Cnicht routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 7 measured routes up Cnicht, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Cnicht routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Cnicht route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Cnicht route

Croesor via the south-west ridge

A path up the south-west ridge, with a short rocky section near the summit. It starts from Croesor village car park. 3.1 km one way with 530 m of ascent. About 1h 30m to the summit and 2h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Gelli Iago via Bwlch y Battel

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Gelli Iago public path. It starts from Gelli Iago public path. 2.0 km one way with 410 m of ascent. About 1h 5m to the summit and 1h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Llyn Llagi and Llyn yr Adar

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Nantmor lane public path to Llyn Llagi. It starts from Nantmor lane public path to Llyn Llagi. 4.4 km one way with 490 m of ascent. About 1h 40m to the summit and 2h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Rhosydd and the north ridge from Croesor

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Croesor public path. It starts from Croesor public path. 7.7 km one way with 570 m of ascent. About 2h 30m to the summit and 4h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Cwmorthin, Rhosydd and the north ridge

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Tanygrisiau public path to Cwmorthin. It starts from Tanygrisiau public path to Cwmorthin. 7.7 km one way with 520 m of ascent. About 2h 25m to the summit and 3h 55m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Nantmor via Croesor

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Nantmor mapped mountain-path entrance. It starts from Nantmor mapped mountain-path entrance. 6.4 km one way. Grade: Hard.

Croesor via Moelwyn Bach and Moelwyn Mawr

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Croesor public path, over other tops on the way. It starts from Croesor public path. 11.6 km one way. Grade: Hard.

Cnicht route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Croesor via the south-west ridge, Gelli Iago via Bwlch y Battel, Llyn Llagi and Llyn yr Adar, Rhosydd and the north ridge from Croesor, Cwmorthin, Rhosydd and the north ridge, Nantmor via Croesor, Croesor via Moelwyn Bach and Moelwyn Mawr. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Cnicht today and the Cnicht 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Cnicht routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Cnicht, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Cnicht

What is the easiest route up Cnicht?

Croesor via the south-west ridge has the easiest grade of the 7 routes listed here (Moderate).

How much time does each Cnicht route take?

Croesor via the south-west ridge: about 1h 30m up and 2h 5m there and back. Gelli Iago via Bwlch y Battel: about 1h 5m up and 1h 30m there and back. Llyn Llagi and Llyn yr Adar: about 1h 40m up and 2h 35m there and back. Rhosydd and the north ridge from Croesor: about 2h 30m up and 4h 0m there and back. Cwmorthin, Rhosydd and the north ridge: about 2h 25m up and 3h 55m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Cnicht route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.