15th of July to 25th of July 2026.
Distance: 313.7km. 11 days.
Wikiloc: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/the-snowdonia-way-2026-276744781.
This is the first part of a series about my hike on The Snowdonia Way, mountain route. One disclaimer, photos I select for the series will be evenly distributed among the various parts, meaning a part may contain photos from another part in the series.
Machynlleth - Trawsfynydd
Distance: 124.6km. 4 days.
Three years ago I did The Cambrian Way, walking through the Welsh heartland from Cardiff to Conwy. That I did a complete thru-hike is unfortunately not something that I can say with cross my heart and fingers, because I had to skip the stages crossing over Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the Glyderau due to some exceptionally horrendous weather. In other words, I had some unfinished business in Wales.
Machynlleth, The Snowdonia Way starts from the old town clock from 1874 in the centre of the town.
This summer I decided to go back to wrap things up, as I had got my eye on another long distance trail that would make it possible to combine with what I had remaining of The Cambrian Way. From Machynlleth, The Snowdonia Way also makes its way through a Welsh heartland, Snowdonia or Eryri as it is called in its native tongue.
Looking back from the climb up towards Tarren Hendre.
The main route is for the most part keeping to the valleys, although that does not mean it is without its ascents. In addition, an alternative mountain route has also been devised, where the route instead is climbing over the mountains surrounding the main route. The low-level route runs at about 156 kilometres, whereas the high-level clocks in at 196 kilometres and with a considerably greater degree of accumulated altitude meters.
At the top below Tarren Hendre, an undulating ridge towards Tarren Cwm-ffernal.
The mountain route is at times very often intersecting with The Cambrian Way, so there was a certain incentive to do the low-level main route in order to see new landscapes, but the higher ground still got the better of me.
View from the descent from Tarren Hendre, Cadair Idris in the background.
Machynlleth is a nice little market town located at the southern edge of the Eryri National Park, from where its old clock tower marks the beginning of the trail. The town is known for having been the seat of the Welsh Parliament of Owain Glyndŵr. Machynlleth is also known for the low-level training ground for fast flying planes, where fighter planes among others are flying at high speed through the valleys between the mountains, known as the Machynlleth Loop.
Leaving Abergynolwyn, The Snowdonia Way goes on a lovely path next to the Afon Dysynni river.
The trail has been devised in such a way that hikers can change between the high and low level routes for most of the stages, but not on the first. From Machynlleth, the main route heads towards Dolgellau, whereas I set forth in the direction of the village of Abergynolwyn, splitting the hike to Dolgellau between the peaks of Tarren Hendre and Cadair Idris.
Looking down towards Llanfihangel-y-Pennant from the climb up towards Cadair Idris.
Tarren Hendre might not be considered amongst the most prominent peaks of the trail, but it is a decent climb on a first day of a long distance hike. Especially given the rather unnatural high temperature, for it is hot. The grassy peak at 633m is reached after an initial climb up from Machynlleth, where one can hum along to the tunes of Bron-y-Aur by Led Zeppelin, followed by a descent before the final climb begins. All pleasant walking for most of the time. The undulating grassy ridge beckoned me to do a detour to the top of Tarren Cwm-ffernal with views of the sea.
Magnificent view from the top of the Pony Path, with Y Garn clearly visible and Yr Wyddfa in the horizon.
For this hike, I have preferred staying at accommodations instead of camping, given my memory of the rainy days on The Cambrian Way in mind. As would be told over the course of these articles, however, I could not have had more ideal conditions for camping due to the dry weather.
Walking down next to the Arthog waterfalls.
When I hiked The Cambrian Way, I had crossed over Cadair Idris in horrendous weather, but I had such a nice time when I finally arrived in Barmouth that I wanted to visit the seaside town again. However, opting to split the stage to Dolgellau in two also meant climbing up to the chair of Idris (Penygadair) twice, but with the beautiful weather it was worth it. Detouring from The Snowdonia Way, I made use of The Cambrian Way most of the way to Barmouth. However, I felt more tired than expected upon arriving, so although the evening was nice, I also felt that I did not get the most out of the detour revisit. The number of seagulls and their activities in the town were still just as prominent, however.
Barmouth carved head.
Walking over Cadair Idris in the now clear weather is just a perfect picture of how different hiking is when in clear conditions or when it is low visibility like I had the last time. Standing at the summit of Penygadair that time, I had no idea of how close the drop of the cliff face was. I could have been standing in the middle of a huge grassy expanse for all I knew, except that I was not. Although I had got some faint views back then, I am happy to see how the views really are, with Barmouth and the Mawddach estuary clearly visible and Yr Wyddfa in the horizon. The descent from Gau Graig is barely a path where the ground is hidden by the vegetation making slow progress going down as I cannot trust where I put my feet, still mesmerised that I climbed up there in the bad weather.
Crossing over the Mawddach Estuary on the wooden walkway of the Barmouth Bridge, with a view of Cadair Idris in the background.
Why there was not any accommodation available in Dolgellau became quite obvious when I arrived. There is a music festival in the town, Sesiwn Fawr, and the streets are crowded with people and the sounds of music from everywhere. I grab a coke and some beers, but seeing that I am tired after a long day of hiking, I am content to escape to my guesthouse in Dolgun Uchaf about twenty minutes outside of the town. It is a quiet place, and my room is very nice, so I just eat a loaded fries from one of the food and drink stalls, go to a food store to buy a little bit more food and snacks for the evening and go to my room and rest.
View from the summit of Cadair Idris, Penygadair, Llyn y Gader below.
Wales are experiencing an unusual dry and hot summer, severely manifested by several wildfires. From the summit of Y Garn, I could clearly smell the smokes from the nearby fire in the Rhinogau mountains. Y Garn is reached after a wonderful hike through woods, along a sublime precipice walk with views of the estuary and sea, and a climb both steep and gentle at times. All with the dominant eyes of Cadair Idris in the background. Windy at the summit.
Cadair Idris.
The descent from Y Garn is another route where a path is just a line on a map. Brackens are eventually engulfing me at all sides, and no respite is found on the cumbersome walk next to a stone fence. However, the ruins of a mountain farm provide serenity and shelter from wind as a nice place for having lunch. The upside of this is that I feel that I am in a rare remote area. The path is improving after the tranquil ruins. Who worked or lived here in the distant past?
In Dolgellau.
Towards Trawsfynydd, I walk with a feeling of both sadness and joy. Sad for the views of Rhinog Fawr and Rhinog Fach in flames, remembering that wonderful stage of The Cambrian Way, now blackened. Joyful for the otherwise nice views, and for seeing that the fire will not threaten the next day of my hike going over Moel Ysgyfarnogod. It is a nice walk to Trawsfynydd from where the high and low level routes meet, but confusion at the end lead me to take the quiet road instead of through the farmland where the trail actually goes. I stay at a nice bunkhouse and enjoy a quiet evening at the local pub, which becomes livelier when festival goers return from Dolgellau. Three Belgian women doing the low-level route also ended up here, having found no place to stay in Dolgellau like me.
New Precipice Walk after Dolgellau, with a view of the Mawddach Estuary in the background.
The Snowdonia Way:
- part 1: Machynlleth - Trawsfynydd.
- part 2: Trawsfynydd - Pen-y-Pass.
- part 3: Pen-y-Pass - Conwy.
Wikiloc:
- stage 1: Machynlleth - Tal-y-Llyn.
- stage 2: Tal-y-Llyn - Barmouth.
- stage 3: Barmouth - Dolgun Uchaf.
- stage 4: Dolgun Uchaf - Trawsfynydd.
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