Glyder Fawr at a glance
Up through Cwm Idwal and round Twll Du (Devil's Kitchen) to a stony summit plateau. The BBC's Weatherman Walking route.
- Start: OgwenLlyn Ogwen (SH 649 604)
- OS Explorer OL17BBC route guide (PDF)
- Parking is limitedT10 bus, or Bethesda and Bws Ogwen (Eryri)
The route
- Ogwen Visitor CentreSH 649 604, by the A5
- Llyn IdwalLeft path along the lake
- Darwin's BouldersSH 646 597
- Idwal SlabsSteep steps
- Stream crossingTricky: many turn back here
- Twll Du (Devil's Kitchen)Small scrambling sections
- Stile and Llyn y CŵnAbout 45 minutes still to go
- Glyder Fawr summit1,001 m, SH 642 579
Before you go
- Stream crossingTreacherous after heavy rain or in winter (BBC)
- Devil's KitchenSmall scrambling sections, steep steps
- Near the topFaint path, loose rock. In mist: map and compass
- On the way downMost slips happen when you are tired (BBC)
Eryri does not publish a route for Glyder Fawr, so the distance and time are the BBC's.
Plan your Glyder Fawr day
1. Pick a day
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Best day this week
Our own guide, not an official rating: a weather score from the same rules of thumb as the warnings (gusts, rain, cloud, wind chill, freezing level), lowered on days that are usually busy. Busyness uses Eryri's 2025 walker counts by weekday and month, so it shows a typical pattern, not a crowd forecast. Tap a day to see it.
Sunrise hike: what time to start
- You will walk up in the dark: carry a head torch with spare batteries, and a second light. Eryri advises carrying a torch and whistle in case you are caught on a summit after dark.
- It is much colder before dawn and at the top: pack extra warm layers.
- Navigation is harder in the dark: know the path, and carry a map and compass and the skills to use them.
- Early buses may not run yet: check the first bus time, or the parking rules, before you plan the start.
- Go with others, tell someone your plan, and turn back if the weather is poor.
Hour-by-hour forecast: Glyder Fawr summit (1,001 m)
Wind and gusts in mph. Freezing level in metres above sea level. Forecast data: Open-Meteo.
Before you go, also check the Met Office mountain forecast, MWIS.
2. Getting there
Map
The route map (OpenTopoMap) loads when you scroll here.
How busy it gets
Monthly walker counts, 2025
One-way counts from Eryri's Idwal counter in Eryri's Visitor Monitoring Report 2025; total 131,434.
Photos
Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Click a credit to see the original and its licence.
Stay safe
- Emergency: 999 or 112Police, then Mountain Rescue
- Text "register" to 999Before you go
- Skills, weather, gear?Ask the AdventureSmart questions
- Stay off the railway trackDogs on leads near livestock
- Turn back in timeThe summit will still be there
Other walks nearby
Cwm Idwal, about 2 hrsTryfan, a scrambleCompare Eryri walksThe six paths up Yr Wyddfa
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk up Glyder Fawr?
The BBC's Weatherman Walking route from Ogwen via Twll Du (Devil's Kitchen) is about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) there and back; it says allow 5 hours.
How high is Glyder Fawr?
The BBC gives the summit as 1,001 m (just over 3,280 ft), the fifth highest mountain in Wales.
How hard is the Glyder Fawr walk?
The BBC grades it Moderate with difficult sections: a tricky stream crossing where many people turn back, small scrambling sections around Devil's Kitchen, very loose rock near the top and a summit that is hard to pinpoint.
Where do I park for Glyder Fawr?
At Ogwen: the Eryri car park at Canolfan Ogwen (£8 a day (until 22:00) · £5 up to 4 hrs). Spaces are limited, so Eryri suggests the T10 bus or parking at Bethesda and taking Bws Ogwen.
Is Glyder Fawr harder than Snowdon?
It is shorter, but rougher underfoot near the top. Eryri does not publish a route for Glyder Fawr, so we use the BBC route and do not compare grades directly.
Sources
- BBC Weatherman Walking: Glyder Fawr (PDF, 2017)
- Eryri: Cwm Idwal (Ogwen parking and buses)
- Eryri: parking in Eryri (prices and payment)
- Eryri: Visitor Monitoring Report 2025 (PDF)
- OpenStreetMap contributors (route lines, ODbL)
- OpenTopoMap (map tiles, CC-BY-SA)
- Leaflet (map library, BSD-2)
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. The BBC route dates from 2017; paths and conditions may have changed. Summit height: BBC 1,001 m; OpenStreetMap gives 1,000.8 m.