Best time to go
Pick a clear, settled day so the panorama is actually there when you arrive. Early morning generally gives better light and a quieter start.
Overview
About Moel Siabod
Why stop
- Wide views across Yr Wyddfa, Tryfan and the Glyderau
- Varied outing with waterfalls, quarry ruins and a mountain lake
Heads up
- Exposed, windy upper mountain with slippery rock after rain
- Daear Ddu adds sustained scrambling and real commitment
Map
Where it is
Loading the Eryri map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
Access and route context
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Eryri Tour Guide
Your drive to Moel Siabod, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Eryri National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Moel Siabod from Bryn Glo0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching the Bryn Glo start for Moel Siabod, a proper mountain day above the old slate workings.”
Plays as you drive up to Moel Siabod in the Parkwolf Eryri Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Everest Began Here, Too
- Llynnau Mymbyr and the mountain reflection
- Dolwyddelan Castle
- The Mountain Blackbird
- 298 audio storiesacross Eryri’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grey Heron, Tawny Owl, Common Raven, and 9 more
- Works offlinemaps, 120 trails, 82 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Moel Siabod
Why make the climbAt 872 metres, this is the highest point of the Moelwynion, and it sits in an unusually good…
At 872 metres, this is the highest point of the Moelwynion, and it sits in an unusually good spot for views. From the top you look across to Yr Wyddfa, Tryfan and the Glyderau, with ranges stacking up in almost every direction on a clear day. It is a serious mountain day that is generally quieter than the headline peaks nearby, so the summit often feels earned rather than shared.
What you see on the way upCyfyng Falls early on, where the river drops through rock close to the start of the walk.
- Cyfyng Falls early on, where the river drops through rock close to the start of the walk.
- Old slate quarry workings and ruins, a reminder of how hard this landscape was once worked.
- Llyn y Foel, a lake held in a rocky bowl below the summit ridge, and the natural place to pause before the final climb.
- A trig pillar and a stone shelter/windbreak on top, which is where most people eat lunch and hide from the wind.
Two ways to the topThe classic circuit is roughly 9 to 10 km (about 6 miles) with somewhere around 750 to 800 m of…
The classic circuit is roughly 9 to 10 km (about 6 miles) with somewhere around 750 to 800 m of ascent, typically 4 to 5 hours at a steady pace. Times and distances shift depending on the start point and line you take.
- The easier line: avoids hands-on scrambling and is the sensible choice for most fit hill walkers. It is still steep and rough in places, with loose and rocky ground.
- Daear Ddu ridge: a sustained Grade 1 scramble along the rocky edge above Llyn y Foel. It is a genuine step up in commitment, with exposure and a need for steady movement on rock. Choose it only if you are comfortable using your hands and happy with heights.
PreparationProper hill-walking gear: boots with grip, waterproofs, warm layers, food and plenty of water.
- Proper hill-walking gear: boots with grip, waterproofs, warm layers, food and plenty of water.
- Map, compass and the skills to use them, since cloud can sit on the summit plateau and the ground is rocky and featureless in poor visibility.
- Winter conditions may require specialist equipment and experience, and the scramble becomes a much bigger undertaking.
- Take care where boulders are stacked, as there are gaps and holes between rocks on parts of the upper mountain.
Honest drawbacksThe upper mountain is very exposed and can be seriously windy, with rock that turns slippery…
- The upper mountain is very exposed and can be seriously windy, with rock that turns slippery when wet.
- The scramble line is demanding and not suitable for inexperienced walkers or most dogs.
- The ascent is steep and rough in places, with awkward footing on boulder ground near the top.
- There are no services at the summit, so carry what you need for the whole outing.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Eryri
77 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTawny OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
32 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
21 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
18 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
161 sightingsViviparous LizardMost seen around 10 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Eryri. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
