Carreg Naw Llyn [Esgair Garregnawllyn]

Situated deep within the Cambrian Mountains, this wild moorland peak rises above the Claerwen Reservoir. It offers a remote, often boggy experience typical of the Elan Valley’s trackless interior. From the summit, you gain an expansive view over the desolate watershed and the distant rounded dome of Drygarn Fawr.

• •The Welsh name translates as 'Stone of the Nine Lakes', a likely reference to the various pools and peat hags that punctuate this high, saturated plateau.
• •The hill sits on the western edge of the Elan Valley catchment; water from these slopes eventually flows into the Claerwen Reservoir, part of the historic water system designed to serve Birmingham.
• •A visit here is usually a lesson in navigation; the terrain between here and Esgair Gelli to the east is notoriously featureless, consisting mostly of trackless grass and peat hags.
• •In the height of a wet Welsh winter, the name 'Nine Lakes' can feel like a conservative estimate for the number of water bodies you will have to navigate around.