Carnedd Dafydd

About Carnedd Dafydd

Rising as the third-highest peak in Wales, this massive Hewitt offers a rugged, boulder-strewn summit plateau. It is usually climbed as part of a high-altitude traverse from neighbouring Carnedd Llewelyn. The northern face drops into the dramatic crags of Ysgolion Duon, overlooking the deep glacial trough of the Ogwen Valley.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Welsh as 'David’s Cairn', named in honour of Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the younger brother of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. His brother is commemorated by the neighbouring peak, Carnedd Llewelyn.
• •The mountain's northern cliffs, known as Ysgolion Duon (The Black Ladders), provide some of the longest and most serious winter climbs in the country, though their orientation means they require a sustained cold snap to come into safe condition.
• •The summit offers an exceptional view directly across the Ogwen Valley to the serrated ridge of Tryfan and the Glyderau, a perspective that highlights the contrast between the rounded Carneddau and the jagged volcanic peaks to the south.
• •This high plateau is one of the few places to see the Carneddau ponies, a hardy, semi-feral breed that has existed in these mountains since at least the Bronze Age and is known for its ability to survive the most extreme Welsh winters.
• •Despite its stature as a 1,044-metre giant, the summit plateau is so vast and stony that you may spend more time watching your feet to avoid a turned ankle than actually admiring the record-breaking altitude.