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WALK 5

Cwm Llafar Horseshoe

Start/Finish	Gerlan, Bethesda SH 634 664
Distance	16km (10 miles)
Total ascent	1020m (3350ft)
Grade	Strenuous
Time	5–6hr
Terrain	Grassy slopes and intermittent paths
Map	OS OL17 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa
Access	From Bethesda turn uphill almost opposite the large and impressive central chapel. Turn right at a mini-roundabout a few metres up the hill and carry on into Ffordd Gerlan.
Parking	Roadside in Gerlan or free in Bethesda. Gerlan is a small community of narrow lanes and parking spaces are at a premium: take care not to block access or passing spaces. If nothing is available park in one of several free car parks in Bethesda and walk up.

The eastern approach to the highest of the Carneddau tops is in complete contrast to the approach from Ogwen in Walk 4. While the ascent over Pen yr Ole Wen is taken by thousands, this route is walked by only a handful. The tracks are narrow and in places faint or even non-existent, while the overall feel is much wilder and more remote than the approach from Nant Ffrancon.

Walk out of Gerlan on its narrow main street, which quickly becomes an even narrower, tree-lined lane heading towards the mountains. At the end of the tarmac this comes to a house named Ty Dwr and a sign reading ‘private road’. This is, however, a public footpath. Go up this and take a stile to the right of the house gates. Carry on up the left hand side of the field to another stile by a gate almost in the top left hand corner. Go over this and carry on towards the mountains, as directed by a series of waymarkers and ladder stiles to the edge of open country.

Although the walk has started from the streets of Bethesda and the village is still visible behind, this feels like an altogether more remote landscape than the bustling paths of the Glyderau just a few miles up the A5. This may be because of the bare hills grazed by cattle and sheep or the neglected look of the often wet fields, which are running to sour grasses, rushes and bracken.

Ahead the horseshoe is now taking shape, with the grassy tongue of Mynydd Du rising towards Carnedd Dafydd and the rim of the cwm curling round rightwards to Carnedd Llewelyn and Yr Elen.

Just after reaching an incongruous ruined enclosure with concrete posts and iron railings the path carries on into the cwm, but for the horseshoe it is necessary to take a narrower path which breaks away rightwards up the enclosing ridge. The grassy path attacks the slope head-on before offering a brief respite on a level section perched on the edge of the steep-sided cwm with views down to the now unfashionable climbers’ crag of Llech Du below, with the shattered crags of the Black Ladders beyond.

There is little to amuse the summer rock climber on the Ladders, but in winter when the loose rock is frozen into place it offers some of the most challenging ice climbing in Snowdonia.

Summits of Carnedds Dafydd and Llewelyn

The final pull to the summit of Carnedd Dafydd is through large boulders interspersed with grass and bilberries.

At Carnedd Dafydd’s summit is a windbreak, which offers tremendous views particularly across to Snowdon, the Glyderau and Tryfan to the south while to north the dogleg ridge curls round Cwm Llafar to Carnedd Llewelyn.

Carry on circling the rim of the cwm, with the Black Ladders now below and on past rocky knolls and the col of Bwlch Cyfryw-drum to climb the long stony slope to arrive at the summit windbreak of Carnedd Llewelyn perched on the eastern rim of the plateau. From here the next summit, Yr Elen, is out of sight and it is necessary to cross to the western rim where the linking path becomes apparent.

As you descend the slope and cross a small lip there is a jaw-dropping moment as the huge east face of Yr Elen makes a theatrical appearance, unsuspected and unannounced. The great shattered slope, bounded by the sharp rocks of the south east arête and the narrow path clinging to its side, drops away hundreds of metres into Cwm Caseg far below. It is as fine a sight as is to be found anywhere in Snowdonia and this is a very special moment and made all the better for its dramatic suddenness. Never again let anyone try to tell you that the Carneddau are just boring, rounded grassy lumps.

The fine isolated top of Yr Elen

The summit of Yr Elen, named after the wife of Llewelyn, is a fine isolated top from which to survey the central ridge of the Carneddau. The first part of the descent from Yr Elen takes you down a steep eroded scree slope that gives way to springy turf leading down the general line of the ridge with the rooftops of Bethesda beyond.

The final section is tricky to follow, with the path weaving through rushes and becoming intertwined with sheep paths which can lead you astray, but with the houses of Bethesda ahead and the occasional marker post and footpath sign to guide you the lane used on the outward leg is finally reached.