Rhinogs/Rhinogydd

The area has remarkably little in the way of an industrial archaeological heritage and there has been very little industrial activity in the past that has left a mark on the landscape. Probably the most significant in landscape terms are the Hafoty manganese mines, but there are also fairly extensive workings around Llyn Eiddew-mawr and further north, on the east slopes of Y Gyrn. There are also the remains of shafts and levels above Coed Crafnant, and on the lower, northern slopes of Moelfre where there are the relatively extensive remains of Moelfre mine along the contour near the modern road and one or two other places.

Although due to more intensive farming practices the valleys of Cwm Bychan and Cwm Nantcol contain relatively little prehistoric evidence, there are a number of features dating from the medieval period. The important, sub-medieval house of Maesygarnedd dominates the end of the Nantcol Valley and is associated with John Jones (1597?-1660), who was the brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell and one of the signatories of the death warrant of Charles I.

Cwm Bychan also has a fine example of a sub-medieval, two-unit storied house, which is recorded as one of the homes of the patrons of the bards and thus was one of the principal houses of Ardudwy at that time. Further down the valley are a few scattered farmsteads (e.g. Dolwreiddiog, Cwm-yr-afon, Crafnant and Hen Dolbebin) which date from the 17th to 19th centuries. All along the upland area and valleys there are stonewalls built during the 17th to19th centuries and are the most visible aspect of the Rhinogydd’s archaeological history.

In the 19th century the emphasis on building appears to have shifted in favour of, first, a village-based followed by a coastal/leisure economy, still largely based around the 19th century village nuclei. Thus the uplands were largely abandoned. This pattern is still very much in evidence today.

For those in search of wilderness, there can be few better places to walk in Snowdonia than the Rhinogydd. Miles upon miles of heather and rock, rarely touched by the hiker or the farmer, undulate rhythmically from the Mawddach to the Glaslyn, ripe for exploration. One must be a competent navigator to enter here though, there are few paths and those that exist don’t necessarily go where you want them to. It’s worth noting therefore, that when estimating the time it will take to complete route, that your probably going to be wrong; everything takes longer in the Rhinogydd.

The area is too vast to be recommending specific walks in a section such as this, however there are a number of objectives that are worth highlighting. It goes without saying, that both Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr are a must for the first time visitor. Both have good trails, with reasonably clear paths, leading to them. They also tend to be busier than other parts of the range and getting lost is less of a risk. While higher, Y Llethr and Diffwys are of less interest, but do give superb views of their northern neighbours and the scenery across the Mawddach to the South. They are perhaps worth a look, if only for tick of the logbook.

In the far north, Moel Ysgyfarnod and Foel Penolau give some superb wild walks, where the chances of meeting another person are slim to none. The view from the summits of these mountains affords a sweeping panorama of northern Snowdonia that shouldn’t be missed, encompassing the peaks of the Eifionydd, Snowdon Group and Moelwynion to name but a few. For those looking for a slightly different view of the range, Y Garn, which is separate from the main Rhinog ridge, is well worth a look. It offers some interesting views across to Diffwys, Y Llethr and Rhinog Fach and a vista to the east and south that includes Yr Aran and Cadair Idris.

This leaves the centre and peripheries, which are devoid of major summits, to explore. A walk in the central Rhinogydd, starting and ending at Llyn Bychan, is one of the range’s highlights. It takes the hiker on a voyage through one of the wildest and least visited parts of Wales, over heather and ancient ice-polished slabs, past lakes and through canyons and over streams and around bogs; and all this without the aid of proper paths or trails and without the distraction of other visitors. It is the quintessential Rhinog experience.

For those looking for some specific suggestions, it is recommended that you consult one of the many fine guidebooks available for the area, the details for some of which are provided in the Guidebooks section of this page.

Rock Climbing

Despite the range’s first recorded ascent taking place way back in 1932 (South Ridge of Rhinog Fach, 172m, Severe) and it being well within the line of site of that Snowdonia favourite, Tremadog, little interest was shown in exploring the Rhinogydd until relatively recently. Over the last couple of decades however, a small group of dedicated enthusiasts have combed their way over the range’s crags to produce a sizeable portfolio of mostly quite hard grit climbs. It’s certain though, that this exploration has only just touched the surface of what’s on offer.

Currently, there are only a handful of climbing guides to the area. The most comprehensive of these is the Climbers’ Club Guide to Wales: Meirionnydd (2002) by Martin Crocker, John Sumner, Terry Taylor, Elfyn Jones, with contributions from Mike Rosser, Mike Lewis and Dave Wrennall. The guide covers the Rhinogydd and the rest of southern Snowdonia, namely Yr Aran (with Cwm Cywarch), Y Berwynion, and Cadair Idris - along with Y Moelwynion (including Cwm Lledr and Betws-y-coed crags), and the recent intensive development of Arenig Fawr.

Local climber Terry Taylor, who contributed the Rhinog section to the above book and was responsible for much of the area’s exploration, also maintains the website www.midwalesclimbing.com, which provides info on recent updates in the area. A free pdf providing details of new routes climbed between 2002 and 2009 can be downloaded from this and the Climbers’ Club’s website… or you could just download it here.

Another good guidebook comes in the form of Cicerone Press’ The Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland (2009) by Dan Bailey. Obviously this guide is not exclusive to the Rhinogydd, but does contain a lavishly illustrated description of Rhinog Fach’s South Ridge; it’s a good choice if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time climbing in Meirionnydd, like ridges and don’t mind traveling about a bit.

Craig y Gwynt

The most northerly crag of the range, Craig y Gwynt faces west and benefits from a sunny disposition. Short and ideal for the soloist (saves carrying gear a long distance), it is home to a number of routes that range in difficulty from D to E3 5c.

Moel y Gyfrafolen

The northernmost summit of the Rhinogydd is littered with many minor edges, only two of which yield any routes. Craig Fawr has routes ranging from VS 4c to E2 6a, while the smaller Bwlch Diffwys is home to routes of D to E3 6a.

Foel Penolau

Despite being a relatively well known summit, rock climbing did not arrive at Foel Penolau until 1997; since then a handful of good quality routes have been recorded on its southern side. This is wilderness climbing at its very best and if you want to climb here you will need to make the not inconsiderable effort to drag your gear many miles to experience it. Those that do will find excellent, steep and quick drying rock, which boasts some of the best views in Snowdonia. There’s little for the novice here though, with the easiest route coming in at a respectable Very Severe 4b. Get the most out of your visit by combining your trip with stops off at the crags of Moel Ysgyfarnod or Craig y Gwynt.

Moel Ysgyfarnod

Exploration of the area around Moel Ysgyfarnod did not take off until after 2002 (consequently it is not described in the 2002 Climbers’ Club guide), but it has now arrived, though given the area’s complexity one may find it hard to find the established routes. The climbing is split between a number of small compact buttresses, which surround the peak, namely the South West Escarpment, the Main Wall, the Minus Seven Wall, the Llyn Du Crag and the Llyn Corn-Yswc Crag. For those completely confused by this area, a better option might be to pick your own section of rock and establish your own lines - effectively, this is still virgin territory and much remains to be explored.

Clip

Set above Cwm Bychan, Clip is perhaps the most viewed hill of the northern Rhinogydd. It comprises of several tiered crags, which yield a number of short routes and are known as levels. Level One is perhaps the least inspiring of the levels, being home to somewhat poor rock. Level Two, is also of minimal interest and is probably best passed on the way to the upper levels. Level Three is the tallest of the crags and is also the best. Eclipse (E2 5c) and Min y Aur (E3 6a), have the potential to be hard grit classics. Level Four can be split into east and west faces and gives three good crack lines, which are worth a look if you can be bothered to walk that far.

Crags of the Central Rhinogydd

The area between Bwlch Gwilym and Bwlch Tyddiad in the south is one of the wildest, least visited parts of the range. Scattered throughout are numerous small crags, which while being troublesome to reach, offer something sublimely unique to those with the tenacity to find them.

The furthest north of these crags are those of Craig Swn y Nant and Craig Wion. Both these areas offer nothing over 18 metres in height, but both have a good number of routes, ranging in difficulty from Very Difficult to E6 6b.

Running through the centre of this area is an open valley that drains the west side of this part of the range before running westwards into Llyn Cwm Bychan. The remainder of the crags are to the south of this. The valley itself is home to a number great little crags including Clogwyn Spot, Mur Cyddiedig, Craig Smiedde, Two Towered Buttress, Mur y Tonnau and Ysgor Gwyn. Routes range from Difficult to E5 6a/b, with Mur Cuddiedig having the greatest number of easy to mid grade routes.

Much further into the range one will find Craig y Groes, an excellent, clean and remote crag that has a good range of routes for the mid to high end climber. The routes are split between two crags known as The Canyon and Isolated Buttress. Highlights include Paradox Squad (E5 6a) and Foggy Dew (E1 5b). Nearby, one will also find Lefn Fan and Crawcwellt Forest Crag, which have fewer routes and are of less interest.

Further south, just a short walk from Bwlch Tyddiad, is a beautiful little lake known as Llyn Morwynion. Along its eastern shores a series of north facing walls called Carreg y Morwynion, contain a number of routes following the natural features of the crags, some of which are as hard as E6 6b. Further north is the Y Clawdd, classic leaning wall again facing northwards with immaculate compact grit, with routes ranging in difficulty from E1 5b to E5 6a. Check out Gawr (E3 6a), Gwyllt (E4 6b) and Gwen (E5 6a). To the east of the lake is another good crag, Y Grisiau, which is home to a number of good, hard routes including the superb Wilderness Grit (E3 6a).

Rhinog Fawr

The climbing at Rhinog Fawr is split between a number of small, compact buttress, which litter the north and north-western slopes of the mountain. Many of these crags can prove quite hard to find, but those who make the effort will be rewarded with a number of superb routes on pleasant, clean and compact grit. Of particular note are the routes at Min Pistyll, a pleasantly situated and surprisingly easily located crag in the little valley that spills forth from Llyn Du. The line of note is Emilya (E2 5c), which has all the makings of a micro classic but none of the traffic.

The crags that surround Llyn Du also offer a high concentration of starred routes. Llechau Mawr, which are the slabs and crags above the aforementioned lake are home to a number of these, with Martin Crocker’s Rock Steady (E3 5c) being the pick of the crop. The 15m high crag of Uwch y llyn, which is located behind the western end of the lake, a little way up Rhinog Fawr's slopes, also stands out, the best route being the bold and beautiful Mur y Llyn (E1 5a).

Rhinog Fawr’s South Face also boasts the Rhinogydd’s only scrambling route, which comes in at Grade 3 and ascends a series of broken crags, slabs and boulders to the mountain’s fore-summit, where the scrambling ends, and the true summit is just a short walk away.