The Ogwen valley really is a great spot for day hikes in Snowdonia. There are many walks that start here and parking is readily available along the roadside laybys, or if you are lucky, at Ogwen cottage. The facilities at Ogwen cottage are very good, so if you need some food or a coffee before you set off, you will be sorted.
Y Garn walk to devils kitchen from the Ogwen valley is a strenuous hike with spectacular views.
Circular route elevation: approx 650m
Circular route distance: approx 4.5 miles
Difficulty: This is a strenuous walk
Address : Ogwen cottage Nant Ffrancon, Bethesda LL57 3LZ
Y garn and the Devils kitchen circular walk from the ogwen valley
This walk starts at Ogwen cottage and takes in some spectacular views of the Ogwen valley, Llanberis and the Snowdon massive. The views towards Anglesey are also beautiful on a clear day.
On approaching Ogwen cottage, keep left and head up the track, from here there are two ways you can take. The first head right through the steep-sided gorge ( marked in blue on my map). This will take you to the wall and wooden gate at the start of the Y Garn ascent ( marked 1 on my map ). The second head past the circular wooden map signs and over a small footbridge that crosses a river. After a hundred meters or so the path splits, keep right here and head towards Lynn Idwal. After arriving at Llyn Idwal, walk past the beach which is towards the right but will be on your left as you walk past it. On your right you will see the path start to rise towards the wall and wooden gate which starts the Y Garn ascent ( marked 1 on the map )
Now that you are on the path to Y Garn summit it is plain sailing all the way, just put one in front of the other and keep going. Around halfway you will probably need a well-earned rest and the small lakes of cwm Clyd / Llyn Clyd are well worth the short detour, there's plenty of nice boulders dotted around that will make your stay more comfortable.
The view from viewpoint 2
Camera settings f8 iso 200 1/250th sec 22mm with a circular polariser
After checking out the small mountain lakes you will be ready for your final push to the summit of Y Garn. The further you go the steeper it will be and in particular the last 100 meters a little dicey underfoot, just watch out for the loose stuff under your feet and all will be good. Make no mistake though, this part is strenuous and a decent level of fitness will be required.
When at the summit you will be able to see views in every direction. West to Llanberis, South to Snowdon, north-west to Anglesey and east down the Ogwen valley towards Pen y ole wen and Tryfan. You may get lucky, as we did and see the train climbing mount Snowdon. There's plenty of opportunities here for photographs and a telephoto lens will come in very handy for picking out shots in the distance as the clouds change the aspect of the landscape.
camera settings f7.1 iso 200 1/500 sec 91mm handheld.
There's a small windbreak at the top, you will see this after you go past the two small cairns.
After the 650 meters uphill walk and a well-earned break you will see the small mountain lake of Llyn y cwm which sits at the base of Glyder Fawr, this marks the way for your route to devils kitchen. The views here are spectacular and Llyn y cwm sits in an incredible boulder field. Searching here will definitely yield rewards if you are looking for a good landscape photography shot, especially around sunset.
On approaching Llyn y cwm you will need to follow the shoreline to the left up and over a few rocks and down a gully which almost looks like a gravel road, keep going here, gently descending until you reach a dry stone wall and a wall ladder, This will be the start of your descent through devils kitchen and back to Llyn Idwal.
Make no mistake this route is steep and even in the best of conditions a good level of fitness will be required, it's hard on the knees too, so walking poles may be a good option if your knees are a little dodgy, like mine. You can view the walking poles that I use, here on Amazon https://geni.us/X15Z7C
The path is well marked as it is literally a boulder staircase, just look ahead and plan your route, only a couple of times did I stray from the path, but that was just me looking for photographs and not looking at my route.
There are some lovely waterfalls on the way down and a cracking lone tree which would make a great shot over Llyn Idwal and on to Pen y ole wen. Sadly for me, the light wasn't quite right, but on another day I'm sure I will fair a lot better.
Gradually the path will get less steep and eventually you will find your way back at Llyn Idwal. Two choices here, you can either go clockwise or anticlockwise around the lake, both will take you to the same spot and head you back towards Ogwen cottage.
Camera settings f 5.6 iso 160 1/1000 sec 25mm circular polariser
Things to look out for.
This is a tough walk and a good level of fitness will be required to make it to the top, The route down devils kitchen is particularly hard on the knees and will become more difficult during wet and icy conditions, so just bear this in mind. If conditions are clear you will always be able to see Llyn Idwal so navigating is easy. Do be aware though that conditions can change very quickly in the mountains and a map and GPS is definitely advised, you can view the os map here on Amazon https://geni.us/FCh1f Waterproof clothing, and sun cream are advisable. Uv levels are a lot higher on the peaks and the temperature a lot lower, getting sunburnt can be something to watch out for even in the early spring and late autumn.
I hope you enjoy the walk.
Feel free to share this blog post on your social media if you think others might like it, also check out my youtube video for a look at the terrain and route. Feel free to print this info out and take it with you if you think it will be helpful on your journey. I would love to hear about your hike if you choose to take on this cracking circular route of Y Garn and Devils kitchen from the Ogwen valley.
Enjoy ATB Ian
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