Climb Aran

The Holy Mountain.

 

Aran Fawddwy         2969ft  (905m)   125-863224 SH

Aran Benllyn            2940ft  (885m)   125-867243 SH  Optional

Erw y Ddafad-ddu    2861ft  (872m)   125-865234 SH  Optional

Waun Camddwr        2037ft (621m)    125-848206 SH

 

Parking

There is space for several cars at the end of the lane. Park by the Port a loo and notice board. Please do not block the access routes.

 

Maps

Ordnance Survey Explorer 23 (Outdoor Leisure)

Ordnance Survey Landranger 125


The Start of the route

The Aran range runs from Bala to the village of Dinas Mawddwy. Through this village the main holiday traffic along the A470 flows on its relentless journey to the Cambrian coast. During most of the summer bank holidays enjoyed in the UK, you will see a steady stream of traffic snaking its way up and over the pass of Dinas Mawddwy unaware of the wonderful mountains either side of the pass.


In Dinas Mawddwy at the entrance to Merion Mill you will find one of the few examples of a pack horse bridge still standing next to the modern bridge carrying the A470 across the Afon Dyfi (River Dovy)

The principle summit of the Arans is Aran Fawddwy, standing at 2969ft (905m) it is only 31ft short of munro status of 3000ft and almost 40ft higher then its lofty neighbour Cadair Idris. Yet this mountain receives only a fraction of the visitors that Cadair Idris receives, despite being the higher of the two.

One of the problems of Aran is that of access. In effect there are three may access routes, one from the end of Bala lake at the village of Llanuwchllyn, another off the A494 and the third from the little hidden valley of Cwm Cywarch.

It is the latter route of Cwm Cywarch that this route begins.


Take care in winter, Aran is a very exposed ridge and Artic condition can be experienced during cold spells. Refer to the Mountain Safety page on this site for more information on being prepared on the mountains.

 

Route

 

Take the the turning on your right off the A470 into the village of Dinas Mawddwy. At the end of the main street you will come to a junction, turn right along the road sign posted for Lake Vyrnwy and the Bwlch y Groes pass, the highest in Wales. Then take your second turning on the left signposted for Cywarch. Be careful this turning is easily missed, it is only about one mile outside the village of Dinas Mawddwy.

                                Looking towards the Aran ridge

Follow the lane until you reach a stretch of open land, at the end of this open area you can park your car near to the port-a-loo by the notice board.

This is the starting point of the walk.


From your car walk past the little footbridge that has the sign for Aran Fawddwy pointing across it. (You will return across this at the end of the walk) Walk on up to the farm and follow the path markers which take you past the farm on the right. The track is marked quite clearly and there are a number of wooden ladder styles to cross before you cross the last one on to open ground. In front of you is the bulk of Glasgwm. The track follows the small stream tumbling down the cwm on the right.

Continue up until you get to the top of the cwm, the track will cross the stream at least a couple of times and can be a little hard to follow as it fades in places.

On reaching the top of the cwm continue west using the fence on your left as a hand rail until you come to a fence that crosses your path. Here you will see posts pointing north sign posted for Aran Fawddwy. The area here is relatively flat and boggy with small tarns dotted around.

At this point turn right and follow the track running along the left hand side of the fence. At various intervals there have been planks of wood laid down to cut down the soil erosion caused by walkers, there are very useful for keeping your feet dry.

Continue along the track for about a mile and on your right the small high point with a small cairn on is Waun Camddwr. If peak bagging is your thing hop across and claim it as another peak on your list. Once done return to the track and continue north for another mile.

You will now notice a significant steepness of the gradient as you start climbing towards the high point of the ridge.

The fence goes west of the summit so you will need to head east once you’re opposite the trig point of Aran Fawddwy. A clue to the approach is a wooden style ladder that you have to cross prior to the approach to the summit. The trig point made of rock stands on a huge cairn. On its eastern side are the cliffs that run along the eastern flank for much of the ridge down to Bala.

Below is the small blue lake of Creiglyn Dyfi, the source of the river Dovey. These cliffs are dangerous as the rock can be unstable. They have also claimed the lives of world war two pilots who have slammed their aircraft into the rock in low cloud. The wreckage can still be found at the bottom of the cliffs.

Creiglyn Dyfi

If you have the energy and will power you can continue along the ridge to claim two more peaks, Aran Benllyn and Erw y Ddafad. This will however add a further two or three miles onto your walk. Once done you will have to retrace your steps back to the summit of Aran Fawddwy.

Here on a clear day you can follow the tops of the cliffs south or on a day of poor visibility go back to the wooden style ladder you crossed on your approach. Here turn left and follow the fence down to Drws Bach.


Here a narrow ridge supports a cairn dedicated to an RAF St Athan mountain rescue team member, Mike Aspin who died in June 1960 aged just 18, after being struck by lightning. A small metal box and a pad and paper are left by the memorial to leave a note and drop a few coins in to assist the funding of mountain rescue teams.


Once you have crossed this small narrow ridge follow the track downwards until you reach the top of the Hengwm valley, here turn right and follow the path along the side of the valley down to its base.

Just before the path continues left around the base of the hill, turn right down a track along a hedge of Hawthorne trees. This will take you back to the footbridge you past earlier. Be careful on the track as stretches of it are on worn rock that can be slippy in the wet.

Once you return to the bridge turn left for the short walk back to where you parked your car.

This guide is free, but if you wish to give a donation of any kind. Please give one to any of the Mountain Rescue organizations.

These Guys risk their lives to protect and save you in your time of need.
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