UKC

Dduallt is, perhaps, the most arcane of all North Wales’ mountains. It exists in isolation, separated from its nearest neighbours by dense forestry and obscure valleys, and defended on all sides by punishing, pathless miles of bog and tussock. Among those with first hand experience of the mountain, the consensus is unanimous; “Hope for the best, beware the forest”. One to leave well alone, you might think, but Nuttall and Hewitt baggers are duty bound to go toe to toe with this implacable hogsback, and in doing so will come away with a grudging respect, having endured a brief but arduous tussle. Those who make the effort can look forward to a sense of remoteness unmatched anywhere else in the national park. And the views? Connoisseurs and masochists will tell you all you need to know.

6.59 miles, 10.60 km, 479m ascent, 4 – 5 hours. Dolgellau

Read more

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

Uncanny - I've been planning this approach for years, combined with bashing through the forest to link up with Rhobell Fawr, and did it last week. Both good summits  and a great day out, if you don't mind some gritty hardship. The forest is hard graft, but not really boggy, while the descent from Rhobell Fawr skirting the edge of the forest (as described in the Nuttalls' Wales book) is best described as a knackering swamp. Bloody awful. Didn't see a soul, except in sheep form.

In reply to John H Bull:

Fantastic stuff, John! I'm not surprised that you had the place to yourself as that has been my experience on several visits to both hills.

I'm currently writing a new guidebook to North Wales' 2000ft peaks and will definitely be pinching  "Gritty hardship"...very apt for some of our lesser trodden hills!

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

Wonderful description of a favourite route of mine - a mountain to savour, with a surprisingly dramatic east face. Certainly hard going, but a hard frost or a period of drought make things a bit easier. Solitude guaranteed. (or was, damn you Livesey! 😉)

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

Sorry, Myfyr!

However, I can't see too many folk ever taking to Dduallt's slopes or tackling Daear Sinc...a hard winter would be nice!

More fool them, it's a fine mountain

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

Imagine living at Griafolen (SH809305...ish) in the 1890s. Their descendants still farm in the upper Mawddach valley.

In reply to Myfyr Tomos:

I find it very difficult to imagine what life might have been like in such a remote spot 130 years ago. Very simple, no doubt, but hard at times and how did the young folk of the farm meet potential suitors?

In between my cottage (the oldest in Capel, or so I have been told) and Dolwyddelan lie several old settlements and I often wonder how they lived as I roam around.

What a storied land we live in.

In reply to Nicholas Livesey: Excellent, did this route on a very wet November birthday outing a few years back, which was entertaining, we wimped out on adding in Rhobell fawr as well. Was there not some feud between the various families in Cwm Hasgen at some point (can't remember which book I read and it may have been another valley - Welsh hill farmers do like a good multi generational feud!). 

The old farmsteads on the tops must have been a tough place to be - there's a memorial plaque to the shepherd at Hyddgen (north of Pumlumon) that got caught out in a snow storm on his way home from Machynlleth. What fascinates me is how these places at watersheds also act as a mixing spot - somewhere like Griafolen is equi-distant(ish) from Bala, Trawsfynydd and Dolgellau, so did the family mix between the three, depending on where the best prices for sheep were available? It's surprising how quickly you can cover ground on a hill pony - ask Shan A about her uncles out back of Tregaron who'd think nothing of a 20mile round trip to the pub - at least the pony had autopilot on the way home, as opposed to a Land Rover

Looking forward to the book, best f luck with it.

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

I was intrigued enough to look at this on Google Earth .... which seems to show extensive tree clearing - is this the 'unappealing landscape' referred to?

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

Go on, I'll let you have it. Enjoying your articles and route cards, looking forward to the book!

In reply to Nicholas Livesey:

I approached it from the east,  as my main reason for going is the source of the River Dee is on its lower slopes.

Bloody hell it was tough going,  wet, boggy,  inhospitable and saw no-one.

Loved it!!!