it bears the brunt of the area’s climate, windows of opportunity are often frustratingly brief. A well timed expedition however, can reap some truly wondrous rewards.

Llun Du

Routes

Hiking

Cwm Bychan Route

The route starts on the western side of the Rhinogydd at the Cwm Bychan car park ((SH 644 313) and follows Bwlch Tyddiad and The Roman Steps up to Llyn Du, gradually gaining around 360 metres in altitude. From here the summit can be reached, either by circumventing the crags below the summit, or by a quick scramble up a short gully, to a broad terrace at around 600 metres, and then up a steep braided path to the top.

Graig Ddu-Isaf Route

The route starts on the eastern side of the Rhinogydd at the Graig Ddi-Isaf car park (SH 680 300), and weaves its way through a coniferous forest to the fore-slopes of the mountain and Bwlch Tyddiad. It then makes its way up a boggy path to Llyn Du, where it joins the previously described route on its way to the summit.

Scrambling

South Face (Grade 3)

This is Rhinog Fawr’s only lengthy scramble, and begins at the narrowest point of Bwlch Drws Ardudwy. It ascends weaknesses in three tiers of short, steep crags, before reaching a wide, level, slabby ridge. It then ascends a series of broken crags, slabs and boulders to the Rhinog Fawr’s fore-summit, where the scrambling ends, and the true summit is just a short walk away.

Rock Climbing

The climbing at Rhinog Fawr are split between a number of small, compact buttress which litter the northern and north-western slopes of the mountain.

Crags and climbs are listed from left to right, and are graded and rated with the aid of the Climbers Club Guide to Meirionnydd, so for full descriptions, please refer to these sources. Where the sources differ in their grading I have opted to list the highest quoted grade only, as I don’t want to mislead anyone about the seriousness of any of the routes. Technical grades are generally only given to climbs graded adjectivally as Hard Severe (HS) or above.

Please be aware that Rhinog Fawr is a trad climbing venue and bolting is strictly prohibited. Routes are rated using the British Adjectival Grading System. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available HERE!

Climbin info to come

Mountain Conditions

This section displays the weather forecast for Llanbedr, which is located to the west and is one of the nearest towns to Rhinog Fawr. Remember that Llanbedr sits at around sea level whereas the summit of Rhinog Fawr reaches 720m. 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

Rhinog Fawr can be climbed at anytime of the year however in poor conditions the mountain's rock routes are best avoided, particularly if the weather has been wet. March to April offer the most reliable conditions. Of course this all depends on ones ability as a mountaineer/climber, and what might be comfortable for some may seem daunting for others.

If your lucky enough to climb the mountain in winter conditions then an ice axe and crampons are essential.

Getting There

The 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 Tape

For 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

Camping

There 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.

Maps

View this map on Multimap.com
Get directions on Multimap.com

Navigation Maps

OS 1:25k Explorer Series OL 18 Harlech, Porthmadog & Bala/Y Bala
OS 1:50k Landranger Series 124 Porthmadog & Dolgellau
Harvey Map Services 1:25k Snowdonia South Rhinogs/Rhinogydd

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
The Mountains of England and Wales: Volume 1 Wales (Cicerone Guide) by John and Anne Nuttall
Hillwalking in Wales Vol 2 (Cicerone Guide) by Peter Hermon
Hillwalking in Snowdonia (Cicerone Guide) by Steve Ashton
Scrambles and Easy Climbs in Snowdonia by Steve Sparks, Tom Hutton and Gerry Rawson
Climbers Club Guide Wales: Meirionnydd by Martin Crocker, John Sumner, Terry Taylor, Elfyn Jones, with contributions from Mike Rosser, Mike Lewis and Dave Wrennall

External Links

Rhinog Fach from Cwm Nantcol (Photo by Nanuls)

Cwm Nantcol (Photo by Nanuls)

General

Snowdonia National Park Authority
Council for National Parks
Association of National Park Authorities
Conwy County Council
Gwynedd County Council
Powys County Council
Welsh Tourist Board
Mid Wales Tourism Partnership
Snowdonia Society
Local Information from Gwynedd.com
Local Information from Snowdonia Wales Net
North Wales Index
Snowdonia-Active.com
Countryside Council for Wales
Craig yr Aderyn Special Protection Area Core Management Plan and Unit Map
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
The National Trust
CADW
Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
British Mountaineering Council
The Climbers Club
Plas y Brenin National Mountain Centre
Hightreck Snowdonia

Weather

Mountain Weather Wales
Weather from the Met Office
Weather Channel UK

Travel

Welsh Public Transport Information
Uk Train Timetable

Accommodation

Youth Hostel Association in Wales

Maps and Guidebooks

Ordnance Survey
Harvey Map Services
Cicerone Guidebooks
Climbers Club Guidebooks

Welsh Language

Welsh Language Board
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg Welsh language pressure group
Cymuned Welsh language pressure group
Yr Urdd (Welsh Youth Association)
Welsh-English / English-Welsh online translator
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Dictionary
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Lexicon

Images



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