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From Ogwen Cottage around Llyn Idwal |
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A relatively easy, but immensely popular walk - but unless you stay low at the far end of Llyn Idwal (which is marshy) you will encounter some rocky sections. Allow an hour to reach the lake and return, another hour if you intend to walk around it. There is a car park (649603) a few yards down the minor road at the western end of Llyn Ogwen. Start here (toilets and tea shack).
The path immediately bends leftwards below the gash of a nineteenth hone-stone quarry, crosses the stream a little further on by a double stile, and continues on and up to reach Llyn Idwal. Follow the left shore of the lake - a couple of small islands give some indication of the vegetation that you might get if it were not for the grazing sheep. After three-quarters of a mile you reach the foot of the Idwal Slabs which sweep upwards 500 feet, These are a very popular climbing venue, with the classic routes of virtue, Hope, Faith and Charity, while on the steep left boundary is the more ominous Suicide Wall. Beyond here the path rises towards the Devil's Kitchen (Twll Du), the narrow dark cleft in the cliffs at the back of the cwm from which the stream emerges. You do not need to ascend all the way to the cliffs, but cut across to the path that on descends the far side of the lake. This crosses one small stream and then meanders along above the lake - easy walking all the way to the beach at its northern end. Continue around the edge of the lake to reach the path back to the car park.
If you do not want to retrace your earlier route head north from the beach and look for a stile over the fence ahead. Cross this and follow the boggy path downwards (another fence and stile on the way) bringing you to the top end of the quarry. Steeply down into the bottom of this slot, and then along it - quite atmospheric if no one else is about – and over a stile to emerge at the tea shack.
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