Walk The Nantlle Ridge from Rhyd-Ddu
Classic Welsh Ridge Walk
This 9½ mile, Grade 7 (Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Rhyd-Ddu in Snowdonia & will take you about 7¾ hrs to complete.
Detailed walk route map PDF | ||
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | gw201 | |
| Length: | 9½ miles (15.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 4017 ft (1224m) | |
| Time: | 7¾ hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Be Adventure Smart
If walking in the Lake District (and anywhere else) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself 5 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR for the day?
- Do I have enough FOOD & DRINK for the day?
- Do I have all the ESSENTIAL ITEMS for the day?
Note that there is no mobile phone or WiFi coverage in many parts of the Lake District
A dedicated GPS Device can be a good navigational aid, but only if you know how to use it properly. See The Myths and Truths about GPS for Walking and Hiking
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
Rhyd Dduis pronounced'r-ee-th th-ee'
The arete up to the summit of Mynydd Drws-y-coed is steep, narrow and quite 'airy' in places. You should only attempt it in good weather and if you have a good head for heights.
The descent from Craig Cwm Silyn into Cwm Pennant is down very steep grass and only recommended in good, dry weather. Further more the climb back out of Cwm Pennant involves over 700ft of ascent across rough grass.
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 4 Welsh Mountains |
 0 Wainwrights |
 5 Welsh Nuttalls |
 0 Welsh Deweys |
 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
 2 Welsh Marilyns |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Craig Cwm Silyn at 734m (2409ft). Craig Cwm Silyn is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (55th highest in Wales, 134th highest in England & Wales)
Craig Cwm Silyn is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (69th highest in Wales, 166th highest in England & Wales) and a Welsh Marilyn (25th highest in Wales, 514th highest in the UK).
Craig Cwm Silyn means 'Silyn Valley Crag' in Welsh and is pronounced 'crag koom sileen'.
The summit of Craig Cwm Silyn is marked by a stone shelter.
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Trum y Ddysgl at 709m (2327ft). Trum y Ddysgl is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (65th highest in Wales, 160th highest in England & Wales)
Trum y Ddysgl is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (84th highest in Wales, 202nd highest in England & Wales) and a Welsh Marilyn (32nd highest in Wales, 572nd highest in the UK).
Trum y Ddysgl means 'Dish Ridge' in Welsh and is pronounced 'tree-mee-th-isgl'.
You will also reach the summit of Mynydd Drws-y-coed at 695m (2281ft). Mynydd Drws-y-coed is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (70th highest in Wales, 178th highest in England & Wales)
Mynydd Drws-y-coed is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (90th highest in Wales, 230th highest in England & Wales). Mynydd Drws-y-coed means 'The Door to Wood Mountain' in Welsh and is pronounced 'minith droos-ee-coy-ed'.
The summit of Mynydd Drws-y-coed is unmarked, just grass.
Along the way you will also bag and tick-off:
- Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd at 653m (2143ft). Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (102nd Wales, 244th Eng & Wal) and a Welsh Nuttall (138th highest in Wales, 327th highest in England & Wales). Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd means 'Mountain at the End of the Bog' in Welsh and is pronounced 'minith tal-ee-meeg-neth'.
The summit of Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd is marked by a tall stone tower.
- Y Garn (Moel Hebog) at 633m (2078ft). Y Garn (Moel Hebog) is known as a Welsh Nuttall (152nd highest in Wales, 363rd highest in England & Wales). Y Garn (Moel Hebog) means 'The Cairn' in Welsh and is pronounced 'uh-gan'.
The summit of Y Garn (Moel Hebog) is marked by a cairn & a huge shelter.
You can find this walk and other nearby walks on these unique Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
(worth a look if you're new to go4awalk.com & have never seen one of these before.)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk The Nantlle Ridge from Rhyd-Ddu
In no particular order . . .
Craig y Bera and Mynydd Mawr (Llyn Cwellyn) tower above Drws-y-coed from Y Garn (Moel Hebog)
The Nantlle Ridge - Mynydd Drws-y-coed (left) and Trum y Ddysgl from Y Garn (Moel Hebog) summit
Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl), Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Y Lliwedd & Yr Aran from the summit of Craig Cwm Silyn
The Snowdon Massif - featuring Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl), Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Bwlch Main, Llechog (Llanberis Path), Clogwyn Du and Y Lliwedd from Y Garn (Moel Hebog) with Llyn y Dywarchen and Rhyd Ddu in the valley below
Craig Cwm Silyn (mid-ground) and Yr Eifl (The Rivals) on The Llyn peninsula (in the distance) and The Jubilee Monument Obelisk on the summit of Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd
The Nantlle Ridge - Mynydd Drws-y-coed (left) and Trum y Ddysgl from a cairn on the slopes of Y Garn (Moel Hebog)
Moel Lefn (centre), Moel yr Ogof and Moel Hebog (right) from the summit of Craig Cwm Silyn
Climbing Mynydd Drws-y-coed on the Nantlle Ridge with Trum y Ddysgl beyond (right)
. . . load all 62 pictures & photos from this walk
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