Elidr Fawr

Overview

An elegant cone shaped peak standing above the village of Llanberis. Though it forms part of the ridge of the Glyderau this hill stands alone from the other 3000 ft peaks of Snowdonia and as such gives superb panoramic veiws of the other hills.



It is most often climbed up the south side from Nant Peris where there is good car park, it can also be accessed from the Ogwen valley via the ridge leading in a westerly direction from Y Garn.

The name is attributed to an ancient Welsh cheiftan who had a horse so big it could carry seven and a half people.

To the north of the summit is a small lake, Marchlyn Mawr, which is the upper reservoir for a pump-storage hydro electric power station hidden inside the mountain itself. The lower reservoir is Llyn Peris.



From Llanberis, the mountain is dominated by the huge derilict Dinorwig slate quarries which eat into her side and the giagantic mounds of waste they have left behind. A good descent from the summit is to walk down to Marchlyn Mawr and then to follow the service road for the power station to the top of the slate quarry at about 600m. You can then descend to Nant Peris through the Tolkienesque slate mines and admire the huge workings that dominate this side of the hill. Whilst it is not beautiful it is a wonderful piece of industial heritage. It is possible to return to either Llanberis or Nant Peris this way.

Getting There

Easily accessed from Ogwen the A5, or Nant Peris via the Llanberis pass road.

Red Tape

No problems here. Climb and walk as you like but respect farmland and public footpaths.

Camping

Camping at low level should be done in the campsites - there are a couple of campsites in Nant Peris. High camps are permitted and you should enjoy a quiet night as this hill is less freqented than most.

External Links

Images

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