Foel Goch

Rising above the remote Hirnant valley, this grassy Berwyn peak offers a quieter alternative to the range’s more frequented summits. It sits on a high, often boggy ridge connecting to Esgeiriau Gwynion, providing wide, uninterrupted views across the Aran ridge and the distant silhouettes of the Snowdonia massifs.

• •The name translates from Welsh as 'Red Bare Hill', a likely reference to the seasonal colour of the heather and grasses that clothe its rounded slopes.
• •Despite its modest stature, it qualifies as both a Hewitt and a Nuttall, reaching the 2,000ft mark by a slim ten-foot margin.
• •The summit offers a particularly clear profile of the Aran ridge to the west, specifically the steep eastern crags of Aran Fawddwy, while the waters of Lake Vyrnwy can be spotted tucked between the ridges to the south.
• •The hill is most often climbed as part of a wild, high-level circuit from the head of Cwm Hirnant, a route that avoids the crowds found in the neighbouring national park.
• •The Berwyns are notoriously damp; on a bad day, the 'red' in the name might feel less like a description of the flora and more like a warning about the colour of the mud you'll be scraping off your gaiters.