Wales
Esgair Garthen
507M
1663FT
About Esgair Garthen
Tucked away in the Elan Valley’s wild heart, this broad Cambrian ridge overlooks the vast Claerwen Reservoir. It is a landscape of quiet moorland and soft terrain, typical of Mid-Wales. Reaching the summit rewards walkers with a profound sense of solitude and views stretching across the empty, rolling gritstone hills toward Drygarn Fawr.
Key Statistics
Rank
129th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Central Wales
Prominence
?
22m
Nearest Town
Powys
Geology
You are walking upon the Rhuddnant Grits, a sturdy foundation of layered sandstone and mudstone that makes up the bulk of this fell.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN825642
Latitude
52.2634°N
Longitude
3.7231°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Welsh 'esgair', meaning a long ridge or shank of a hill, and 'garthen', which likely stems from 'gardden' (enclosure or camp), hinting at the area’s long history of upland grazing.
- •The summit provides a clear perspective on the scale of the Elan Valley reservoirs, specifically looking down onto the 184-foot high Claerwen Dam, the last of the great dams built in the area.
- •Walkers often combine a visit here with the nearby summit of Gorllwyn, navigating a high, peaty plateau that remains one of the least-visited corners of the Cambrian Mountains.
- •Navigation in this area relies heavily on a compass; the broad, featureless nature of the ridge means that when the mist rolls in, one grassy hummock looks remarkably like every other.