Precipice Walk

Precipice Walk, or Llwybr Cynwch, is a circular route of about 3.3 miles (5.3 km) starting and finishing at Saith Groesffordd Car Park near Llanfachreth, just outside Dolgellau. Allow around 2 hours. It sits at roughly 800 ft above sea level and stays there, so there is very little climbing and descending once you are up.

The payoff is the middle section: a level, high shelf of ground with the valley dropping away and a broad sweep of hills, including Cadair Idris, the Rhinogydd, the Moelwynion, the Aran and the Arenig.

• Start near the Saith Groesffordd sign and go through woodland and an open field.
• Follow a stone wall lined with ancient oak trees, notable for their lichen and moss populations.
• Pass through a gap in the wall for views north over Coed y Brenin.
• Follow the old copper-mine sign and continue for about 1 km with the high open views over the River Mawddach.
• Descend to Llyn Cynwch, turn left around the lake's northern edge, then rejoin the starting path back to the car park.

This is a moderate and popular walk rather than a hard one, but it is not a stroll on a surfaced path. Some sections are steep or unsurfaced, and the open stretches are exposed. Walking boots and waterproof layers are essential. It works well as an adventurous family outing, given that some sections are steep or unsurfaced and parts of the route are open and exposed.

Start and finish at Saith Groesffordd Car Park, Llanfachreth (OS grid reference SH 746 212), which has toilet facilities.

The route crosses the historical Nannau estate, which has invited public use since 1890. It is not a public footpath, so use the proper access points, stick to the indicated route and follow the Countryside Code. Keep dogs on a lead.

The lake is a working reservoir supplying nearby Dolgellau, so treat it as scenery and a place to walk beside rather than somewhere to get in the water.

This is not a high mountain summit day. Its value is in the views, the lake, the woodland and the estate history, all reached with modest ascent. The flip side is footing that turns steep or unsurfaced in places, and open sections that are less comfortable in poor weather, so pick a clear day if the views are what you came for.