Wales
Craig Wen
546M
1792FT
About Craig Wen
Tucked away in the northern reaches of the Carneddau, this grassy outlier offers a quieter alternative to the high peaks. Characterised by its craggy eastern face and broad, heathery slopes, it provides an exceptional vantage point overlooking the Conwy Valley and the ancient Roman road at Bwlch y Ddeufaen.
Key Statistics
Rank
252nd Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
48.1m
Nearest Town
Capel Curig
Geology
You are walking over layers of ancient volcanic ash and hardened mud, pierced by volcanic rocks that once cooled deep underground.
Find It
Latitude
53.1238°N
Longitude
3.9008°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Welsh as 'White Crag', a reference to the light-coloured quartz or rhyolite rock that outcrops on its steeper eastern slopes.
- •It sits immediately south of Bwlch y Ddeufaen, a mountain pass used since Roman times as a primary route between the Conwy Valley and the Menai Strait.
- •The summit offers a distinctively low-angle view of the higher Carneddau ridge, with the massive northern shoulders of Drum and Foel Fras dominating the western skyline.
- •While easily reached from the Roman road, the ground between the track and the summit cairn is notorious for its hidden boggy patches and thick heather.
- •Despite its name promising a 'White Crag', the most prominent colour on a typical ascent is the deep purple of late-summer heather or a uniform shade of Welsh mist-grey.