| The walk starts from the small village of Pont Cyfyng.
Parking space can usually be found in the laybys on
the side of the main A5 road about a mile east of Capel
Curig, on the bend next to the Cyfyng Falls. From the
main A5 road follow the sign post to Pont Cyfyng and
cross the bridge over the falls into the village itself.
Don't take the first footpath on the right but instead
look for the rough road that leads right uphill with
a cattle grid at its entrance. Don't be put off by the
'No Road Access' signs. The road will lead up steep
towards Rhos Farm, as the road bends off to the right
towards the farm follow the diversion footpath signs
that take you round a route that passes the farm completely
before joining the track again. There will be a gate
and stile now next to an old derelict building and the
track will level out onto open farm moorland.
Moel Siabod
|
Afon Llugwy at Pont Cyfyng
|
After 200 metres of the track there is another track
leading off to the left through a gate. At this point
go left over or through that gate to head towards the
ruins of the Rhos Slate Quarry. The first thing you'll
come across is a gate next to the old barracks on the
right hand side. They are still standing but with no
roofs but the fire places and chimneys still in tact.
On the left you'll see a huge slate spoil. Carry on
along the path until you see the biggest of the quarry
buildings to the right. It is really touching looking
around these fascinating old ruins and imagining what
it must have been like for the workers of this huge
mine in mountainous winter conditions. The Rhos Slate
Quarry was closed in 1950's and like a lot of welsh
slate mines had its good and bad days being closed and
reopened several times. The slate was blasted out of
the huge quarries on the eastern side of Moel Siabod
and then sorted and transported down the disused incline
you'll see remnants of on the way up from Pont Cyfyng
then taken on to Trefriw from where it was shipped out
onto River Conwy boats and to the Irish Sea.
Rhos Quarry Barracks
|
Stunning Slate Buildings
|
After taking in the Rhos Quarry follow a path that
leads up behind the biggest buildings eventually skirting
a massive quarry hole. The hole is massive and care
should be taken when standing round it, the remains
of fallen sheep should be a clear example of why not
to mess around in these parts. The path will now almost
disappear as the terrain turns damp and grassy, continue
heading in a South West direction towards the bulk of
Moel Siabod and after half a kilometre you'll reach
a lake with a dam wall. The track you left earlier skirts
the right hand side of the lake so rejoin it as it heads
uphill towards the slate spoils ahead. The obvious path
will now carry on snaking through the upper quarry with
its hug spoils and hidden gem of a quarry lake. The
path will now go round the top of the lake and get more
and more boggy before Llyn y Foel come into view ahead.
Rhos Quarry Hole
|
Rhos Quarry Lake
|
Llyn y Foel is the first natural lake you'll come across
on the walk, it was created by the glacial hollow on
Moel Siabod's eastern side. The hollow gives this side
of the mountain its most exciting aspect with Llyn y
Foel being flanked by one of Snowdonia's most famous
ridges, the Daear Ddu. As you approach the lake the
path splits with one path heading towards the crumbling
scree gully on the right hand side of the ridge and
the other heading firstly to the lake shore then onto
the end of the ridge itself. You can take either route
depending on your confidence and the weather conditions,
the crest of the ridge is of course the most exciting
route. Both routes will top off on the summit of Carnedd
Moel Siabod near a large round stone shelter with the
trig point at the actual summit at 872M only a few metres
away.
Llyn y Foel
|
Scree Gully by Daear Ddu
|
On a clear day the views from this trig point are some
of the most famous in Snowdonia with the obvious eye
opener of the Snowdon Horseshoe to the west, the bulk
of the Carneddau massif to the north and the slightly
gentler welsh countryside in most other directions.
Moel Siabod is often known as the platform of Snowdonia
due to its location just outside of the three main massifs
of Snowdonia yet still lofty enough to overlook all
three.
Llyn y Foel from Moel Siabod
|
Rhos Quarry from Moel Siabod
|
To descend from the mountain head in a North East direction
from the trig point. Moel Siabod is basically a kilometre
long ridge that now heads off in a north easterly direction
from the summit. From the ridge looking to the right
you will be able to track the ascent route from above
and should be able to make out the quarry building layouts.
The ridge is not difficult but its a steady slope of
huge boulders and sharp slate. There is no path to follow
but basically following the easy steady descent in the
north easterly direction will see you safely off the
mountain. There are a few ups and downs over small pinnacles
on the way down until eventually the terrain becomes
lees tasking but steepens off at the end of the ridge
before it leads back down towards the Rhos track that
lead you up from Pont Cyfyng. Follow the track back
to the start of the path to finish the walk.
|
Duration
: 4.5 Hrs
