Moel Hebog

Moel Hebog (Hill of the Hawk/Falcon) is located just west of Snowdon, only a short walk northwest of the village of Beddgelert. Its steep rocky summit dominates the view from the village and is also an impressive part of the vista enjoyed from Snowdon's summit. In turn, on a clear day, Moel Hebog offers superb views of the Snowdon range, and an excellent position to grab a quality photograph of Wales' highest mountain.

Although the mountain appears steep and rocky from the west, its eastern flank has a much shallower gradient, rising slowly from the Dwyfor Valley, and offers a much easier ascent. Climbing the mountain is usually incorporated into a longer traverse over Moel yr Ogof (Hill of the Cave) (655m) and Moel Lefn (Smooth Hill) (638m) to the north, and even the Nantlle Ridge for those looking for a long day of walking. The former hill, Moel yr Ogof, is thought to conceal a cave where Owain Glyndwr, who led the last Welsh revolt between 1400-1415, hid after disappearing following the rebellion's failure. When approaching from the west, an easy scramble near the summit can be incorporated into the walk, and although the scramble is easy, there is a lot of loose rock and in wet weather it can be very slippery.

Due to its marginal position and the vegetated and broken nature of the crag, Moel Hebog receives relatively few visits from climbers. The mountain's climbing is split between three areas – The Summit Crags, Diffwys and y Braich.

Climbs are listed, graded and rated with the aid of the Climbers’ Club Guide to Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn (Eifionydd) by Paul Jenkinson and Bob Wightman, so for full descriptions, please refer to this book.

Routes are graded using the British Adjectival Grading System. Technical grades are generally only given to climbs graded adjectivally as Severe (S) or above. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available HERE!

Bolting is strictly prohibited on the crags listed here.

With the exception of Y Braich, all routes are described from left to right.

Route Symbols:

A so-so route, neither good nor bad. Not unpleasant unless otherwise stated. A good route which is definitely worth a climb. A very good route, one of the best on the crag and well worthy of attention. An excellent route, one of the best in the area, and probably in Britain too.

No Restrictions Used to indicate that there are currently no restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. Restrictions Used to indicate that there are restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. See the Red Tape and Access Section for more details.

The Summit Cliffs

As the name might suggest, these rather broken crags (SH 567 467) can be found just below the summit overlooking Cwm Cyd. Legend has it that they are home to Britain's oldest climb, Glyndwr's Ladder (Easy), which was used as an escape from the perusing English by the Welsh rebel, Owain Glyndwr in around 1400.

The east facing crags of Y Diffwys (SH 567 476) on the western side of Moel Hebog offer around 10 multi pitch routes graded from V Diff to HVS, and have a height of around 150 metres. Unfortunately the crag is heavily vegetated and hard to access.

Y Diffwys

The Rock of Ages

This little crag lies just below Y Diffwys on the northern slope of Cwm Bleiddiaid. It is home to some excellent rock which reaches around 12 metres at its maximum. It is split at its centre by an obvious chimney, which can be climbed at Diff standards. Other routes, all of which are single pitch, include Terry's Rump (E1 5b), The Handcrack (VS 4c), The Wall (VS 4c) and the Fingercrack (HVS 5b).

The crags of Y Braich (SH 567 483) lie on the north-western side of a ridge also known as Y Braich, which runs north-east from Moel Hebog's summit. It's low altitude and good drainage make it an ideal wet weather venue.

Routes are described from right to left.

Y Braich

Y Braich Bach

Moel Hebog currently only has one winter line of any note, located on Y Diffwys.

Companion's Way is a Grade II, steep rake that runs around 100m from left to right across the centre of the crag. Descent can be achieved easily at the southern end of the crag, although to be fair, your better off carrying on to the mountain's summit.

For more information see Cicerone's Welsh Winter Climbs by Malcolm Campbell and Andy Newton.

This section displays the mountain conditions for Snowdonia, of which Moel Hebog is part. Click on the widget for maps and further information.

The most reliable conditions are in the summer. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. A hike will require all the gear normally require for a hike in Wales, remember this Snowdonia so be sure to pack full waterproofs. Easier scrambles and rock routes will only require a moderate rack, while longer harder routes will require a full rack with a good compliment of cams. A singe 60 metre rope should serve well on most routes, however, twin or double ropes would be a wise choice for the harder stuff.

Moel Hebog (SH 559 533) can be reached from the A4085, which runs between Caernarfon to Penrhynddeudraeth; parking is available at Beddgelert (SH 590 481) and Rhyd-Ddu (SH 571 525). Rhyd-Ddu can also be reached on the Welsh Highland Railway, which is a steam train that runs from Caernarfon. The railway has now been extended from Rhyd-Ddu to Porthmadog with stations at Beddgelert, which is very handy for getting to the bases of both Moel Hebog and Snowdon.

No red tape or access issues here!

For climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking.

Regional Access Database

If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones.

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Snowdonia National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Gwynedd