Wales
Elidir Fawr
924M
3031FT
About Elidir Fawr
Dominating the northern end of the Glyderau, this peak is a mountain of two halves: wild, grassy slopes to the north and the vast, stepped amphitheatres of slate quarries to the south. The summit offers a sheer, perpendicular view down the Pass of Llanberis toward the sharp ridge of Crib Goch.
Key Statistics
Rank
14th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
213m
Nearest Town
Nant Peris
Geology
Elidir Fawr is built from layers of ancient sediment, ranging from gritty sandstone and pebbly rocks to fine-grained siltstone and mudstone.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SH611612
Latitude
53.1298°N
Longitude
4.0775°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Welsh as 'Great Elidir' and is said to commemorate Elidir Mwynfawr, a 6th-century prince from the 'Old North' of Britain who traditionally led an invasion into North Wales.
- •Commonly referred to as the 'Electric Mountain', its interior was hollowed out in the 1970s to house the Dinorwig Power Station, one of the largest pumped-storage hydroelectric schemes in Europe.
- •The ascent from the village of Nant Peris involves a relentless 800-metre climb, but rewards walkers with a clear sightline over the Menai Strait and the distant hills of the Lleyn Peninsula.
- •From the summit cairn, the view north-east looks directly over the Ogwen Valley, offering a unique profile of the jagged towers of Tryfan and the bulky mass of Pen yr Ole Wen.
- •Given the millions of tonnes of slate removed from its western flank for roofing over the centuries, this is one of the few mountains in Wales that is technically getting lighter every year.