Cnicht
689m (2260ft)
The Moelwyns, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales
Cnicht is often referred to as the Welsh Matterhorn. When viewed from the village of Croesor and the south-west, Cnicht appears to be a perfect pyramid shaped mountain that resembles the Matterhorn on the border between Italy and Switzerland.
The summit of Cnicht is marked by a rocky outcrop.
Cnicht is often referred to as the 'Welsh Matterhorn' due to its shape, particularly when viewed from Croesor. Cnicht means 'Knight' and is pronounced 'k-neecht'.
You can find Cnicht & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Cnicht and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Cnicht and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 6.75ml (11km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,369ft (722m) |
| Time: | 5 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Blaen Nanmor - Gelli-lago Nantmor Mountain Centre - Bwlch y Battel - Croesor Bach - Cnicht - Cnicht (North Top) - Llyn Yr Adar - Y Cyrniau - Llyn Llagi - Clogwyn Gottal - Carned Melyn - Llwynyrhwch - Cefn Gerynt - Gerynt - Blaen Nanmor
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.25ml (11.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,273ft (693m) |
| Time: | 5 hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Croesor - Croesor Bach - Cnicht - The Welsh Matterhorn - Cnicht (North Top) - Llyn Yr Adar - Afon Cwm-y-foel - Llyn Cwm-corsiog - Clogwyn Birth - Rhosydd Quarry - Bwlch y Rhosydd - Croesor Quarry - Cwm Croesor - Croesor
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,355ft (1,023m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Croesor - Croesor Bach - Cnicht - Cnicht (North Top) - Llyn Yr Adar - Afon Cwm-y-foel - Llyn Cwm-corsiog - Clogwyn Birth - Rhosydd Quarry - Moel-yr-hydd - Moelwyn Mawr (North Ridge Top) - Moelwyn Mawr - Croesor
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10ml (16km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,923ft (1,196m) |
| Time: | 7½ hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Croesor - Croesor Bach - Cnicht - Cnicht (North Top) - Llyn Yr Adar - Afon Cwm-y-foel - Llyn Cwm-corsiog - Clogwyn Birth - Rhosydd Quarry - Moel-yr-hydd - Moelwyn Mawr (North Ridge Top) - Moelwyn Mawr - Craigysgafn - Bwlch Stwlan - Moelwyn Bach - Croesor
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Cnicht
Bronwen Chinien walked up Cnicht on February 5th, 2023 [from/via/route] From Croesor [with] Bronwen, Viken and Gethin [weather] Summer, sunny - Gethin's first mountain (age 4) - he loved scrambling up the rocks to peak. Had to carry him across boggy bits further round. German trio helped us with route finding.
Melfyn Parry climbed Cnicht on April 11th, 2019 [from/via/route] Start & finish at Croesor car park at SH631446. Steep tarmac road to start of the walking path. Ascent to summit of Cnicht was via well defined path. Stunning views in all directions. Descent from summit toward Llyn Adar before turning right to pass by Llynnau Dwyffos. Path a little boggy along here up to brow of hill. Descent to Rhosydd quarry & then up the old incline to stop for lunch. Ascent to ridge line & then followed fence to summit of Moelwyn Mawr. Descent back to car park via grassy slope, not too steep & then tarmac lane. [with] DS [weather] Mainly sunny & warm, occasional cold breeze.
Mark Smith bagged Cnicht on March 13th, 2010 [weather] cold but sunny
Sion Britton hiked Cnicht on May 30th, 2021 [from/via/route] O Croesor. [with] Rhiannon [weather] Braf
Donovan Suddell summited Cnicht on April 10th, 2021 [from/via/route] Croesor using gw173 [with] My wife [weather] Sunny & clear, odd sprinkle of snow - gw173 is a mighty fine walk, & Cnicht is a special mountain
Andy Buxton conquered Cnicht during August, 1963 [from/via/route] From Blaen Namor & down to Croesor [with] Dad
Iain Jones scaled Cnicht on November 29th, 2019 [from/via/route] Croesor [with] Nicola Jones
Wynne Roberts walked up Cnicht on June 16th, 2019 [from/via/route] Nantgwynant [with] Gareth [weather] Sunny spells. Breezy - Paths obscured in places, difficult to determine route, very boggy.
Anthony Scott climbed Cnicht on July 30th, 2018 [with] Dave Cross (HF)
Bleddyn Rhys bagged Cnicht on May 5th, 2018 [from/via/route] Cychwyn o'r Crimea. Allt-fawr, rownt top Cwmorthin ac drost Cnicht cyn disgyn lawr i Ring Llanfrothan am rescue pickup! [with] Ar ben fy hyn! [weather] Braf iawn - sgortchar! - 15 Km - 4 awr a hanner Rhedeg yr holl ffordd lawr or Cnicht i pub am fy mod yn hwyr, ond dal i gyraedd cyn y rescue team! Golygfeudd gwych or'r Moelwynions - gyda cwmwl yn rhowlio trostynt tra on ni'n yr haul!
Christina Lander hiked Cnicht on April 18th, 2018 [from/via/route] Croesor - Cnicht - Bwlch y Rhosydd - Llyn Croesor - Moelwyn Mawr - Moelwyn Bach - Croesor [with] Dick [weather] Started off overcast, but turned into a beautiful sunny day. Windy on top of Moelwyn Mawr & Moelwyn Bach
David Wand summited Cnicht on July 28th, 1989 [with] Gayle and the girls
Mark Davidson conquered Cnicht on August 20th, 2002 [with] Alone [weather] Sunny & warm with good views
Rachael Tyler scaled Cnicht on April 8th, 2016 [from/via/route] Croesor [with] The husband [weather] Cloudy & cold at the top - Nightmare trying to navigate in the clouds - wandered through the bogs looing for a faint path. Nice walk back past the ruins.
Jj Segarty has walked up Cnicht [from/via/route] Cnicht, Llyn Biswail, Llynnau, Lerrrig-mylit [with] ATIP Group [weather] Low Cloud, Low wind, Poor visibility above 600m - Good practice with navigation in the fog
Robert Taylor-Marriott climbed Cnicht on February 9th, 2010 [from/via/route] Route 4: Cnicnt, Cnicnt North Top& Moel Druman (CNT) Completed 09.02.10 [with] Vince Wetton & Robert Taylor-Marriott [weather] Sunny, cold, ice.
Robert Logan bagged Cnicht on July 7th, 2013 [from/via/route] Croesor, Cnicht, Llyn yr Adar, Llyn Cwm-Corsiog, Llyn Cwm-y-foel, Cwm Croesor, Croesor [with] Judith Logan [weather] Very hot, sunny, no wind. - Midges, mozzies & clegs lying in ambush at the rocky summit & at every rest stop!
Jeremy Maguire hiked Cnicht on January 15th, 2012 [from/via/route] Nantmoor [with] On my own. [weather] Beautifully sunny. - Mum's 75th birthday.
Vince Wetton summited Cnicht on February 9th, 2010 [with] RTM
Kath Edwards conquered Cnicht on June 26th, 2011 [with] Ted, meg
Gerald Murphy scaled Cnicht on May 5th, 2012 [from/via/route] See notes on walk to Allt Fawr. [with] alone [weather] See notes on walk to Allt Fawr. - See notes on walk to Allt Fawr. The views from the summit of Cnicht are really most rewarding. From the the Carneddau, the Snowdon group, Tryfan (just) & the Glyderau, across Siabod & the Moelwynion to Trawsfynydd, Cadair Idris & the Mawdach estuary. Wow!
Patrick Rogozinski, Math Llwyd, Linda Mckeogh, Paul Booth, Trevor Williams, Pete Howes and Steve Davenport have all walked, climbed & bagged Cnicht.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Cnicht
My dad on the summit of Yr Aran in the snow with Cnicht & Moelwyn Mawr on the horizon (left centre) and Lyn Dinas in the Nantgwynant valley below (right)
Moel-yr-hydd (left) and Moelwyn Mawr (centre) from the summit of Cnicht - the Welsh Matterhorn
Cnicht (centre) and Cnicht (North Top) (right) from the lower slopes of Moelwyn Bach
Cnicht (left) and Y Lliwedd poking through a Temerature Inversion seen from Crib Goch
Cnicht and Cnicht (North Top) with The Snowdon Range beyond from Moelwyn Mawr
The Watkin Path, Nantgwynant and Cnicht on the horizon from the summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Me on Cnicht with Moel-yr-hydd (left) and Moelwyn Mawr (right) in the background
The north-west ridge of Molewyn Mawr (left) with Cnicht, Cnicht (North Top) and Ysgafell Wen (far right) across Cwm Croesor and Clogwyn Brith from the summit of Moelwyn Mawr
. . . see all 35 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of Cnicht
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Cnicht
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