Eryri · Hard · There and back

Foel Fras and Llyn Anafon

Up the Anafon valley by path and track to Llyn Anafon, then up the ridge to Foel Fras, the 944 m summit at the north end of the Carneddau, and back the same way.

Distance
12.5 km (7.8 mi)
Ascent
740 m
Time
About 5 h 30 min
High point
941 m
Grade
Hard
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Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.

0 km5 km10 km941 m198 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Foel Fras and Llyn Anafon
Chris Andrews · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the Mountain Gate car park at the top of the narrow road above Abergwyngregyn, at about 198 m. A path through the gate and a long stony track climb up the Afon Anafon valley to Llyn Anafon, the lake at its head, whose weir is the intake for the Anafon hydro scheme. From the lake a path climbs the ridge between Drum and Foel Fras to the summit, Foel Fras, 944 m, the eleventh-highest summit in Wales, at the north end of the high Carneddau. You return the same way.

It is 12.5 km there and back with 740 m of ascent; allow about 5½ hours. The grade is Hard.

This is high, open mountain: the summit plateau is wide and flat, paths are faint on the upper hill, and cloud makes it easy to lose the way, so take a map and compass and boots. The Abergwyngregyn community says to allow 2 to 2.5 hours to walk back from the lake and to finish before dark. The narrow road up to the car park has descending traffic, so take care driving up.

The car park at the top is free, says the Abergwyngregyn community's page. There is no café or shop on the route.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • At 944 m Foel Fras is the eleventh-highest summit in Wales and a Welsh 3000
  • Llyn Anafon lies below the ridge between Drum and Foel Fras, and its weir is the intake for the Anafon hydro scheme
  • The summit plateau is one of the best places in Wales to see dotterel on their spring migration
  • The Abergwyngregyn community advises allowing 2 to 2.5 hours to walk back from the lake, and finishing before dark

Summits on the way

  • Foel-fras 944 m · passed close by

Getting there

Start: Mountain Gate car park, above Abergwyngregyn · Free parking. 53.22494, -3.98494

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Mountain Gate car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.