Nantlle Ridge

This is a point-to-point mountain traverse, 7.6 miles one way, starting from the village access at Rhyd Ddu and finishing at Nebo after the long descent off Garnedd Goch. It is not a loop, and it is not the Rhyd Ddu Path up Yr Wyddfa. Allow about 6.5 hours, though anywhere from 4.5 to 8 hours is normal depending on fitness, how long you spend on the scrambly bits, and how much time the weather steals.

From Rhyd Ddu the ground rises quickly to Y Garn at 633 m, then the ridge narrows for the crossing to Mynydd Drws-y-Coed at around 695 m, the most hands-on part of the day. After that comes Trum y Ddysgl at 709 m, the grassy neck to Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd at 653 m with its tall stone obelisk, a drop and reclimb to Craig Cwm Silyn at 734 m, the high point, and finally Garnedd Goch at roughly 702 m before the walk out to Nebo.

The payoff is a full day of open ridge. Views run over the Llyn peninsula, out to Anglesey, back across the higher peaks, and on clear days south toward the Ceredigion coast. Compared with the busy paths on Yr Wyddfa, this is a quieter, less-developed alternative, though how many other walkers you meet will vary from day to day.

Rate this a hard mountain walk, 8 out of 10. It is not for casual or first-time hill walkers.

• Short sections of Grade 1 scrambling, mainly between Y Garn and Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, with real drops beside the path and nothing in the way of protection.
• Steep rocky descents and steep reclimbs between summits, so the cumulative ascent feels much bigger than the distance suggests.
• Rock and cropped grass both turn greasy in rain and treacherous when frozen. Wet days make the scrambling far more serious.
• Sturdy boots with good grip, and a head for heights, matter more here than speed.

The path is clear in places and faint in others, and the broad grassy ground beyond Craig Cwm Silyn is genuinely featureless in cloud. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, and have a bail-out plan in mind before you commit to the ridge. There is no reliable water on the tops, so bring everything you need for the whole crossing, plus layers for wind on the exposed sections.

Rhyd Ddu Station Car Park sits just off the A4085 and is the practical start, with the route beginning a couple of minutes away at the village access. Parking at the Nebo end is limited, so plan the logistics before you set out.

• Two cars is the simplest solution: leave one at Nebo, drive back to Rhyd Ddu, walk to your car.
• By bus, the Rhyd Ddu to Nebo connection needs two services via Caernarfon and takes roughly an hour and twenty minutes, so build that into the day.
• Otherwise arrange a lift or pick-up at the finish.

Dogs are allowed on the public footpaths and open access land the route uses, under close control at all times, on a short lead near livestock or wildlife, and on a lead no longer than 2 m on open access ground between 1 March and 31 July. That said, the scrambling and unprotected drops make this a poor day out for most dogs, and lifting a dog through rock steps on an exposed ridge is not something to attempt casually.