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Llyn Crafnant Walk from Capel Curig

By Dave Roberts   

on August 19, 2016    5/5 (1)

Llyn Crafnant Walk from Capel Curig

Route Essentials

Route Summary

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

11.83 km

Ascent

463 m

Time

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Difficulty

Moderate Walk

Hazards

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Snowdonia Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Llyn Crafnant Walk from Capel Curig Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Llyn Crafnant Walk from Capel Curig

This is a shorter version of the Llyn Crafnant and Geirionnydd Walk from Capel Curig that takes a short cut by crossing the high land between the two lakes directly.  You can easily add Llyn Crafnant to the walk, adding a few more kms to the route.

We think makes an excellent trail run, with a few ups and downs to test those legs. It’s only the ascent to cross Mynydd Deulyn that might necessitate a fast walk, with the rest of the hills being reasonably runnable by a fit trail runner.

1 Start the walk at the Pinnacle Stores (limited parking behind), cross the road and the stile next to the old chapel. Follow the path uphill, where it becomes clearer and easy to follow. The path continues through woodland before joining the junction with the Bryntyrch path.

1b Alternatively, start at Bryntyrch pub, following the path through the farmyard and keeping left to find the path through the field, avoiding the campsite. Follow the way marked path right, uphill, to join the route below where you need to take the path right.

2 Keep left and continue through the woodland to emerge at the footbridge. After crossing, take the fainter path left, you’ll be returning on the other one. This path is largely good, and straightforward to follow up to the bwlch, with views across the boggy cwm towards the crags of Crimpiau.

3 From the bwlch, descend the steep path, which zig zags past the worst obstacles, to bring you to Blaen y Nant. The views down and across Creigiau Gleision’s cliffs are the highlight of the route, and somewhere along this path makes a good point to stop for a break. Clogwyn yr Eryr, directly ahead, hints that this was the haunt of eagles in the distant past.

4 From Blaen y Nant, you could take the path to the left and walk around Llyn Crafnant for a longer walk, but we chose to follow an old route over Mynydd Deulyn. Follow the road right until you reach the old chapel and the phone box (remember them?).

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5 Take the footpath right into the forest, which climbs steeply in the first instance, but relents soon after. It’s well way marked with blue boots, and feels like it was an ancient route across these hills before being hidden away in a plantation. It’s an excellent track, and a pleasure to walk along, though the views are non-existent.

6 Eventually, this path descends slightly to join the forestry road, where you need to follow it right, ignoring the blue boot way markers. Keep right, and follow the track across a cattle grid, and slog it out for around a kilometre to arrive at Llyn Bychan.

7 Continue along the forestry track, ignoring the junctions to your left (though you could take the first to visit Llyn Goddionduon, and keep an eye out for a hidden right hand turning after 1km. This section is currently being felled, so care is needed to avoid machinery. We’d intended to descend directly to Ty Hyll from here, but couldn’t get the attention of the workers.

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8 The first section is along more forestry tracks, but at least there’s interest as the track looks across the valley and is overlooked by high crags. The further you walk, the more mixed the woodland becomes, before eventually becoming a pleasant forestry track.

9 The track comes to an end at a wall, and the start of the final section. The views for this final section will re-invigorate any tiredness as the vista across from Siabod to Yr Wyddfa and the Glyderau never fails to impress. Of course, it was misty today, but still an impressive view.

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The path continues as a sunken track through a field, before you cross another stile and a recently built path is joined. This replaces what was a rather boggy end to this walk, and while the path is stark at the moment, will fade soon enough. It’s still better than the many eroded paths that previously threaded across the boggy section and will lead to reduced erosion.

10 The good path soon brings you back at the footbridge you crossed in Step 2 above, where you can retrace your steps to the start. Of course, you can also take the left hand path  to the Bryn Tyrch for refreshments, or find one of the many footpath to descend further east on the A5 to visit some of the other pubs and cafes.

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Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

Route Start Location:

Distance
Ascent
Time
11.83 km 463 m

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: Moderate Walk

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

Check out the businesses nearby for more places to stay and drink.

Hazards

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking :

Public Transport:

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Snowdonia Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps

Guidebooks:

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Dave Roberts

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