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Elidir Fawr

Elidir Fawr is the odd man out of the Welsh 3000-footers – hard to fit into a short satisfying round. Without it the quest to capture all the 3000ft tops in a single day would be considerably easier! Above all Elidir is an elegant peak. To most viewers it displays a perfect cone; occasionally an undulating ridge (which it is); while to the blue ellipse of Llyn Marchlyn Mawr it reveals the crags of Craig Cwrwgl and the squattish Pillar in a scene as rugged as any in Snowdonia. The elongated summit ridge, forming a series of bouldery humps and hollows, culminates in a cairn and a windshelter. There are fine views of Anglesey, Snowdon, the Carneddau, and back to Y Garn and Foel Goch.

The best tramp on Elidir is along the ridge either side of Bwlch y Marchlyn, curving high above the lake, before breaking off to Mynydd Perfedd. S the mountain degenerates in vast steeps of grass and scree, with awkwardly scattered boulders that make walking a chore. N and W, where a shoulder falls away to a subsidiary top (Elidir Fach) the mountainside is ravaged beyond redemption by the slate works of Llanberis and Bethesda.

By comparison with this, the harnessing of Llyn Marchlyn Mawr for power generation is a masterpiece of sensitivity. While no one can pretend that the shoreline is the delectable spot it once was, a good job has been done of naturalising it as far as possible and the lake is still a lovely site when viewed on a sunny day from the edge almost 1000ft above.

Note Water falling from Llyn Marchlyn Mawr down to Llyn Peris in the valley below generates electricity; at off-peak times water is pumped back up to the higher lake which therefore acts as a power ‘store’. In the course of this process Llyn Marchlyn Mawr’s water level varies by up to 100ft.

Cwm Dudodyn route (GL25)

Leave the A4086 by a chapel just W of the Vaynol Arms and go down a lane, bearing first R then L, to a small white cottage at 606589. Pass through a gate L as directed by a footpath sign, but instead of carrying on to Fron break away R almost immediately uphill, past a barn, to a stile at the top of the field. Over the stile a path zigzags between banks of bracken and foxgloves whose quiet charm not even the massive spoil heaps can quite quell. Cross the Afon Dudodyn at a bridge with a single handrail.

The route follows the true R bank for about 1.5 miles when two choices present themselves:

 Scramble up loose scree L to Bwlch y Marchlyn – quick but rough (GL25,1)

 Or keep straight on up steep but easy grass to Bwlch y Brecan (longer but nicer).

Assuming the latter, follow the grooved ridge path round the vale head to Bwlch y Marchlyn (620615), where the track divides. Take the upper fork along the slender crest above the black, ribbed steeps that sweep down imposingly to the blue-green depths of Llyn Marchlyn Mawr. Sadly the path leaves the edge to cross a broad green saddle before wandering through a sea of boulders to the summit ridge.

SW approach direct (GL26)

A tortuous, energy-sapping grind.

Walkers in a hurry (perhaps attempting the grand slam of all 14 3000-footers) cannot afford the luxury of the leisurely and rather circuitous routing via Cwm Dudodyn. Their fate is to sweat straight up from the bridge at 608596. The best routing is almost due N, keeping the spoil heaps L and aiming for a stile at around 607602. This crosses the wall that straddles the hillside at roughly the 1600ft level. You should then slant diagonally across to the summit ridge. This route is also pretty hard in descent, especially after rain when the chaotically strewn boulders that litter the upper slopes are unpleasantly smooth and slippery.

Note At all costs avoid the temptation to make a beeline direct from bridge to top (as I once did). The angle of attack is cruel and you are soon landed in an unholy jungle of screes and boulders.

Deiniolen route (GL27)

Park at the roadhead at 595631, go through the gate and march down the uninspiring reservoir road flanked by threadbare grass and building debris. Trend R as you near Llyn Marchlyn Bach and pull up the spur to Elidir Fach on cairned stony grass. Next head SE up easy screes to mount Elidir Fawr’s main ridge. A path of sorts leads to the cairn, skirting just below the crest and thus avoiding what would otherwise be a laborious trek over large, bouldery humps each of which would persuade you it was the top. An alternative start (GL27,1) can be made from the end of a narrow quarry road at 595612 near Dinorwic. From here you can gain the spur by working round the side of the quarry workings.