Y Moelwynion · Southern Snowdonia
The Moelwynion sit above the slate towns of Blaenau Ffestiniog and Tanygrisiau, a landscape where mining history and wild moorland collide. Cnicht’s pointed summit — nicknamed "the Welsh Matterhorn" — is the range’s most photographed peak, while Moel Siabod stands apart to the north as a dramatic outlier with one of the best ridge approaches in Snowdonia.
Difficulty
Moderate
Terrain
Slate spoil, heather moorland, rocky knolls, old quarry tracks
Best for
Industrial history · Quieter rocky scrambles · Varied half-day walks
A bold outlier north of the main group, with a fine rocky ridge approach via Daear Ddu.
Moderate – Hard via the ridge
Famous for its sharply pointed profile when viewed from the west — "the Welsh Matterhorn".
Moderate, some scrambling near the top
The highest of the southern Moelwynion, with steep slate-scarred flanks.
Moderate
A smaller neighbour to Moelwyn Mawr, linked by a dramatic col.
Moderate
A rocky summit overlooking the Cwm Croesor slate workings.
Moderate
A remote, boggy summit in the heart of the range, rarely visited.
Moderate, pathless in places
A minor top linking Allt-fawr to the wider Moelwynion plateau.
Easy – Moderate
A distinctive quarried hill above Blaenau Ffestiniog, hollowed out by historic slate mining.
Easy – Moderate
A loop from Croesor up Cnicht, returning via the old slate quarry tracks.
A classic rocky ridge ascent of the range’s northern outlier.
A full ridge day linking Moelwyn Mawr, Moelwyn Bach and Allt-fawr.
Built from real elevation data — drag, orbit and walk the actual terrain.