Crug Gynon

About Crug Gynon

Rising above the remote Claerwen Reservoir in the Elan Valley, this 525-metre Tump offers a quintessential Cambrian experience. The terrain is characterized by high, wild moorland and tussocky grass. From the summit, look across the water to the higher domes of Drygarn Fawr and Gorllwyn to the south.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Welsh 'crug', meaning a mound or heap, and 'Gynon', a mutation of the personal name Cynon. This suggests the summit may have historically served as a burial mound or a significant local boundary marker.
• •The hill sits within the 'Green Desert of Wales', a vast area of high moorland known for its lack of roads and permanent settlements, making it one of the most isolated spots in the Cambrian Mountains.
• •The summit provides an excellent perspective of the Claerwen Reservoir; completed in 1952, its massive dam was the last of the great Elan Valley waterworks to be built.
• •Navigation here can be challenging; the terrain consists of broad, featureless plateaus and peat hags that can become disorienting if the mist rolls in from the west.
• •Despite its modest height, the lack of established trails ensures you are far more likely to share the summit with a Red Kite than a fellow walker.