Joe Brown

Cnicht, Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach from Croesor

• 4,000ft ascent,

• Including Moel y Hydd, 9.5 miles,

• 5 hours

This is a reasonably full day's outing. 
Cnicht is known as the Welsh Matterhorn, and does indeed appear a splendid pyramidal shape from Croesor.  

Park in the small car park in Croesor village.  From the entrance of the car park turn right, and go uphill past the chapel.  After half a mile turn right through a metal field-gate to head straight towards Cnicht.  Pleasant walking leads to a steeper and more rocky section which brings you to the summit. 
You now realise that, impressive though it is from the south, Cnicht is in fact a ridge rather than a distinct summit when viewed from the sides.  Follow the ridge downhill until near Llyn Adar.  At the lowest point in the ridge drop down to the right to pick up a rather indistinct path. This leads past two small lakes towards Rhosydd slate mine (if you are too far to the right you will meet the trackbed of the railway that carried the finished slates to the top of the steepest incline in Wales, and took them to the bottom of Cwm Croesor).  The entrance to No.9 Adit (an adit is a horizontal level in a mine used from drainage) is situated a few yards from the old barracks. 

Take the path that follows the quarry incline from the adit entrance.  A second incline brings you out onto a flatter area of moorland.  Moelwyn Mawr is up to the right. Moel yr Hydd is up to the left.  Visit this first if you wish, then drop back down the rtidgeline towards Moelwyn Mawr. 

This hill steepens the higher you climb, but eventually you emerge onto a flatter area around the summit.   Descend down the east ridge, then climb briefly over a subsiduary summit before dropping to the col between the two Moelwyns (possible return route back along the valley to Croesor).  A path leads diagonally up Moelwyn Bach, which is neither as steep or high as its cousin.  You soon reach the top and the final section of the route which follows the grassy ridge southwards. 

When near the obvious conifer plantation veer right to join the valley track at its right hand corner.  The path runs just inside the woodland boundary, muddy at first, then an easy track to a road gate. At the road turn right and follow this back in about a mile to Croesor.