Wales
Glyder Fach
994M
3262FT
About Glyder Fach
Standing as one of the highest peaks in Wales, this rugged summit is a chaotic jumble of frost-shattered Ordovician rhyolite. Its character is defined by the stark, rock-strewn plateau of the Glyderau, offering a moonscape feel that contrasts sharply with the green Ogwen Valley and the formidable ridges of neighbouring Glyder Fawr.
Key Statistics
Rank
6th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
74.5m
Nearest Town
Ulverston
Geology
You are walking over a rugged foundation of ancient volcanic ash, hardened volcanic rock, and layers of sandstone.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SH656582
Latitude
53.1040°N
Longitude
4.0090°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Welsh 'Cludair', meaning a heap or pile, a literal description of the frost-shattered rock debris that litters the summit plateau. While 'Fach' means 'small' or 'lesser', it remains one of the highest points in the country.
- •The summit is home to the Cantilever Stone, a massive, flat slab of rock balanced precariously atop another. It is a rite of passage for walkers to stand on its overhanging end for a photograph, though the rock itself is far more stable than the dizzying drop beneath it suggests.
- •Located just to the west of the summit is Castell y Gwynt, or 'Castle of the Winds'. This jagged outcrop of vertical rock shards is one of the most striking geological features in Eryri and was famously used as a filming location for the 1981 film Dragonslayer.
- •From the summit, the view north offers a unique perspective directly down onto the shark-fin profile of Tryfan, while to the south, the massive horseshoe of the Snowdon massif dominates the horizon across the Llanberis Pass.
- •Despite the name Glyder Fach translating to 'Small Glyder', standing at 994 metres ensures it is only 'small' in the same sense that a shark is small compared to a whale.