The Carneddau mountains

Berthlwyd Hall Holiday Park - June 25^th 2021

The Carneddau mountains is an imposing mountain range in Snowdonia that are prominent the landscape in the Conwy region and looking over to Conwy from Llandudno.

Often overlooked by tourists in favour of Snowdon which grabs the limelight due to being the highest peak in England and Wales, Carneddau are favourites among serious hikers and locals.

The landscape is rugged and the scenery dramatic with steep rocky inclines, scrambling ridges and high peaks juxtaposed with serene lakes and green pastures.

The Carnedd mountain peaks

We mentioned that Snowdon grabs the headlines but if you were to average out the height of the Carneddau’s mountain range to Snowdon’s mastiff, the Carneddau comes out on top. With many of its peaks coming in at well over 900m with Carnedd Llewleyn and Carnedd Dafydd towering well over 1000m. In fact, they are the largest continuous stretch of land over 2500ft in the country!

Tallest amongst the Carneddau is Carnedd Llewellyn. At 1064m above sea level, Llewelyn is just 21m lower than the world-famous Snowdon. Whilst Snowdon is a pilgrimage for many outdoor enthusiasts and tourists alike, Llewelyn receives a fraction of the attention and footfall as a result.

Next is Carnedd Dafydd at an impressive at 1044m. In reality, there are many mountain peaks in the Carneddau – too much to note here in any great detail. But the main peaks that form the central ridge are as follows:

• Carnedd Llewelyn (1064m)
• Carnedd Dafydd (1044m)
• Pen yr Ole Wen (978 m)
• Carnedd Dafydd (1044 m)
• Carnedd Llewelyn (1064 m)
• Yr Elen (962 m)
• Foel Grach (976 m)
• Carnedd Gwenllian (926 m)
• Foel-fras (942 m)

The best named mountain in the UK

We are going to give a special mention to another mountain that doesn’t feature in the above list as it’s not part of the central ridge, nor is it of significant height. It's famous for another reason - its name.

Pen Llithrig y Wrach translates to “Slippery peak of the witch” which is so called due to its rather dramatic looking peak resembling the top of a witch’s hat and its boggy condition underfoot. The name is a favourite amongst British mountaineers.

A neighbouring mountain also comes in at a close second for us – Pen Helgi Du which means “Head of the Black Hound”

Walking in the Carneddau

We feel it’s right to include a note of caution with Carneddau. Unlike Snowdon which receives thousands of visitors a day, in the Carneddau you can go hours without seeing another person. Therefore, you should only go hiking here if you are fully prepared, have researched where you are going thoroughly, and made safety precautions.

For detailed hiking and safety information you should visit a specialist website such as https://www.mudandroutes.com/walks-by-area/europe/wales/snowdonia-national-park/carneddau/the-best-walks-in-the-carneddau/