Safety information
Welsh mountains demand respect. Conditions can change in minutes — even Snowdon in July sees casualties from inadequate kit and unexpected weather.
Carry: waterproofs, walking boots, warm layer, hat & gloves, OS Explorer OL17 (Snowdonia) or OL18 (Harlech & Bala), 1.5 L water, charged phone, head torch. Check the weather at mwis.org.uk on the morning. In an emergency call 999, ask for Police / Mountain Rescue, give your what3words location. Local team: the relevant Mountain Rescue Team.
At a glance
Southern Rhinog summit (712 m / 2,336 ft) — wild, trackless, ancient heather terrain considered the most demanding mountain landscape in Snowdonia relative to altitude. Llyn Hywel sits between Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr in a spectacular glacial col. Full traverse: 6–8 hours; compass navigation essential. Roman Steps (medieval paved causeway, not Roman) accessible from Cwm Bychan. Llanbedr station 3 miles (Cambrian Coast Line). LL44 2EG.
About Rhinog Fach
Rhinog Fach (712 m / 2,336 ft) is the southern of the two main Rhinog summits in the Rhinogydd range of southern Snowdonia — a mountain that punches well above its modest altitude in terms of the demands it makes on walkers. The Rhinogydd are formed from some of the oldest rocks in Wales (Cambrian sandstone, 500–600 million years old) and the landscape reflects this ancient character: massive boulders draped in deep, old heather, with few clear paths and almost no bare rock to step on. The famous Rhinog terrain — described by experienced walkers as some of the most energy-sapping ground in the whole of Britain — makes every mile take significantly longer than altitude or distance would suggest.
Between Rhinog Fach and its companion summit Rhinog Fawr (720 m, 1.5 miles north) sits Llyn Hywel — one of the most dramatically positioned mountain lakes in southern Snowdonia, hemmed in by the rocky faces of both summits. The classic day is a traverse of both Rhinogs via Llyn Hywel: a serious undertaking of 6–8 hours from the Cwm Nantcol or Cwm Bychan car parks, requiring navigation experience and appropriate equipment. The Roman Steps (a medieval paved causeway through the northern Rhinogydd, accessible from Cwm Bychan) make an atmospheric, less demanding alternative for those not tackling the summits.
Find it on the map
Frequently asked questions
The Rhinogydd (Rhinog mountains) have a widespread reputation among experienced hill walkers as the most demanding terrain in Snowdonia — not because of their altitude (neither Rhinog summit exceeds 750 m) but because of the nature of the ground. The mountains are formed from ancient Cambrian sandstone (among the oldest rocks in Wales, formed 500–600 million years ago) and the landscape reflects this ancient, uneroded character: massive boulders draped in deep heather, with almost no bare rock or clear paths. Walking through deep heather — particularly on a traverse rather than a direct ascent or descent — is exceptionally slow and tiring. A distance of 1 mile on a map might take 1.5–2 hours in the heather. The trackless nature of most of the Rhinogydd (few clear paths exist above the cwm floors) demands confident navigation. The combination of difficult ground, navigation demands, and remoteness makes the Rhinogs more serious than their modest altitude suggests.
Llyn Hywel is a small mountain lake that sits in the narrow col between Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr — a beautiful, wild location typical of the Rhinogydd. The lake is approximately 500 metres above sea level and is hemmed in by the rocky faces of both Rhinog summits. It is one of the most dramatically situated mountain lakes in southern Snowdonia — not large, but perfectly placed for reflection and photography, with the cliff faces of both Rhinogs rising above its shores. On still days, the lake mirrors the surrounding ridges. Reaching Llyn Hywel is the objective of most Rhinog walkers who are not attempting the full traverse — the lake can be approached from Cwm Nantcol to the west or via the Roman Steps path from Cwm Bychan to the north. A circuit of both Rhinog summits with descent to Llyn Hywel in the middle is the classic day walk in this area.
The Roman Steps are a remarkably well-preserved medieval paved causeway that climbs through the Rhinogydd from Cwm Bychan (a beautiful glacial valley accessible by narrow road from Llanbedr, north of the Rhinog main approach) over the Bwlch Tyddiad pass. Despite the name, the Steps are not Roman — they are a medieval packhorse route, probably 14th or 15th century, that connected the coastal lowlands with the drovers' routes of the interior. The paving stones (large flat slabs set into the hillside) are exceptionally well preserved and the route through the heather and boulders of the Rhinogydd is one of the most atmospheric walks in the whole of north Wales — a genuine landscape of antiquity. The Roman Steps are accessible from Cwm Bychan car park (north of the main Rhinog Fach approach) and make a self-contained walk of about 4 miles return without needing to summit either Rhinog.
The full Rhinog traverse — starting at Cwm Nantcol or Cwm Bychan, ascending Rhinog Fawr (720 m), descending to Llyn Hywel, ascending Rhinog Fach (712 m), and returning — is one of the most demanding day walks in Snowdonia relative to its altitude. The distance is modest (8–10 miles depending on the exact route), but the ground conditions make progress slow: expect 6–8 hours for a fit party with navigation experience. The traverse should not be undertaken without a map and compass and the ability to navigate in poor visibility. The rewards are proportionate to the effort: the Rhinogydd are genuinely remote and wild, the views to Cardigan Bay are superb, and Llyn Hywel between the two summits is one of the most beautiful high lakes in south Snowdonia. The traverse is best done in dry conditions — wet heather is significantly slower than dry heather.
The Rhinogydd are among the best wildlife habitats in Snowdonia, partly because the difficult terrain has kept intensive land use and large visitor numbers at bay. Red kites are common throughout the area — they breed in the forestry around the Rhinog foothills and hunt over the open upland. Peregrine falcons breed on the crags. Merlins (the small falcon of upland heath) nest in the deep heather of the ridge and can sometimes be seen hunting the open ground at low level in a fast, direct flight. Ring ouzels (mountain blackbirds, with white crescent on breast) breed in the rocky cwms in summer. The ancient heather of the Rhinogydd (much older and more diverse than recently burned or managed grouse moor heather) supports a range of invertebrates including rare moths. In the cwms, brown trout inhabit the mountain streams. The Rhinogydd are within the Snowdonia National Park Dark Sky Reserve, making the area excellent for stargazing.