Susan and I were very fortunate to have been in the area when this
walk came up. The weather had been completely rubbish in the week
leading up to the walk and it was only at the end of Friday that the
forecast showed any signs that, if nothing else, it might not rain on
the day of the walk, Sunday.
After a quick coffee at the Moel Siabod Cafe with some other early
arrivers in our group, we proceeded to the official meeting place in the
car park behind Joe Brown’s shop.
After some deliberations, the group decided that the Marchlyn
Horseshoe would be the objective for the day and so we made our way in
several vehicles to the start of the walk near Deiniolen.
By the time we arrived the sun was shining and the tops looked
fantastic and we couldn’t wait to get going.
We headed up the track and over the gate until we reached the bend
where we found the track to be very icy and so moved on to the frozen
grass. There is a well-defined path that takes you up to the col between
Carnedd y Filiast and, what on my map is simply marked ‘Cairn’ but Mike
informed us that it is known as Carnedd y Filiast North although
Wikipedia refers to Y Fronllwyd (721 m) and as the Cairn is 721m I
suspect they are one in the same. Either way, this is the most northerly
summit of the Glyderau and a Nuttal.
From the cairn, it was a fairly steep 100m climb to the summit
Carnedd y Filiast. My research found that the Welsh word Filiast refers
to a ‘She-Wolf’ or ‘Grey Hound Bitch (not greyhound)’ so one wonders how
this name came about.
There is a small wind shelter here which is where we stopped for
coffee and a snack and where I put on my Micro Spikes. I found the steep
slope a little slippy on the way up and thought I would just as well put
my spikes on here whilst nice and comfy as anywhere else.
We left the shelter and headed over to a wall with a style, and then
on to Mynydd Perfedd (812m) which is an another Nuttal. We stopped en
route so that Mike could show us the huge slabs on the eastern side of
Carnedd y Filiast which are apparently a fossilised seabed and you could
definitely see the ‘waves’.
From Mynydd Perfedd we dropped down and then started back up Bwlch
Marchlyn towards Elidir Fawr all the time with fantastic views of
Foel-goch, Pen yr Ole Wen and Tryfan on our left and Caernarfon and
Anglesea on our right. Also on our right was a steep drop all the way to
the Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir at the bottom known as Craig Cwrwgl.
On reaching the summit of Elidir Fawr we were rewarded with
breathtaking views in all directions. The sun was shining, the wind had
dropped, and everything was perfect.
We walked to the most easterly point of the summit plateau and then
down the steep and icy slope to Elidir Fach (795m) admiring the
magnificent ice sculpture that was once a boring fence.
From Elidir Fach there were fantastic views over Llanberis, Llyn
Padarn and Llyn Peris and over to Moel Eilio. From here it was an easy
walk back down to the track and to the cars.
This was an amazing winter walk in perfect weather with some really
great friends and Susan and I were both really pleased to have been
invited.
The route was about 7 miles long and took in 4 nuttalls.
The Route
Distance : 7 Miles
We parked on the service road below the ridge and walked.