Moelwyn Mawr

Commanding the Moelwynion range, this peak offers a masterclass in post-industrial beauty. It provides a stunning panorama of the Snowdonia giants, provided you can peer through the slate-grey drizzle that the locals affectionately refer to as 'a bit of a damp patch'.

• •The mountain sits atop the massive Rhosydd Slate Quarry, which once employed hundreds of men in dangerous underground caverns. Walking here feels like traversing a giant, crumbly Swiss cheese of industrial heritage.
• •Its name translates to 'Great White Hill,' a nod to the pale quartz-veined rocks that dot its slopes. On a rare sunny day, the summit can practically glow, though most hikers usually just see varying shades of moody Welsh granite.
• •From the summit, you get a perfect side-on view of Cnicht, often called the 'Matterhorn of Wales' for its sharp profile. It is arguably the only place where Cnicht actually looks like a proper mountain rather than a slightly pointed ridge.
• •The peak overlooks the Llyn Stwlan reservoir, which is part of one of the first pumped-storage hydroelectric schemes in the world. It serves as a constant reminder that while you are gasping for air, the water below is efficiently moving uphill.
• •The descent into the col towards Moelwyn Bach involves a choice between a steep scramble or a legendary boggy detour. Choose the bog; your boots haven't truly experienced Wales until they’ve made that specific, soul-crushing 'thwock' sound that suggests the mountain now owns your footwear.