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Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Wales => Topic started by: adalard on 09:16:16, 12/06/18

Title: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 09:16:16, 12/06/18
Morning all  :)


Just finished a blog post about a walk we did on the most recent bank holiday Monday. Pen Llithrig y Wrach translates rather colourfully as 'Slippery Peak of the Witch' and it deserves a visit on that basis alone, I think - but it was also only one of the Carneddau peaks above the Ogwen Valley that I hadn't climbed so I was keen to explore it. It was a great walk, including a bit of off-piste route-finding as there are no official paths over Pen Llithrig y Wrach, and there was plenty of wildlife from wild ponies to ticks!


(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34121354_10156348461053834_267847547991621632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeF5P2mjttVL4J0HZqolzkf226kiEHlgaoKeuZuQdUlE6heDAAGikq15J4fgTnMudC1iFFJIUW3rlvTY_-W975bYe-n4vuJiACoUstUL0r4W9g&oh=d7ed12d7b4cb1e20ebb8c27cd6001f71&oe=5BC14164)
Pen Llithrig y Wrach.


(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34158168_10156348465903834_1457502297268420608_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeExN5K0Xqvr4lZ0efJd_Yhulzx5at7IBrKqaw0PdTp5bLIhKyPflWNy_QLBMq4Yk3XOPcy7ScOM58baoMURr18Jt35hrcUWOiV0coKTpuouJQ&oh=826d95d0c1855303fa239f594db82136&oe=5BAC724B)
One of the Carneddau ponies.


(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34198337_10156348460533834_982560699098071040_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeGQ383rLo1bZ96-vr2Ht7T5uSGLrtTFARyGn1no8uCjTCiX4xMuMw5OYPcje2GUnXVL8I7LWlE-wA7SCDhwK4_gZomlH_1YGbybGiacVhvxMQ&oh=89115c332f05340f9803d9cee3e721fb&oe=5BB8E537)
Grey wagtail.


(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34307675_10156348461658834_656180997494145024_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeFhvtGexEeI2otGW2RkIB214FE1kwVn5Lx3SQZEF57BGVe5LsIJdhX-xKptgY7ekx4ceXSvOi4fbxgWP8Qgb7YNLkp3ZwWdo_PoTR-9HelJfw&oh=a655436a2d78f8e0a4fb31ed385d3472&oe=5BA7DCDC)
Pen yr Helgi Du and Carnedd Llewelyn.


(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34069050_10156348464788834_2054808724882587648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeEjS9QghzOSsLPeqNsOgk9OxnvIKa0-4CqEu1rOM5vdO2HD4btHmkT6yE7E5x9UIvuip5kydZUuxVzwgkbZu4BZvvtSF4C_3KoYHZBgSqPAmw&oh=a26a260872c50e711bf137dbfeb39ef5&oe=5BA78DD0)
Heading back to Capel Curig.


As always, there are more pictures and a full write-up at the blog:


http://www.occasionallylost.com/2018/06/pen-llithrig-y-wrach-and-pen-yr-helgi-du.html


Cheers.  O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: April on 13:46:02, 12/06/18
An epic report for an epic walk, lovely photos  O0

Ticks are now on the banned list  ;)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: richardh1905 on 17:53:41, 12/06/18

Delighted to see Pen Llithrig y Wrach get a mention!


Many many years ago I lived in Trefriw in the Conwy Valley, and Pen Llithrig y Wrach was the first mountain that I climbed on my own - after having it drummed into me time and time again that it was not safe to go alone unless you were 'experienced'. A long walk in from Trefriw, but well worth it; and the only other person that I saw all day was an angler on Llyn Cowlyd.
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: redeye on 20:31:27, 12/06/18
Nice one. I was up there on the 19 May doing the Cwm Eigau round. A great quiet part of Snowdonia  O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: Dovegirl on 09:43:31, 13/06/18
Great TR and photos adalard    :)    I hadn't heard of bog bean before. It looks rather pretty     :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 15:23:09, 13/06/18
An epic report for an epic walk, lovely photos  O0

Ticks are now on the banned list  ;)


Thanks, April - and yes, hear hear to banning ticks!  ;D


Nice one. I was up there on the 19 May doing the Cwm Eigau round. A great quiet part of Snowdonia  O0


Thanks, Redeye.   O0


We expected it to be quieter than the usual Snowdonia hotspots but even so we were surprised at how few people we passed considering it was a sunny bank holiday. The drive to Wales was pretty quiet too, thinking about it.


Delighted to see Pen Llithrig y Wrach get a mention!


Many many years ago I lived in Trefriw in the Conwy Valley, and Pen Llithrig y Wrach was the first mountain that I climbed on my own - after having it drummed into me time and time again that it was not safe to go alone unless you were 'experienced'. A long walk in from Trefriw, but well worth it; and the only other person that I saw all day was an angler on Llyn Cowlyd.


Glad it brought back happy memories - pretty good choice for a first mountain with superb views in every direction really.  :)  That is quite a walk to get there from Trefriw though - and back too, of course!


Great TR and photos adalard    :)    I hadn't heard of bog bean before. It looks rather pretty     :)


Cheers, Dovegirl.  :)  I hadn't heard of it either. I wish I could have got a bit closer to get better pictures. It did look pretty and I'm sure that pool probably looks beautiful now they've all bloomed.  :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: richardh1905 on 16:23:32, 13/06/18
The leat (drain) that you refer to in your blog is part of a much larger system designed to capture water for the 111 year old Dolgarrog hydro electric scheme. The leats run for miles; one runs all the way around the end of the ridge that stretches NE from Pen Llithrig y Wrach, and this joins others that drains water from the Afon Porth Llwyd and Afon Dulyn. They make excellent level walking routes, cutting across moorland and steep wooded hillside; in places delightfully overgrown.
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: karl h on 18:50:44, 13/06/18
Great TR and  superb photos  adalard  O0


We really do live on a beautiful little island :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: Mel on 19:06:16, 13/06/18
Great write up adalard and super pictures too.  It's surprising how easy it is to escape the crowds on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend   :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 09:52:49, 14/06/18
Great TR and  superb photos  adalard  O0

We really do live on a beautiful little island :)


Cheers, Karl.  O0  Yes, we really do and I feel like I've only barely scratched the surface of what's out there on our doorsteps!  :)


Great write up adalard and super pictures too.  It's surprising how easy it is to escape the crowds on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend  :)


Thanks, Mel.  :)  Yes, it definitely pays to go off the beaten track at busy times.


The leat (drain) that you refer to in your blog is part of a much larger system designed to capture water for the 111 year old Dolgarrog hydro electric scheme. The leats run for miles; one runs all the way around the end of the ridge that stretches NE from Pen Llithrig y Wrach, and this joins others that drains water from the Afon Porth Llwyd and Afon Dulyn. They make excellent level walking routes, cutting across moorland and steep wooded hillside; in places delightfully overgrown.


Thanks for that info, Richard - that's really interesting.  O0


We saw someone on the embankment alongside the leat and thought about plotting a walk around that side of the valley with my dad - he wouldn't really be able to go up any higher than that but it'd still enable him to be "in the mountains" on a relatively flat surface. I had no idea there was such an extensive network of them on the other side as well.


Also, cheers for the proper name - I'm going to add "leat" to my vocabulary for future blogs.  O0 :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: beefy on 10:54:21, 14/06/18
Great pics adalard O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 12:58:36, 14/06/18
Cheers, Beefy.  O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: richardh1905 on 15:11:55, 14/06/18

Thanks for that info, Richard - that's really interesting.  O0


We saw someone on the embankment alongside the leat and thought about plotting a walk around that side of the valley with my dad - he wouldn't really be able to go up any higher than that but it'd still enable him to be "in the mountains" on a relatively flat surface. I had no idea there was such an extensive network of them on the other side as well.


Also, cheers for the proper name - I'm going to add "leat" to my vocabulary for future blogs.  O0 :)


A pleasure. The 1:25000 map shows the leats, and you can spot them easily on Bing Maps satellite view too - except where they go through trees, that is! You can park near the end of the road to Llyn Cowlyd - quite a drive up the hill from Trefriw! Not sure what the access along the leats is like nowadays though, I moved from Trefriw 27 years ago!
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: phil1960 on 19:03:58, 14/06/18
Another good read that  O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 13:44:04, 15/06/18
Another good read that  O0


Cheers, Phil.  :)
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: pdstsp on 12:15:48, 17/06/18
Great pictures and report - I love that area adalard - Cowlyd is one of my favourite places in Snowdonia and these two are wonderful quiet mountains to walk on.
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 08:37:16, 18/06/18
Great pictures and report - I love that area adalard - Cowlyd is one of my favourite places in Snowdonia and these two are wonderful quiet mountains to walk on.


Cheers, pdstsp.  O0


Yes, Llyn Cowlyd is a beautiful location, feels so remote and isolated. We walked along it earlier in the year when we did Crimpiau and Creigiau Gleision.
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: dittzzy on 23:10:48, 18/06/18
Loved all them pix, except the one of the tick. 

Those pix make me wanna go visit the area again....... except the one of the tick.
Still awesome tho' O0 O0
Title: Re: Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen yr Helgi Du
Post by: adalard on 08:59:40, 19/06/18
Loved all them pix, except the one of the tick. 

Those pix make me wanna go visit the area again....... except the one of the tick.
Still awesome tho' O0 O0


Thanks, Dittzzy.  :)   I think we were just really unlucky with the tick, never happened around there before - I'll definitely be wearing insect-repellent next time I'm in the area though!