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Gyrn Goch and Gyrn Ddu Llyn Peninsula Walk

By Dave Roberts   

on July 14, 2015    4.9/5 (10)

Posted as a walk in – Europe, Llyn Peninsula, Wales

Gyrn Goch and Gyrn Ddu Llyn Peninsula Walk

Route Essentials

Route Summary

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

10.28 km

Ascent

551 m

Time

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Gyrn Goch

Difficulty

Moderate Walk

Hazards

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Gyrn Goch and Gyrn Ddu Llyn Peninsula Walk Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Gyrn Goch and Gyrn Ddu Llyn Peninsula Walk

If you’ve ever travelled along the A499 towards the Llyn Peninsula, then you won’t have failed to see the perky little hills that you pass between Gyrn Goch and Trefor. These lowly coastal hills are Gyrn Goch and the slightly loftier Gyrn Ddu, neither of which are much more than 500m. However, a combination of wildness, lack of paths and proximity to the sea make this a much more challenging proposition than suggested by the map!

Older maps may show sections of this as part of the Llyn Coastal Path, or the Wales Coastal Path. Don’t, like we did, expect those sections to be fairly well waymarked with right of way arrows – the descent path is very poorly marked out and it was a struggle to follow the proper path at the end of the zig zags (or we were just unlucky!)

1 Start in Gyrn Goch, you can get here easily by bus or park in the layby. We started off at the end marked Pont y Felin on the map. Take the footpath immediately to your right into the woodland.

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2. Follow the footpath (keping right) and cross a large footbridge right over the stream in the plantation. The way turns right at the footbridge, not taking the more obvious path left. The path continues steadily uphill through the plantation until you emerge on bracken infested heathland.

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3. The path continues, but when you reach a gate you need to turn left uphill on the faint track. It’s clear once you’ve found it, but is largely concealed by bracken. Keep going for around 500m, until the path reaches the wall.

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4 Head uphill, following the wall for a steep and relentless 400m, before it turns steeply left for a further 500m steeply uphill. One good thing is that the summit you can see is the summit, so no surprises here! Take plenty of time to look back and admire the view as your calves recover, and maybe pick on the bilberries for some energy.

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5 At the summit (reached by scrambling over a boulder in the wall (easy!) – the views are extensive. They stretch from Anglesey to Ynys Enlli and the Rhinogydd. Bwlch Mawr, another summit across Cwm Gwared, is a bit too far this evening but well worth a detour if you’ve got the time.

gyrn_goch (2 of 12)

6 Follow the wall across towards Gyrn Ddu, heading for a small gap in the wall.

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7 Beyond this, head directly for Gyrn Ddu and hope for the best! This summit entails a bouldery scramble, loose in places, so needs care! The views do make it well worth it though!

gyrn_goch (4 of 12)

8 You need to scramble down again, heading for the painfully close grassy area below (to the east). You need to make your way along a faint path toward the 491m spot height and a giant cairn. You need to cross through a gap in the wall here and follow the wall roughly SSE to the right of way at SH408461.

gyrn_goch (6 of 12)

9 There’s now a path that needs to be followed with care so as not to lose it, keeping the boundary wall to your left for the first 600m, over rough pasture. The track does become much clearer as you progress and is a very clear track once you reach Pen-y-bwlch.

gyrn_goch (7 of 12)

gyrn_goch (8 of 12)

10 The track zig-zags clearly downhill, past the old granite quarry and again care is needed in order to ensure that you don’t take a wrong turning and follow the path to the A499 cycle track and Wales Coastal Path. This section could benefit from footpath markers, as it can be rather unclear on the ground. This was a surprise as this final section from the mountain down used to be part of the waymarked Llyn Coastal Path. The mind boggles as to what happened to any waymarkers (the last one we saw was in Pen-y-bwlch!)

gyrn_goch (12 of 12)

11 Follow the Wales Coastal Path parallel to the main road for a final 3km or so to return to the start.

Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

Route Start Location: Gyrn Goch

Distance
 Ascent
 Time
10.28 km 551 m

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: Moderate Walk

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

None in the village.

Hazards

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking :

Public Transport:

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps: 

Guidebooks:

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Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

More Posts by Dave Roberts

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