Glyder Fawr and Y Garn via Devil’s Kitchen

A closed hard mountain loop from the Ogwen Cottage visitor access, stored as 5.5 miles total (the mapped line is 8.77 km). Allow about 5 hours, and more if your party is slow or the cloud is down. This is the two-summit version of the Devil's Kitchen circuit, not the shorter Y Garn-only loop, and it does not take in Glyder Fach or Tryfan.

From Ogwen you head into Cwm Idwal and along Llyn Idwal, with the cliffs closing in ahead. The path climbs to Twll Du, the Devil's Kitchen, the dark cleft that gives the route its character, then works up onto the broad rocky ground of Glyder Fawr's summit area. From there you cross the rough high ground to Y Garn before dropping down the north-east ridge back to Ogwen. The payoff is the mix: a glacial lake basin, brooding cliff scenery, two summits over 900m, and long views across the Glyderau and down the Ogwen valley.

Treat this as a serious mountain day. The ground is rough and rocky throughout the high sections, with steep ascent out of the cwm and a steep descent off Y Garn. No technical climbing is required by the route as mapped, but expect hands-on movement over rock in places, and expect the boulder-strewn ground around Glyder Fawr to slow you down more than the distance suggests. Boots with real grip and ankle support make a difference here.

The high crossing between Glyder Fawr and Y Garn is open, exposed and genuinely hard to follow in poor visibility, where featureless rocky ground and few obvious landmarks make wayfinding difficult. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them rather than relying on a screen. If cloud is sitting on the tops, the views that justify the effort are gone and the navigation risk goes up, so this is a route worth saving for a clear day.

Dogs are welcome under close control. On open-access land between 1 March and 31 July they must be on a lead no longer than 2m because of livestock and ground-nesting birds. Bear in mind that the steep rocky sections and the descent ridge are hard work for most dogs.

For 5.5 miles this is a lot of effort, and the middle section across the tops is more monotonous rock-hopping than dramatic ridge walking. If you want the same lake and cliff scenery for less commitment, the shorter Y Garn-only Devil's Kitchen loop covers the best of Cwm Idwal without the long rough crossing from Glyder Fawr.