Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe

From the road end the loop climbs Pen Llithrig y Wrach (799 m), continues to Pen yr Helgi Du (833 m), then rises to Carnedd Llywelyn (1,064 m) before descending toward Llyn Melynllyn and returning on the Melynllyn Quarry Road. Expect a hard, full-day outing with roughly 1,100 m of ascent and a realistic time of about 8 hours, with around 7 to 8 hours of moving time for fit walkers.

Underfoot you get rugged paths, grass and heather, steep pulls and steep drops, and rocky ground high up. There is a short hands-on scramble near Bwlch Eryl Farchog, between Pen yr Helgi Du and Carnedd Llywelyn. It is described as free of cliff-edge exposure, but snow and ice make it considerably more serious in winter and it should not be treated as trivial.

The route is remote and navigation skills matter. The descent from Carnedd Llywelyn toward Llyn Melynllyn becomes less defined before you pick up the path between the lakes and the return track. Mountain weather can change fast, so carry map, compass and full hill kit. There is no dependable water source after the first summit, so carry enough for the whole day.

The three summits open out broad views across the Carneddau, the surrounding valleys and out to the coast. The line runs high above Cwm Eigiau and finishes through the Melynllyn and Dulyn reservoir landscape. Carneddau ponies and grazing livestock are often around, so give them space.

Access is by a narrow, winding, gated single-track road from the Tal-y-Bont and Dolgarrog side, ending at a small parking area with room for roughly 10 to 12 cars. Drive slowly, close gates behind you and do not block gates or field access. Treat this as an informal road-end pull-in rather than a serviced car park.

Dogs are allowed on public footpaths and open-access land here but must be under close control. A maximum 2 m lead is required on open-access land from 1 March to 31 July, and a short lead is expected around livestock and wildlife. Only bring a fit dog, and carry enough water for it as well.

For a lower-commitment day from the same road end, walk the reservoir access track toward Llyn Melynllyn and Llyn Dulyn and back. It shares the same wild setting with far less climbing and no scrambling, though it is a very different experience from the horseshoe.