UKC

Hi all,

going for a walk in the southern Carneddau from Ogwen next week, what would you recommend if I want to continue a bit after Carnedd Llewelyn: Yr Elen or Foel Grach? Which would be more "interesting", mostly for the views?

In reply to drolex:

I reckon Yr Elen is the more interesting of the two. Are you planning to finish up at Ogwen too? One possibility is to descend S from Yr Elen into Cwmglas Mawr, and then go up the Crib Lem ridge (good easy scramble) back onto Carnedd Dafydd.

In reply to Mark Bull:

Yes I will go back to Ogwen. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a look.

In reply to drolex:

Yr Elen. An interesting top and it gives good views back to the main Carneddau ridge. Foel Grach is a bit of a nothingy sort of summit.

In reply to drolex:

Neither. I would circle round over Craig yr Ysfa, and back down via the little surfaced track from the reservoir.

In reply to altirando:

this is what id do too

In reply to altirando:


I find the surfaced track really boring, much more pleasant to continue over Pen yr Helgi Du.

In reply to drolex: yr elen by a long way.. I'd do the horseshoe.. Or ideally add in lech ddu scramble on dafydd too.. Then Llewelyn then yr elen..

In reply to drolex:

Start from Gerlan, follow the marked track running above the N bank of Afon Caseg, heading for Ffynnon Caseg. An intimate little cwm gives access to the shaly E ridge of Yr Elen. That way you get the sudden panorama of Crib Lem and crew at the summit.
Head back to Gerlan NW from Pen yr Ole Wen. The descent is a bit dull, but the views across the Nant Ffrancon from Braich Ty Du and further along past Ty'n y Maes are worth it.
Scrub all that if the clag's down.

In reply to drolex:

Yr Elen is a great isolated viewpoint but a bit of a dead end - but the traverse there and back only takes a few minutes. Foel Grach is frankly a bit of a lump. Next time i'm up there I'm going to go off over Pen yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig y Wrach - they look interesting and should give great views north and south.

In reply to drolex:

Wow, thanks all for the great suggestions, I will try to make a mix of all these. Maybe going anticlockwise starting by Pen yr Helgi Du so I can include Crib Lem. Does that make sense? It seems the classic way to go is clockwise from Pen yr Ole Wen and back through Pen yr Helgi Du at the end.

Anyway there is enough here for a few more days walk. Can't complain about that.

In reply to drolex:

Starting up Pen yr Helgi Du makes sense, and finishing over Pen yr Ole Wen. If you did drop down to include Crib Lem that would certainly be a good length day.