Gamallt

About Gamallt

Rising above the Elan Valley near Llansantffraed-Cwmdeuddwr, this modest hump offers a quiet vantage point over the Cambrian wilderness. The terrain is typical of the region: rough, often pathless moorland that rewards the self-reliant navigator. From the summit, the eye is drawn directly down to the deep blue waters of Craig Goch Reservoir.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Welsh 'cam' (crooked or bent) and 'allt' (a hillside or wooded slope), describing the curving nature of the escarpment overlooking the valley below.
• •Its position provides a bird's-eye view of the Craig Goch Dam, the highest and arguably most ornate of the Victorian masonry dams in the Elan Valley system.
• •The summit sits within a vast tract of open access land where formal paths are scarce; walkers usually rely on sheep tracks and compass bearings to navigate the surrounding peat hags.
• •To the west, the view opens up across the 'Desert of Wales' toward the distant, bulky profile of Pumlumon Fawr, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains.
• •In this part of the Cambrians, what looks like a solid green path on a map is frequently a spirited game of leapfrog between patches of bog cotton and sphagnum moss.