If you’re somebody who is excited by the thought of feeling like they’re standing on the roof of the world while having it all to themselves, then climbing Aran Fawddry should certainly be on your bucket list

. Virtually all visitors to Snowdonia head to the north of the national park. Mount Snowdon, The Carneddau and Glyderau ranges host all of the highest peaks and so quite fittingly are the biggest attractions. You can of course still find solitude in these parts like I did when I hiked the stunning Carneddau ridge back in the summer. For proper peace though and a sense of visiting a place that seems like it is yours alone, climbing Aran Fawddry surely is hard to beat.

Where To Start The Hike?

Located in the far south east of Snowdonia, Aran Fawddry can be climbed from several different directions. The most popular ascent appears to start from the hard to pronounce Llanuwchllyn village. With all those double ll’s, I reckon that repeating that name several times would make a great cure for a bad chest! This is a long route, but the ascent is more gradual and you get to enjoy the high ridge that eventually leads to the highest point at Aran Fawddry. I did consider this route, but turning it into a circular walk appeared quite tricky and I didn’t relish the idea of an out and back walk.

I decided to begin my adventure in Cwm Cywarch, a dramatic valley to the south of the mountain. I had read about how stunning it was here, plus I had planned to wild camp on neighboring Glasgwm mountain. It seemed the perfect place to start and indeed I wasn’t disappointed.

The Aran Fawddry circular walk is 12.84 km long with a total ascent of 1048m. Those figures show the circuit could be completed in one day and would be made easier by omitting Glasgwm from the route. That one is entirely up to you, but I’d recommend a visit if only to see one of the highest lakes in all of England and Wales. it isn’t often you find a body of water on a high summit. The mountain is also an excellent place to wild camp if this is something you’re considering.

Leg One- Cwm Cywarch To Glasgwm Summit- 2.7 KM

Don’t be fooled by the short route you might see on the map. On a river tow path this distance is nothing, but a quick study of the contour lines reveals that most of this section is uphill. You can leave your vehicle in the small car park at the end of the road. It is free to use with a small charity box and portable toilet provided. Proper luxury for such a remote place I thought! At 145 metres above sea level, you will have to climb over six hundred metres to reach Glasgwm’s summit. It does look impressive, but rather intimidating as it looms over you at the head of the valley. Strong legs and lungs will certainly come in handy.

I shan’t write much more about this part of the hike, as all the details you could possibly need can be found here in my write- up of my wild camp on Glasgwm. All I will repeat is that it is stunning and breathtaking in more than one way. You are unlikely to see many other people either.

Leg Two- Glasgwm to Aran Fawddry Summit- 4.2 KM

I had to chuckle when my OS Map App said this leg of the route would take one hour fifty minutes. Being well used to walking at pace and having a good fitness level lead me to believe it wouldn’t take anywhere near that long. I was of course humbled by the mountain. It actually took me a fair bit longer with all the stops I made to admire my surroundings and change in and out of my rain coat. You live and learn!

The terrain along the route is also challenging. If starting on Glasgwm, you will first need to negotiate a steep descent. Without walking poles it could prove tough on the knees and the scree sections certainly make it more fun but also challenging underfoot. Thankfully only some hardy mountain sheep witnessed my slips, swearing and funny dances I performed in a bid to stay upright!

I was relieved to make it to the bottom of Glasgwm with both ankles still intact. A quick drink was enjoyed while I took in the awesome views of the distant Rhinog Mountains, which were now being revealed by the vanishing clouds.

The Infamous Bog Begins

I had read about how boggy this next section could be. It did indeed seem pretty precarious in places, but I figured that one of the driest summers on record would have gone some way in drying things out a bit. If that is the case then I shudder to think how bad it can be up here during a proper wet spell.

Much of the next kilometre or so was made up of balancing across decaying wooded boards. Below them sat puddles and bog so deep that it swallowed my entire walking pole when testing their depths. I may not have slept well the previous night, but this section certainly kept me alert. I shuddered to think how unpleasant or in fact dangerous it could be if somebody fell in. Thankfully I remained upright and lived to tell the tale.

The Push To The Summit

I was very relieved to finally leave the bog behind and start the climb towards the summit. Gradual at first, the gradient soon increased and it wasn’t long before I was doing what I do best in the mountains- sweating and panting! It wasn’t worth complaining though. Already the views were awesome and it appeared I was nearing the summit. Spirits were high as I was finally making good progress on the Aran Fawddry circular walk.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve now miscalculated where the summit is though and it appears I have no plans in stopping this anytime soon. It may have been a little soul destroying initially, but it didn’t take too long to make it to the summit and the terrain was just wonderfully wild and rocky. In nearly two hours I hadn’t seen another person either. It seemed like there was nobody else around for miles. A stream of other hikers in the distance would have given a totally different experience in my mind.

Reaching The Summit

It is always a great feeling placing your hands on the summit cairn and this was no different. At 905 metres, climbing Aran Fawddry meant I was officially the highest person in the UK south of Snowdon. With my view on drugs, it isn’t very often I can say that!

The wind on the summit was noticeably chilly, so I quickly applied the layers and admired the incredible views. They were extensive in all directions and I was thankful that the low cloud had risen. With its location, I could make out much of Snowdonia spread out before my eyes. To the west were The Rhinogs, Cadair Idris and The Arenigs. It was hard to believe that I was higher than any of them,yet had the summit all to myself on a Saturday morning in September.

To the south, I could make out the end of Snowdonia and the beginning of Wales’ Green Desert- The Cambrian Mountains. Plynlimon could be seen and I grinned to myself as I reminisced about my wild camp on its summit. I could really see the beauty of Wales from up here and understood why people are so proud to be Welsh. There were hills and mountains in all directions, with little in the way of urban areas. My idea of heaven!

Leg Three- Aran Fawddry To The Car Park- 6.2 KM

It is hard not to be on a high on this final leg of the Aran Fawddry circular walk. You start with awe-inspiring views and know that there is very little in the way of ascent the rest of the way back.

Initially it was challenging keeping track of where the path was, but the summit of Drysgol was clearly visible and I just headed towards it. A clear path was found easily enough and the proper descent began. Just before it did, I admired the stunning views to the east of Aran Fawddry. The summit dropped away dramatically to reveal a lake at the bottom and views all along the ridge to Aran Benilyn further north. It was rugged, beautiful and offered a true sense of space.

After stopping briefly at the summit of Drysgol, I started my final few kilometres back to the car. The views continued to amaze me all the way, with the Hengwm Valley being particularly beautiful. I couldn’t help but chat to myself, mostly about the incredible landscape I was now part of. As a geographer, I couldn’t help but marvel at how the rivers and streams had carved this landscape over many thousands of years.

It wasn’t until I was around a kilometre or so that I saw my first person of the day. He happened to be from Durham and was heading up to wild camp by the lake below Aran Fawddry. Interestingly, he also now lived in Wales, stating that the beauty of the country was what had drawn him here. Looking around I could understand exactly what he meant.

Possible Extensions For Future Trips

While some people enjoy reading a good book or newspaper, I enjoy studying an OS Map. Yes this is slightly odd, but it has helped me realise that it is possible to walk from Aran Fawddry all the way to The Berwyn Mountains without hardly dropping below six hundred metres of elevation. That is pretty impressive when you consider it is a good twenty miles or so in distance. The Berwyn Mountains are another wild and rarely visited area, which I have visited and love. Enjoying a long hike that links both would be great. The wild and remote upland it ventures through would surely make for an epic trip. One for the future perhaps….