A stunning circular Beddgelert walk: Mountains, lakes and river gorges

With low hanging clouds shrouding the mountain peaks of Eryri, we passed through small villages heading deeper and deeper into the national park. A few spots of rain on the windscreen confirmed that you really can’t plan around the weather in the mountains of North Wales, despite having endured a heatwave for days beforehand. That said, the perfect thing about the cloud cover in the mountains, is an ever changing view of the landscape. Perfect for a stunning circular Beddgelert walk taking in mountains, lakes and river gorges.

AD | This guided walk was hosted by Curious Cymru, working in collaboration with Airbnb Experiences. RAW Adventures, who hosted the walk, offer a number of guided walks in Eryri (Snowdonia National Park). This particular experience is no longer available with RAW Adventures.

Our walk would take us out into the wilderness surrounding the gorgeous mountain village of Beddgelert, where we would learn about some of the myths and legends of the area. The hike would provide a dramatic range of scenery including ancient forests, wild heathland, roaring river gorges and so much more, all in the capable hands of a knowledgeable guide.

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SETTING OUT ON A CIRCULAR BEDDGELERT WALK

Eryri. Snowdonia. A land of jagged peaks, crystal clear lakes and lush valleys. A land full of myth, mystery and miles of wilderness to explore. A land so beautiful that it attracts a huge number of visitors. The benefit of an experienced and knowledgeable guide when walking this land is that they can choose routes off the main tourist trails. Perfect for those busy summer months.

Myself and Pete met Ross at the Aberglaslyn National Trust car park, where our 9km circular Beddgelert walk would begin. We were briefed about what to expect at the start of the hike –  there would be some climbs, some steep steps and some fairly precarious sections of riverside trail. Good walking shoes or boots were strongly recommended, as was weather appropriate clothing and drinking water as we’d be walking for three to four hours.

A right turn on the pathway from the car park led under an old railway bridge, through a narrow section dense with fern before the landscape opened out before us. A stream trickled alongside us, with crystal clear waters running down the side of the valley. Ferns and heather blanketed the ground, broken up by old stone walls and the walking trail cutting its way through the thick fern ahead.

Starting the climb at Cwm Bychan

The first section of our walk in Snowdonia headed up through Cwm Bychan, a valley with steep rocky slopes to both sides. As the elevation became higher, the view back toward the coast opened up. Looking down towards Porthmadog and the Dwyryd Estuary, the lush green fields of the valley floor contrasted against the rocky outcrops blanketed with pink heather and yellow gorse bushes.

The historic mining area of Bwlch y Sygun

Heading further up Cwm Bychan towards Bwlch y Sygun, we learned that this mountain area was home to copper mines in the Victorian era. The Sygun Copper Mine and Cwm Bychan Copper mine operated in the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, when they were closed. The Sygun mine entrance was reopened in the 1980’s as a tourist attraction, which still operates today.

Walking up the mountain, we were amazed to see that remnants of the old Cwm Bychan mining operation still exist above ground. Some pylons from the old aerial ropeway still stand in the valley – a snapshot of the history of the area. Suspended buckets of ore would be carried down the hillside on the ropeway to the point where we started our walk, where the ore would have been offloaded onto trains. It was fascinating to see these towering pylons still standing proud in the valley.

Arriving at the highest point of the walk, we climbed a stile and took some time to admire the magnificent views that spread out around us. Off to the right was one of the most remote parts of the Snowdonia National Park, with miles of wilderness stretching out ahead of us. Directly ahead, Llyn Dinas reached out towards the Nant Gwynant Pass. To the left, the foothills of Snowdon were visible below the blanket of clouds. Majestic and beautiful, with the undulating lines of the old stone walls creating a pattern on the mountainside. The summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in the UK at 1,085 metres, was hidden and shrouded in the low cloud.

Heading down to Dinas Emrys and Beddgelert

A long series of steep steps led down to Llyn Dinas, far below. It was at this point where I was thankful that Ross had chosen the clockwise route on our circular Beddgelert walk. The thought of climbing these steps wouldn’t have filled me with joy – a thought confirmed by the people we passed along the way, red faced and sitting down to rest halfway up.

From Llyn Dinas, the pathway levelled out and followed the Afon Glaslyn back towards Beddgelert. The route passed by Dinas Emrys and the Sygun Copper Mine before heading into the Beddgelert, one of the most popular tourist villages in Snowdonia. A bustling mountain hub full of cafes, pubs and accommodation options, the village focal point is where two rivers (Afon Colwyn and Afon Glaslyn) meet. The stone buildings and bridges are picturesque, even more so with the backdrop of the mountains surrounding the village.

The river gorge section of the Beddgelert walk through Aberglaslyn Pass

No time to hang around though, the final section of the circular Beddgelert walk in Eryri was coming up. Following the riverside trail from Beddgelert, we crossed the river alongside a railway bridge which carries the Welsh Highland Railway. From here, we headed down the Fisherman’s Path into the Aberglaslyn River Gorge – one of the most scenic gorge walks in Europe. Following the river, which despite being relatively low in late summer, the water was still raging in some areas, and particularly loud.

There were sections with larger calmer pools where people (and dogs) swam. The pathway through the gorge was easy to navigate for the most part, however one section was a narrow rock ledge where you had to carefully manoeuvre around the rocky outcrop. There were metal handles built into the rock face to assist, but on a damp day, the rocks were fairly slippery. The gorge walk was a fantastic and beautiful way to end the circular route. Heading towards the end of the gorge, the forest became thicker and greener. Moss covered rocks and trees made it feel almost tropical in nature.

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LEARNING EXPERIENCES ON A CIRCULAR BEDDGELERT WALK

One of the focuses of our Beddgelert walk experience was to learn about the gin making process in Eryri. When discussing gin, a keyword that’s mentioned repeatedly is botanicals. The botanicals are the natural ingredients used to create the different flavour of gins. They can be made up of a combination of herbs, spices, fruits and even flowers – anything that will add flavour to the gin. The varied North Wales landscape provides the opportunity for foraging of various botanicals used in gins produced by many local distillers. During our circular Beddgelert walk we were able to search out some of the ingredients that can potentially be used to add flavour and taste.

North Wales’ best botanicals

The key botanical used in gin is juniper. It’s the main ingredient to create the flavour. Wild juniper does grow on the hills of Snowdonia, although not in abundance required for large batches. There are, however, many other native botanicals that grow in the area that are used by local producers. The heathland of the area produces heather and gorse in huge quantities.

During our walk, there were long sections where we were surrounded in swathes of fragrant purple heather, dotted with the bright yellow flowers of gorse. The flowers of both plants can be used as gin making botanicals. As well as these, bilberries, blackberries, wood sorrel and sea buckthorn are also found in the region. We came across some bilberries on the walk. Very similar to blueberries, these small dark berries were rich and intense in flavour.

Eryri’s natural water source

Another perfect ingredient found in the hills of North Wales is the natural spring water directly from the mountains. Our walk along the trails through Cwm Bychan followed streams that gently flowed down the hill side with crystal clear waters directly from the ground. We stopped at one point, where Ross explained about the local water sources, and took a cup full of water directly from the stream for us to taste. Given that our location was directly downstream of the copper mines, there was a slight coppery hint to the water, but it was cold, clear and refreshing.

Myths and Legends

Snowdonia is a land borne of myths, legends and folklore. As one of very few countries in the world who’s flag features a mythical creature, there’s a story behind that red dragon. There’s some Arthurian history in the area, with some of the local lakes including Llyn Dinas laying claims to contain Excalibur. The story behind the hill fort of Dinas Emrys bears reference to a magical young boy, Myrddin Emrys (Merlin?) and a battle between a red dragon and a white dragon.

We then have the legend of Beddgelert, directly translated to Gelert’s Grave. A terrible tale of a prince who mistakenly assumed his faithful dog Gelert had caused a tragedy, where in fact the story turned out to be completely the opposite. Gelert’s Grave stands to this day as a popular attraction in the area, where tourists can visit the grave and a nearby memorial.

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USEFUL INFORMATION FOR YOUR BEDDGELERT WALK

STARTING POINT OF THE WALK  Our circular Beddgelert walk started a couple of miles outside of the village at the National Trust Aberglaslyn Car Park. The car park is located on the A4085 south of Beddgelert, via the A498 and has toilet facilities. Parking is cash only, £5 for the day, or free for National Trust members.

For visitors without a car, the village of Beddgelert can be accessed by public transport. the nearest railway stations are Porthmadog and Caernarfon, with regular bus services on the Snowdon Sherpa (S3 or S4 routes). Journey’s take approximately 20 minutes form either station. The walk can start and end in the heart of the village.

CHECK OUT THE SNOWDON SHERPA TIMETABLE HERE

WHERE TO STAY | The village of Beddgelert is a popular hub for visitors to the area with a number of accommodation options, from hotels, B&Bs and self-catering options.

OTHER EXPERIENCES IN NORTH WALES | Whilst this particular walking experience is no longer available to book via RAW Adventures and Airbnb Experiences, there are a whole host of experiences that can be taken in North Wales with both companies.

Airbnb Experiences offers experiences with local hosts in North Wales, giving you a unique insight into the area by knowledgeable, local people.

EXPLORE AIRBNB EXPERIENCES IN NORTH WALES

RAW Adventures offer a number of guided mountain walks as part of their Walks Eryri portfolio.  There are a range of routes for varying skill levels, which offer unique perspectives of the National Park in the safe hands of a qualified guide.

BOOK A GUIDED MOUNTAIN WALK WITH RAW ADVENTURES

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RELATED CONTENT

If spending more time in or around Eryri, take a look at some other areas and experiences to explore.

Venture north of The Rocks for some EASY HIKES IN THE NORTHERN CARNEDDAU MOUNTAINS – some of which are accessible directly from the hostel.

Travelling by car? Take A SCENIC LOOP OF THE BEAUTIFUL CONWY VALLEY.

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage slate landscape of Wales with A WALK TO DINORWIC SLATE QUARRY FROM LLANBERIS

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