Wales
Moel y Gydros
522M
1714FT
About Moel y Gydros
Perched just outside Snowdonia’s official boundary, Moel y Gydros is a 522-meter moorland lump that often feels like the park’s slightly neglected cousin. It offers splendid isolation, primarily because most hikers are busy queuing for Snowdon while you’re busy questioning your life choices in a North Wales peat bog.
Key Statistics
Rank
291st Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
146m
Nearest Town
Glasfryn
Geology
You are trekking over layers of hardened mud and silt. These rocks, known as mudstone and siltstone, form the solid foundation of Moel y Gydros.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SH914453
Latitude
52.9940°N
Longitude
3.6195°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Welsh as the 'Bare Hill of Gydros,' referencing the ancient township of Gydros that once occupied these high, windswept slopes.
- •Geologically, the hill sits at a fascinating crossroads where the volcanic drama of the Arenig mountains meets the softer, rolling Silurian shales of the Hiraethog Moors.
- •The B4501 road skirting the hill’s base follows an old drovers' route, once the primary highway for moving Welsh Black cattle toward the markets of England.
- •Though it technically sits outside the National Park, the summit provides a grandstand view of the 'real' Snowdonia peaks without the soul-crushing crowds of a Bank Holiday.
- •Navigating the summit plateau requires the grace of a mountain goat and the optimism of a fool. Your boots will likely emerge three shades darker and ten pounds heavier thanks to the local mud.