Manod Bach

Standing in the shadow of its larger neighbor, Manod Mawr, this rugged summit offers a raw perspective of the Ffestiniog slate landscape. The terrain is frequently damp and pathless, rewarding walkers with quiet, industrial-edged solitude and clear views across the Lledr Valley toward Moel Penamnen and the northern Moelwyns.

• •The name Manod derives from the Welsh words 'man' (place) and 'od' (snow), suggesting a peak where snow lingers; 'Bach' identifies it as the 'little' or smaller twin to the 661-metre Manod Mawr.
• •While the larger Manod Mawr was hollowed out to store National Gallery paintings during the Second World War, Manod Bach remains a less-disturbed outcrop of the same volcanic rock, offering a more traditional hillwalking experience.
• •The summit offers a unique perspective on the industrial heritage of the area, looking directly down into the slate-grey sprawl of Blaenau Ffestiniog and across to the tiered quarry benches of Llechwedd.
• •It is one of the few places in the Moelwyns where the silence of the high ground is occasionally interrupted by the distinct, distant whistle of a steam locomotive working the Ffestiniog Railway in the valley below.