Manod Mawr
661m (2169ft)
The Molewyns Area, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales
The summit of Manod Mawr is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
You can find Manod Mawr & 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 Manod Mawr and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Manod Mawr and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.5mls (15km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,914ft (888m) |
| Time: | 6½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Blaenau Ffestiniog - Trefeini - Maen-offeren Quarry - Moel Bowydd - Moel Penamnen - Foel-fras (Moel Penamnen) - Cwt-y-bugail Quarry - Manod Mawr (North Top) - Graig-ddu Slate Quarry - Manod Mawr - Nant Dwr-oer - Manod Bach - Nant Dwr-oer - Blaenau Ffestiniog
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Manod Mawr
Christina Lander walked up Manod Mawr on September 1st, 2024 [from/via/route] Blaenau Ffestiniog - Llyn Newydd - Llyn Bowydd - Manod Mawr North top - Manod Mawr - Nant Dwr-oer - Blaenau Ffestiniog [with] Dick [weather] Quite cloudy, a bit foggy on the tops but mostly dry & warm - Long weekend staying in Corris
Donovan Suddell climbed Manod Mawr on August 27th, 2023 [from/via/route] Blaenau Ffestiniog [with] Solo [weather] overcast. Summit was clear
Melfyn Parry bagged Manod Mawr on August 22nd, 2022 [from/via/route] Started walk from car park in Blaenau Ffestiniog, headed up through quarry workings to Maen Offeren, at drum house veer left up grassy path to fence. Crossed & headed along spot heights to follow faint path to ridge, turned left & headed to summit of Moel Penamnen. Retraced steps along ridge & continued to summit of Foel Fras. Descent from here following fence to corner of forest before crossing style & continuing along fence to eventually reach summit of Manod Mawr North Top, this path is very boggy & ascent to summit is steep. Descended left from summit to gain main quarry road & turned right. Path passes to right of quarry buildings, follow track & then veer left to gain summit of Manod Mawr. Retraced steps back to track & then turned left following old inclines back to the A470 & then back to car park [with] DS [weather] Started well, drizzle around 10:30, then stopped & then around 11:30 persistent rain stayed with us all day. - From Foel Fras to summit of Manod Mawr North Top is very boggy countryside, can't imagine this would be navigable once the real wet weather sets in over autumn/winter. Probably a walk best completed on a frozen winters' day when the ground would be hard or after a period of dry weather. Definitely gaiter country.
Mark Davidson hiked Manod Mawr on July 12th, 2009 [from/via/route] Walk gw170 Moel Penamnen & Manod Mawr from Blaenau Ffestiniog [with] Alone [weather] Nice & sunny - The route instructions print out for this walk were excellent!
Bleddyn Rhys summited Manod Mawr on December 31st, 2016 [from/via/route] Manod Mawr o Llan - mewn niwl tew a gwynt! via darn o Sarn Helen a gaer Bryn y Gaer
Robert Taylor-Marriott conquered Manod Mawr on August 7th, 2014 [from/via/route] Route 61: Moelwyns Moel Penamnen. Manod Mawr North Top. Manod Mawr (MPMM). [with] Vince Wetton and Robert Taylor-Marriott. [weather] Sunny, warm, cloudy.
Vince Wetton scaled Manod Mawr on August 7th, 2014 [from/via/route] Gw170 [with] RTM [weather] Bright & Sunny
Gerald Murphy walked up Manod Mawr on March 3rd, 2013 [from/via/route] This description relates to two separate walks. Manod Mawr has two distinct tops sparated by a large slate quarry. I walked Manod Mawr (North Top) (658m) on 27 February, 2013 then, on 3rd March, 2013' Manod Mawr (661m) plus Manod Bach (511m). For Manod Mawr(North Top) I caught a bus (1B) from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the stop before Llan Ffestiniog. The stop is near a layby on the same side as the bus stop. I then took the path from the bus stop leading through some houses away from the layby onto a clear path into Cwm Teigl. I followed the path to Cwt y Bugail slate quarry (still operational at this time). I then took a path to the left towards Llyn Newydd but, at the County Boundary bridge I followed the fence to a ladder stile which led me directly to the cairn. By now I was in thickl fog at the edge of the quarry so I followed the quarry edge to my right & eventually reached Llyn Du Bach. This is not the Llyn du Bach near Gamallt! Now in sunlight, I could see a way back following Afon du Bach to the miners' incline at Bethania district of Blaenau. I descended this to the A470 road back to Blaenau. Not many days later I walked back to Bethania and, across the road from the small Greek Orthodox church, I climbed over an old stile to gain access to the miners' incline. This leads to a col between Manod Mawr & m Manod Bach & to Llyn Manod which lies beneath & between the two hills. I first climbed Manod Mawr before descending & climbing Manod Bach which has a couple of cairns. I returned the way I came. [with] alone (both times) [weather] For North Top - it was foggy & freezing from just below Cwt y Bugail. Even the barbs of the fencing wore long fingers of ice & Llyn du Bach was partially frozen over. For North Top - it was cold but sunny with a light wind only.
Paul Booth and Trevor Williams have both walked, climbed & bagged Manod Mawr.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Manod Mawr
Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) & Y Lliwedd (left) and The Glyderau - Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr & Tryfan (centre) and Carnedd Moel Siabod (right) with Moel Penamnen and Llyn Newydd & Llyn Bowydd (mid distance right) from the summit of Manod Mawr (North Top)
The Carneddau & Carnedd Moel Siabod (on horizon), Moel Penamnen (left) and Llyn Newydd & Llyn Bowydd (mid distance ) from Manod Mawr (North Top)
Llyn Du-bach & Maen-offeren Quarry (foreground) with Allt-fawr, Moel Druman, Ysgafel Wen in the distance and Yr Aran, Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) and Y Lliwedd on the horizon from the summit of Manod Mawr (North Top)
360 degree view from Moel Penamnen summit featuring (from left to right): The Moelwyns - Moelwyn Bach, Craigysgafn & Moelwyn Mawr, Allt-fawr, Moel Druman & Ysgafell Wen, Moel Farlwyd (foreground above/left of blue lake), Yr Aran (pointed peak above Moel Farlwyd), Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) & Y Lliwedd, The Glyderau - Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr & Tryfan, Carnedd Moel Siabod, Y Ro Wen, Foel-fras (Moelwyns), Manod Mawr (above two light blue lakes) and The Arenigs - Arenig Fawr & Arenig Fach.
Moelwyn Bach, Craigysgafn, Moelwyn Mawr, Allt-fawr and Moel Druman from Manod Mawr (North Top) summit
Sheep safely grazing on Allt-fawr (Moelwyns) with Moel Penamnen and Manod Mawr across the valley in the distance
Manod Mawr beyond the huge Graig-ddu Slate Quarry from Manod Mawr (North Top)
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