Nantlle Ridge Hike Guide | Snowdonia's best ridge walk

27 Oct

The Nantlle Ridge hike, Snowdonia National Park

The Nantlle ridge is one of Snowdonia’s hidden gems and easily one of my favourite day hikes in the entire National Park.

The seven mile one way ridge walk involves breath-taking vistas, incredible mountain scenery, and several kilometres of non-technical but slightly exposed ridge walking.

You’ll also probably only encounter a handful of other walkers on route, meaning it’s a perfect choice for those who like to find some solitude on the hills.

Because the scrambling on this hike isn’t technical and the exposed elements of the ridges can be avoided, its also a perfect hike for those wanting an introduction into ridge walking.

Within this guide I outline how to hike the Nantlle ridge one way, starting in the Village of Nebo and finishing up at Rhyd Du.

This is a hike which you have to do if you are visiting Snowdonia and providing you save it for a good day, will be one you definitely won’t forget.

Key Information

Hike Distance: 7 miles / 11.25km
Hike Duration: 4-7 hours
Elevation Gain: 930m
Hike Difficulty: Hard
Hike type: One way
Start Point: Nebo (What Three Words location: ///debt.stylist.headstone )
Finish point: Rhyd Ddu
Technical aspects - Some minor scrambling and exposed ridge walking
OS Maps route

Where to park for the Nantlle Ridge

If you do have access to two cars, I would tackle the hike one way from west to east, starting in the village of Nebo.

You will first of all have to leave a car at the end point in Rhyd Ddu.

There is a layby on the bend of the B4418 with space for around five cars. There is no charge to park here and having left a vehicle here overnight It’s perfectly safe.

What Three Words location: ///debt.stylist.headstone

If this layby is full then you will have to park in the Rhyd Ddu car park next to the train station in the village. This car park is one of the stating points for ascending Snowdon so it can also get busy.

From here you will have to make the 10 mile / 25 minute drive west to the the village of Nebo.

There is a small gravel car park just outside the village to the north west of Llyn Cwm Dulyn, with enough room for around 6 cars.

What Three Words location: ///node.chitchat.reliving

The road through the village of Nebo are single-track and very narrow and the final 200m of the road is not paved. If this car park is full you there is space for 4-5 cars back up on the paved section of the road.

The Route

This guide outlines hiking the route one way, from west to east.

The first peak you will head towards is Garnedd Goch. From the car park to the summit is 2.8km with 460m of elevation gain.

From the car park, cross the wooden footbridge over the stream and begin to follow the path which runs parallel to Llyn Cwm Dulyn (but not directly alongside it).

The wide, grassy, and easy to follow path will begin to climb gently before slowly becoming steeper.

As the path steepens the terrain becomes a rocky underfoot and slightly harder to follow. The route will then head southwards around the side of the mountain towards a stone wall.

Once at the stone wall simply follow the zig zagging path alongside the stone wall as it climbs steeply up to the summit of Garnedd Goch.

Garnedd Goch (700m) to Craig Cwm Silyn (734m)

The summit of Garnedd Goch is marked by a cairn next to two stone walls.

Unfortunately during my visit it was completely shrouded in cloud so I can’t comment on the views from the summit. As i was in a rush to find a wildcamp spot before sunset I also didn’t bother to stop to a take a photo.

From Garnedd Goch, cross the wooden stile over the stone wall and follow the path as it heads north-eastwards, keeping the stone wall on your right.

The path is relatively flat and slowly climbs up towards Craig Cwm Silyn (734 m) over one mile.

Again I cant comment on the views as I couldn’t see a thing, the terrain was a mix of rock and grass and not difficult underfoot.

Craig Cwm Silyn (734m) to Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (653m)

I actually wild camped on the summit of Craig Cwm Silyn, unfortunately I pitched up in cloud and awoke to the same disappointing conditions.

However as I began to descend towards Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (653m) the cloud lifted and revealed the incredible view of the ridgeline.

Although the distance between these Craig Cwm Silyn and Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd is only 1.8km, you unfortunately have to climb and scramble your way down into a saddle before a steep and short climb back up Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (653m).

The hike becomes slightly more technical on the second section of this descent.

Although the path is pretty obvious as it zig zags down the left hand side of the mountain, It is predominantly quite rocky and can be steep in sections with some small elements of scrambling.

Once down at the saddle, follow the fence (which should be on your left hand side) for 300m before starting the steep climb up towards Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd.

There is a wooden stile at the start of the climb, Dont cross over it and keep the fence on your left hand side.

After around 100m of steep zig zagging climbing the route will level off and come onto a wide grassy plateau which leads towards the summit.

Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (653m) to Trum y Ddysgl (709m)

The summit of Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd is marked by quite possibly one of the largest trig points in the UK. The stone pillar is over 10ft high and is clearly visible from miles away.

At this point you are over half way along the Nantlle ridge so it would be a good place to stop and eat some snacks.

Head through the wooden gate and follow the clear and obvious path alongside the stone wall as it initially descends then climbs up the ridge towards Trum y Ddysgl (709m).

The distance between the two peaks in 1km and involves 140m of elevation gain. There is also a 10m section in the middle of the ridge which is exposed but isn’t at all technical.

Trum y Ddysgl (709m) to Mynydd Drws-y-Coed(695m)

At 709m, Trum y Ddysgl is the second highest summit on the Nantlle Ridge.

It is also one half of the two Marilyns that make up the ridge, the other being Craig Cwm Silyn. The mountain has a dramatic morphology, with two aretes, dark glacial cwms and rocky character.

The dramatic backdrop of Snowdon also makes this one of the most impressive views in the national park.

In one direction you will look towards Mynydd Drws-y-Coed and the summit of Snowdon.

And in the other direction you have the rest of the Nantlle ridge, which snakes its way into the distance.

The Nantlle Ridge, Snowdonia National Park — Looking back towards Trum y Ddysgl

The final of the hike is where the real ridge walking starts.

Take the time enjoy the views before descending down the ridge then back up towards Mynydd Drws-y-Coed.

Although the ridge dramatically drops away on your left hand side the wide obvious path steers well clear of the edge and avoids becoming dangerous or exposed.

Mynydd Drws-y-Coed (695m) to Y Garn (633M)

From the ridge of Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, The route then begins to descends steeply down towards Y Garn.

The descent is very rocky and has some elements where you will need to scramble and use your hands. The good news is this scrambling isn’t at all exposed and is well clear of the ridgeline.

Once the scrambling is out of the way, the path levels out and you simply have to follow the stone wall to the summit of Y Garn (633m).

The descent down to Rhyd Du

The route back to the layby is 2km with 440m of rather steep descent

From Y Garn the path swings back eastwards, cross over the wooden stile which looks towards Snowdon and begin to follow the path as it descends down the mountain.

The village of Rhyd du will quickly come into views as the path begins to zig zag steeply down the mountainside.

Although your legs may not be appreciating the steep descent, you should be grateful that you are descending this bastard of a slope rather than climbing it.

I also recommend sticking to the spongy grass which runs alongside the narrow path as its a lot easier on the legs and quicker to descend.

Final Thoughts

I had heard and read good things about the route but this hike absolutely blew my socks off.

The combination of the moody conditions, breath-taking views, deserted peaks, and several kilometres of non technical but slightly exposed ridgeline, made this one of my favourite day hikes in Snowdonia national park.

Like I have mentioned, although there is a small element of scrambling it isn’t at all technical. You can also avoid skirting along the edges of the exposed ridgelines by dipping slightly lower on the path.

This makes it the perfect ridge walk for those who dont have too much ridge experience or aren’t too confident with scrambling.

Definitely add this hike to your list and make sure you tackle it with two cars and hike from west to east.

Hiking the route one way dramatically shortens the walk and means you can thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the views and terrain.

I recommend starting in Nebo and going from west to east because you will constantly be walking towards the backdrop of Snowdon and you will finish up with Mynydd Drws-y-Coed which is the most dramatic and impressive section of the route.

If you are completing the hike with a single car, I would advise starting and finishing the hike from Rhyd Ddu, doing the walk as an out and back.