Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia. Terry Marsh

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      This is Gladstone Rock, commemorating the visit in 1892 of W E Gladstone, then in his 84th year and Prime Minister for the fourth time. Here he addressed the People of Eryri on the topic of Justice in Wales.

      The path continues clearly beyond Gladstone Rock, while prominent all around are the remains of the South Snowdon Slate Works, which began operation in 1840, but because of the expense of transporting slates to Porthmadog had to be closed in 1882. The large building on the left is the barracks, where the men slept through the week, returning to their homes only at weekends. Other ruins are dressing sheds and workshops. This wide cwm was used as location for the 1968 film Carry on up the Khyber.

      Just past the barracks, the path starts to climb steeply, casting about to ease the gradient as much as possible until it reaches Bwlch y Ciliau, from where there is an exceptional view of Crib Goch and Llyn Llydaw below. There is a large cairn at Bwlch y Ciliau, and from it a path ascends, right, up Y Lliwedd. The Watkin Path, however, bears left, passing first across Bwlch y Saethau, once itself adorned with a large cairn said to mark the site of the death of King Arthur. Indeed, the whole of the cwm below, Tregalan, is allegedly the scene of one of the king’s many battles. Even older than Arthur’s battles, the cwm displays fine lateral moraines – piles of grass-covered rocks and earth deposited by the retreating glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age. Yr Aran rises majestically on the other side, and beyond it Moel Hebog and the Glaslyn estuary.

      From Bwlch y Saethau, the path starts to rise abruptly across the southern flank of Snowdon. The section between Bwlch y Saethau and the top of the climb, Bwlch Main, is very steep, unstable, dusty and worryingly loose when dry, and slippery when wet. In winter conditions, this route is the preserve only of experienced and well-equipped mountaineers. Not under any conditions should a deviation from the path be contemplated; it is far from the surest of routes, but it does head straight for a prominent finger of rock on Bwlch Main, an essential marker for anyone descending the Watkin Path.

      Once safely on Bwlch Main, turn right for a brief stony section up to the café and then the summit of Snowdon above that.

      From the summit, retreat to Bwlch Main and the finger of rock, but then continue along a ridge path, initially in a south-westerly direction. This is excellent walking, but the ridge becomes narrow, and has a number of rocky sections. When the path forks, bear left, uphill, to experience more rocky ridge work along Allt Maenderyn. There are a few awkward, scrambly stretches along this steadily descending ridge, where hands, knees and bottoms will be called into play. This is no place to hurry, and can be very tiring.

      Eventually, you reach a ladder-stile spanning a fence, beyond which a final, rocky staircase of slate leads to Bwlch Cwm y Llan, and it is from here that those bound for Yr Aran will depart, upwards. Before deciding what to do, take a little time to inspect the old slate quarries.

      The path for Yr Aran follows an old wall which, higher up, veers off to the left before turning to a south-westerly direction to climb to the summit, marked by a cairn and splendid views. From the top of Yr Aran, it is possible to head east alongside a wall, then leaving it as the wall turns to the south, by descending steeply, and without a path to guide you, in a northwards direction. It is somewhat safer, however, to retrace your steps to Bwlch Cwm Llan.

      From Bwlch Cwm Llan, take to a slate gully that leads to and through a wall before skimming on down across grassy slopes. The descending path is continuous, if occasionally vague, but it does come down to intercept an old tramway used by the quarry, and along which horse-drawn trams took the slate to the top of a steep incline from where they were lowered to Pont Bethania.

      On reaching the tramway, the route lies to the right, but it is worth taking a few moments to turn left towards quarry buildings in front of which lies what some have mistaken as a graveyard (SH611523). It is simply a random placement of slate slabs, of uncertain origin, although it is agreeable to think they may have been placed in commemoration of those who died working the quarries.

      Return along the tramway, which passes through a few rock cuttings until it reaches the top of a clear path descending to the left, reaching the route of ascent not far from Plas Cwmllan. Now all you need to do is turn right, and retrace your steps to Nantgwynant.

      Yr Aran from just above Bwlch Cwm Llan

      WALK FOUR

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