Wales
Garn Wen
511M
1677FT
About Garn Wen
Rising above the rolling plateaus of Mid-Wales, this 511-metre Tump offers a quiet, pathless experience for those seeking solitude. Its name translates to 'white cairn', though today the summit is a modest grassy rise typical of the Cambrian Mountains, providing expansive views across the wild Rheidol and Elan Valley watersheds.
Key Statistics
Rank
116th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Wales
Prominence
?
74m
Nearest Town
Llanwrtyd Wells
Geology
You are walking across layers of mudstone and sandstone, interspersed with coarse pebbly rocks that form the rugged foundation of Garn Wen.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN845459
Latitude
52.0993°N
Longitude
3.6876°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Welsh 'carn' (cairn) and 'gwen' (white), suggesting the summit was once marked by a prominent prehistoric burial mound or a pile of quartz-rich stones.
- •As a classified Tump—a hill with a thirty-metre drop on all sides—it is often visited as part of a longer, pathless circuit through the remote moorlands between Cwmystwyth and the Elan Valley reservoirs.
- •On a clear day, the summit offers a southward perspective toward the high ground surrounding the Claerwen Reservoir and the distinctive whaleback silhouette of Plynlimon to the north.
- •In this particular stretch of the Cambrian Mountains, 'navigation' is often less about following a compass and more about successfully negotiating the bottomless peat hags that guard the final approach.