Arans, Day 1 - Foel Hafod Fynydd, Llechwedd Du, Esgeiriau Gwinion and Foel Rhudd (Dinas Mawddwy).

Updated: Oct 3, 2020

25.6.2018 - Day 1/4 Snowdonia - Eastern Arans

Foel Hafod Fynydd 689m, Llechwedd Du 614m, Esgeiriau Gwinion 671m and Foel Rhudd 659m.

Well I had decided to spend four days in the Dinas Mawddwy area near Dolgellau in North Wales to tick off a few Nuttalls. The main reason being the weather was at its best at around 28c with sky blue days.

This first day saw me parking at the small car park at Bwlch Y Groes. This is a majestic setting on a narrow mountain pass (Bwlch) road between Bala and Dinas Mawddwy. Having a late start due to travelling I headed off west across what normally would be soggy peak bogs. With the weather it was still wet and hard going but nothing like the quagmire it would resemble in winter.

It was a 2.5km slog west to the indistinct but pretty summit of Llechwedd Du (614m) but now was the steep down/up hill 2.5km section to Foel Hafod Fynydd (689m). Steep it was too, with a 200m down section and 200m of ascent but the unfolding panorama of the whole Aran ridge was just breathtaking in the glorious blue sky. Having arrived here I soon made off on another equally steep down/up hill 2.5km section heading north to Esgeiriau Gwinion (671m) following a fence. The views were stunning all the way and the weather blistering hot.

On arriving at Esgeiriau I did a short (less than a km) out and back leg to tick off Foel Rhudd (659m) and then headed off south on the four odd km’s or so back to the car park. After about 2km heading south I joined the route I came in on and after some more peat bashing heading east I was back at the car park still basking in the evening sunshine having thoroughly enjoyed a marvellous solitary day out on the welsh hills with no one in sight. Better still I could not have wished for better views, simply stunning!

Route summary: A mixture of sheep trails, poor trails or no trails at all. Over and through peat bogs and banks at the start and finish and in between steep up and down terrain with at least one river crossing (fine at this time of year).

All in all 13kms in 4hrs 30mins with 566m of ascent.

GPX files: For gpx files go to the Peakbagger website by following this link and go to the bottom right hand of the page and click ‘Download this GPS track as a GPX file.’