Glyder Fach routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 8 measured routes up Glyder Fach, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Glyder Fach 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.

Glyder Fach 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 Glyder Fach route

Pen y Gwryd via the Miners' Track

A path up the south side of the mountain to the plateau and the summit boulders. It starts from Pen-y-Gwryd. 3.9 km one way with 720 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 45m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Devil's Kitchen / Twll Du and plateau traverse

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Ogwen Cottage. It starts from Ogwen Cottage. 5.4 km one way with 790 m of ascent. About 2h 25m to the summit and 3h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Afon Las from Nant Peris and plateau traverse

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Afon Las mapped footpath entrance. It starts from Afon Las mapped footpath entrance. 5.1 km one way with 930 m of ascent. About 2h 35m to the summit and 3h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Pen-y-Pass ridge approach and plateau traverse

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Pen-y-Pass. It starts from Pen-y-Pass. 4.6 km one way with 700 m of ascent. About 2h 5m to the summit and 3h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Ogwen via Bristly Ridge

A path to Bwlch Tryfan, then the steep scramble up Bristly Ridge to the summit plateau. It starts from Ogwen Cottage car park. 3.7 km one way with 828 m of ascent. About 2h 5m to the summit and 2h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Senior's Gully and Ridge and plateau traverse

A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Ogwen Cottage. It starts from Ogwen Cottage. 6.1 km one way with 900 m of ascent. About 2h 45m to the summit and 3h 55m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Y Gribin and plateau traverse

A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Ogwen Cottage. It starts from Ogwen Cottage. 5.6 km one way with 790 m of ascent. About 2h 25m to the summit and 3h 35m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Bristly Ridge

A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Ogwen Cottage. It starts from Ogwen Cottage. 3.0 km one way with 690 m of ascent. About 1h 45m to the summit and 2h 20m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Glyder Fach route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Pen y Gwryd via the Miners' Track, Devil's Kitchen / Twll Du and plateau traverse, Afon Las from Nant Peris and plateau traverse, Pen-y-Pass ridge approach and plateau traverse, Senior's Gully and Ridge and plateau traverse, Y Gribin and plateau traverse, Bristly Ridge. 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 Glyder Fach today and the Glyder Fach 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Glyder Fach 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 Glyder Fach, 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 Glyder Fach

What is the easiest route up Glyder Fach?

Pen y Gwryd via the Miners' Track has the easiest grade of the 8 routes listed here (Moderate).

How much time does each Glyder Fach route take?

Pen y Gwryd via the Miners' Track: about 2h 0m up and 2h 45m there and back. Devil's Kitchen / Twll Du and plateau traverse: about 2h 25m up and 3h 30m there and back. Afon Las from Nant Peris and plateau traverse: about 2h 35m up and 3h 35m there and back. Pen-y-Pass ridge approach and plateau traverse: about 2h 5m up and 3h 0m there and back. Ogwen via Bristly Ridge: about 2h 5m up and 2h 50m there and back. Senior's Gully and Ridge and plateau traverse: about 2h 45m up and 3h 55m there and back. Y Gribin and plateau traverse: about 2h 25m up and 3h 35m there and back. Bristly Ridge: about 1h 45m up and 2h 20m 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 Glyder Fach route?

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