A difficult route in Carneddau. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Gerlan, near Bethesda (SH 633 662)
IMPORTANT - MOUNTAIN SAFETY: This is a serious and demanding mountain walk in the Carneddau range, reaching over 1000m. It includes two significant wild walking sections with no clear paths. This walk is only suitable for experienced hill walkers with good navigation skills, appropriate clothing, footwear and equipment, and the ability to use a map, compass and/or GPS confidently. Check the weather forecast before setting out and be prepared to turn back if conditions deteriorate.
A truly memorable mountain walk and a long overdue tick — Yr Elen had somehow escaped me on two previous visits to Carnedd Llewelyn and this route was specifically designed to finally bag it. The approach along the Afon Llafar is one of the great Carneddau valley walks, drawing you deep into the mountains with the spectacular Black Ladders crags of Carnedd Dafydd and the imposing flanks of Yr Elen and Llewelyn filling the view ahead. The wild walking onto the flank of Yr Elen and up to the ridge is demanding but manageable, and the final steep pull to the summit is rewarded with breathtaking 360-degree views across the Carneddau and down into Cwm Caseg. The onward route flanking Carnedd Llewelyn to Bwlch Cyfryw-Drum is exposed with serious drops to the right — not for the fainthearted — before the Cambrian Way carries you to the summit of Carnedd Dafydd and one of the finest mountain panoramas in Wales, with ten of the country's highest peaks clearly visible including Snowdon. The wild walking descent back via Mynydd Du to the sheepfolds and the outward path is a fitting end to a magnificent day in the mountains. This is a serious walk requiring experience, full mountain kit and confident navigation skills throughout both wild sections — but for those who are prepared, it is an absolutely brilliant day out.