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The Glyderau

Y Glyderau · Central Snowdonia

South of the Ogwen Valley, the Glyderau rise into a chaotic skyline of broken rock, scree and exposed ridges. This is the most distinctively "alpine" landscape in Wales — Tryfan’s spiky profile and the wind-carved boulder field on Glyder Fach (the Cantilever Stone and Castell y Gwynt) make this a range built for scramblers and rock-lovers as much as walkers.

Interactive terrain · tap a marker for peak info

Difficulty

Hard – Severe

Terrain

Shattered rock, scree, boulder fields, scrambling ridges

Best for

Scrambling · Iconic rock features · Photography · Classic ridge days

Key peaks

Tryfan

917m

The unmistakable three-pronged peak visible from across the valley, Wales’ best-loved scramble.

Severe via North Ridge, hard by tourist path

Glyder Fach

994m

A wild summit plateau of stacked rock slabs, home to the famous Cantilever Stone.

Hard, rough terrain underfoot

Glyder Fawr

1001m

The highest point of the range, a stony dome above the dramatic Devil’s Kitchen cliffs.

Moderate from the ridge

Y Garn

947m

A pyramidal peak above Llyn Idwal with a fine corrie on its eastern face.

Moderate

Elidir Fawr

924m

The western outlier of the range, overlooking the Dinorwig slate quarries and pumped-storage scheme.

Moderate, quarry paths add interest

Foel-goch

805m

A lesser-visited summit linking Elidir Fawr to the main Glyderau ridge.

Moderate

Mynydd Perfedd

812m

A broad, unassuming summit on the ridge between Y Garn and Foel-goch.

Easy – Moderate

Castell y Gwynt

973m

The "Castle of the Winds" — a dramatic rock tor on the ridge between the two Glyders.

Hard, exposed scrambling

Suggested routes

Tryfan North Ridge to the Glyders

Classic scramble up Tryfan, across Bristly Ridge to Glyder Fach and Fawr.

10 km·6–7 hrs

Glyderau Horseshoe

A full circuit from Ogwen taking in Y Garn, Elidir Fawr, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach.

16 km·7–8 hrs

Devil’s Kitchen & Glyder Fawr

A shorter route past Llyn Idwal and up through Twll Du to the summit plateau.

8 km·4–5 hrs

Mountain weather

Safety & weather

  • Bristly Ridge and Tryfan’s North Ridge are serious scrambles — not suitable in poor weather or for the inexperienced.
  • Loose rock and scree are a constant hazard; helmets are advisable on the harder scrambles.
  • The summit plateau boulder field is notoriously disorientating in cloud.

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