Images

Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The Snowdon Massif rises beyond the eastern cairn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The pair of great cairns upon Y Garn – or, perhaps more correctly, Carn Drws-y-Coed – appear sited specifically in relation to the ridge upon which they sit.... as if you had to be up here to be ‘in the know’.... otherwise excluded.

The viewpoint is Trum-y-Ddysgl, the soaring arete that of Mynydd Drws-y-Coed. Yr Wyddfa pokes her head from cloud for a while to crown the skyline.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking from Mynydd Drws-y-Coed the precise positioning of the pair of cairns below the summit of Y Garn can be appreciated. Moel Eilio, bearing another monument with massive surface spread, rises above to the left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Y Garn juts prominently, centre. Snowclad Yr Wyddfa to the left. From the northwest ridge of Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairns are at the sunlit end of the ridge below. Elidir Fawr, Y Garn (Glyderau) and the majestic Yr Wyddfa form the snow-covered backdrop. The viewpoint is the summit of Trum y Ddysgl.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The eastern cairn. The summit itself, marked by a small modern cairn, is over to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The eastern cairn from the western cairn, with Yr Wyddfa behind. Sunlight lights the snow on Elidir Fawr, far left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking northwest across the western cairn, with the becairned summit of Mynydd Mawr behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

A visit to these excellent cairns is a serious undertaking. Postie leads the way near the start of an hour of continuous climb from car to cairns.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

An eyeful of mountains, the cairns are middle right and up.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

The cairns are on the left end of the rocky smile.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Y Garn, with Mynydd Drws y Coed rising behind, seen from the east. The cairns are resolutely invisible from here, meaning that only elevation or distance will bring them into view.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The steep scarp face of Y Garn (left) dominates the little village of Rhyd Ddu. Mynydd Mawr, with further cairns, is over to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.4.2016)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

In what would appear to be true Bronze Age fashion the cairns were not sited to be seen from below..... a rather feeble modern cairn marks Y Garn’s summit to the north.... rather, it would appear, from the ridge to the south, as here. Mynydd Mawr plays consort to the left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Mynydd Mawr with its shattered, yet still massive summit cairn rises above Craig y Bera... as viewed from the great eastern cairn upon Y Garn. Craig Cwmbychan and Moel Eilio fill the skyline progressively to the right, both the site of Bronze Age monuments.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Retrospective of Y Garn from Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, highlighting a number of other upland funerary monuments. Incidentally note how Y Garn’s two cairns were placed as if to focus upon Mynydd Drws-y-Coed... set a little below the summit they can not be seen from below.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking approx south-west from Y Garn along the Nantlle Ridge. To my knowledge there are no further cairns until the traveller arrives upon Craig Cwm-Silyn upon the far skyline... however – incredibly, perhaps – GAT have identified a hut circle situated some way down Trum y Ddysgl’s northern ridge (centre right), the peak here seen presenting its precipitous eastern face. It would have been some place to live! Mynydd Drws-y-Coed sits astride the ridge, arguably somewhat easier to traverse than appearances would suggest.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

The two cairns can just about be discerned on the right of Y Garn, left of the cairns the ground rises to the apparently terrifying Nantlle ridge.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Seen from the north with the rest of the Nantlle Ridge obscured, Y Garn presents a formidable facade. The cairns are positioned so as to be invisible from this height (something above 250m).

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.9.2014)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

The pair of impressive cairns occupy the the dome’s summit centre picture.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

The pair of impressive cairns can be seen on the summit on the left, and Moel Hebog (with cairns) frames the ultra scary Mynydd Drws-y-Coed.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Y Garn, seen over Bwlch Cwm Brwynog from the Llanberis Path to the northeast.

Image credit: A. Brookes (12.6.2012)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking across Llyn Cwellyn from Foel Gron on the Moel Eilio ridge. Y Garn is to the right of centre, with the pointy crest of Mynydd Drws-y-coed at the start of the Nantlle Ridge immediately behind. Mynydd Mawr, with its own prehistoric cairns, is on the far right. The Moel Hebog range fades into the gloom on the left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (11.6.2012)
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

Plenty of cairn material, that’s what some of the summit cairns in Snowdonia sadly lack

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by postman

The Nantlle ridge.....scary.
Not a gratuitous picture of a nice mountain top, the cairns are right behind me and were possibly put here because of this awsome mountain summit.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

If you look (very) closely I reckon you may just make out the two massive cairns – rising, unfortunately, above a dry-stone wall – set just south (to right) of the summit of Y Garn [centre], itself crowned by a much, much smaller modern cairn. Then again, maybe not, since these cairns do not advertise their existence to outsiders at all. The viewpoint is Craig y Bera, Mynydd Mawr, the viewer freaking out at the locations chosen by those who came before........

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Now I’d much rather have clear conditions to enjoy the fabulous vistas many of these upland cairns possess.... still I can’t help feeling that the claustrophobic world cloud imposes upon mountain tops was how these monuments were meant to be experienced. The swirling, ethereal, metaphysical world of the spirits. Here the western cairn looms beyond the substantial eastern.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The eastern cairn peeks to the left of the western . Substantial monuments, these.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The western cairn of the pair, with walking pole for scale...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

I doubt if a great many prehistoric monuments possess such a dramatic backdrop as the northern section of the Nantlle Ridge. But then I’m biased, seeing as I’m beguiled by this landscape anyway. Seen here is the eastern cairn, with Craig Cwm-Silyn, rising right skyline, bearing another such monument.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

There is a pair of great Bronze Age cairns just below the summit of Y Garn.... this is the eastern.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Highlighting the exceptional positionning of Y Garn’s funerary cairns, viewed from Yr Aran, outlier of Yr Wyddfa, Snowdon Massif.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge

After a frankly brilliant early morning visit to the Llyn Brenig monuments, how would one top that on a hazy but sunny equinox morning, answer, climb a mountain, sans step ladders of course.
Taking my que from Gladman as ever in Snowdonia, I started my climb from Rhyd Ddu, where there is parking for half a dozen cars on the road side.
The footpath is clear and well trodden, the route visible right up to the top, though Gladders had mentioned twice how steep it is, I was still taken aback by how steep it is. The often rediculous path is sometimes barely two feet from the edge of a near vertical drop, twice vertigo got a grip of me and at the soonest opportunity I had to drop to the floor planting myself on the ground , then take lots of pictures to take my mind off just how scared of heights I can get, why oh why would someone who is afraid of heights climb a mountain, same answer as ever because it’s there. But that’s a daft answer, mostly iv’e come to see the cairns, and those views, those spine tingling jaw dropping goose bumping views that make you want to stay forever.

Eventually the eastern cairn comes into view and a deep sigh of relief escapes me, I walk round the edge of the summit never daring to get too close to the edge. From up here it seems the whole national park is on offer, so many cairn topped mountains, Moel Hebog is south, Mynnydd Mawr is north, east is Yr Wyddfa and behind it Carnedd llewelyn, north east is Moel Eilio and west is Craig Cwm Silyn and the impossibly pretty Nantlle ridge, begging me to have a go even goading me in to having a little climb just try me out I don’t bite....much.
The cairns, oh yes the cairns, I knew there was something up here besides terrible beauty. They are both big and impressive, with all the scree around it would be a crime to have little barely there cairns. They are too far apart, i’d like to see them a bit closer together, perhaps they had their reasons, now unfathomable to us.
They are both hollowed out to accept a couple of weary walkers, and you would be weary, and it’s just such a damn good place to sit for a while, communing with the ancestors and for a short while becoming a part of something bigger than our lives back home.

I leave the cairns behind and walk off in a daze almost towards the Nantlle ridge, I don’t intend to get to the top, that day will have to wait till Iv’e a walking buddy to hold my hand and reassure me that it’s okay. Every time I get a glimpse over the edge a dizzy nervous wonderment comes over me and I stare steadfastly at the ground beneath my feet and the way ahead. I make my way as far as I dare and take a pugh. An older gentleman is coming down, he must be twenty years older than me and sporting walking sticks, he asks me if i’m going all the way, I giggle idiotically and say “not today”.
As he goes on his way towards the cairns I keep looking up and asking myself how hard can it be?
Harder than it seems or not i’m saving it for another day, maybe starting from the other side.
But now it’s back to the cairns, I could walk around all day here, but time has caught me up and it’s time to bid a sad farewell.....for now.

Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge

There’s an old saying, isn’t there? That first impressions count for everything.... however I’m not so sure. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so hasty in making final judgements, take a moment or two to appreciate what may well not be readily apparent? Consider The Nantlle Ridge... a linear series of grassy summits set to the south-west of – and very much in the shadow of – the Snowdon Massif, rising over 1,000ft above. Hmm, it would appear at first glance that Nature has allocated very much a supporting role to these modest hills. However this is strictly not the case, connoisseurs of the Snowdonian landscape regularly citing The Nantlle Ridge as second only to the (frankly awesome) Crib Goch arete. What’s more, and of great interest to armchair pre-historians and ‘hands on’ stoneheads alike, is the series of Bronze Age cairns located at the ridge’s extremities..... something, of course, that the aforementioned Snowdon no longer possesses. Assuming it ever did, of course. Yeah, let’s hear it for the underdog!

The Nantlle Ridge rises to a respectable – although by no means excessive – 2,408ft at Craig Cwm Silyn, the summit crowned by the remains of one of the Bronze Age cairns alluded to above.... there is another upon Garnedd-Goch to the south-west. Paradoxically, however, it is the lowest summit (Y Garn [’The Cairn’], 2,077ft) at the extreme north-eastern apex which was chosen as the site for two of Central Snowdonia’s most substantial (remaining) funerary cairns. Clearly placement was everything for the locals, the reasons lost in the mists of time, vapours which are not exactly infrequent nowadays in a far more literal sense. Maybe it was a tad warmer then, venturing up into the hills not such an extreme undertaking in those days? Perhaps. One thing is certain, however... Nature sure hasn’t lost its wonder, its ability to take the human psyche to another level. Sheer theatre, created upon the biggest stage of all.

Significantly the true summit of Y Garn (or Carn Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, if you prefer), with exquisite views across Drws-y-Coed to Mynydd Mawr and down to Llyn-y-Dywarchen (the lake incidentally cited in Welsh folklore as once possessing a magical ‘floating island’ – unfortunately the existing island is very much linked to terra-firma)... amongst other sweeping, mesmeric vistas... was, somehow, not deemed suitable, nowadays surmounted by nothing more than a rather small, modern cairn. ‘Jeez.... what did it take to satisfy these people?’, this traveller is probably entitled to ponder as he stands, fair foaming at the mouth at the beauty of this landscape? Clearly there were other, more important criteria to be taken into consideration, the pair of ancient cairns instead situated a little to the south, duly denied the views. But also denying a skyline profile to those down below. Hmm... Perhaps that was the whole point? Bronze Age elitism superseding Neolithic all-inclusion?

So, the overwhelming presence of Yr Wyddfa Fawr (Snowdon) to the the north-east excepted, focus for visitors to the Y Garn cairns – then, as now – is firmly to the south.... The Nantlle Ridge itself. It is more than enough, the jagged crags of Mynydd Drws-y-Coed providing a deceptively difficult passage to the graceful arc and domed summit of Trum-y-Ddysgl rising beyond. Both Bronze Age cairns are large, albeit hollowed out to form the unforgivable – but completely predictable – ‘storm shelter’. But why here? Follow the ridge to the south and I’m pretty sure all will become clear..... it would appear (to me, at least) that they were simply MEANT to be viewed from the castellated rock formations of Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, the latter a natural proto-temple, perhaps? The moment is worth the effort....risk, even... but please take great care, particularly if the rock is wet. Do not underestimate the danger and ensure every footfall is sure. I carry on to Trum-y-Ddysgl for lunch and gaze across to the be-cairned Moel Hebog, Craig Cwm-Silyn and Mynydd Mawr, amongst other great landscape features. As is often the case when upon such terrain, I feel completely humbled, privileged to be here – insignificant even – yet 100ft tall at the same time! Perhaps this is a predictable reaction to what is often felt to be ‘soulless’ modern living? Or perhaps this is the way it always was? The way it was simply meant to be. I decide to return the way I came, retrospective views highlighting an immense wall of grey vapour tracking my progress. The cloud finally engulfs me as I stand upon the ancient cairns once more, a claustrophobic, ethereal world where previously the boundaries stretched to infinity. Well, at least as far as the eye could see. The mind races, but the compass bearing is true and Llyn y Gader emerges reassuringly from the gloom, below to the east.

Y Garn and its cairns are most directly reached by taking the Nantlle road from Rhyd Ddu... park roadside a little before Drws-y-Coed Uchaf farm and take the obvious, signed footpath leading up the mountainside to its left. This is very steep, but without technical difficulty. Persevere and the monuments will eventually be found beyond a transverse drystone wall, crossed by a ladder stile. If you decide to carry onto Trum-y-Ddysgl, there is an option to descend to the south and swing round back to Rhyd Ddu through forestry, via Bwlch-y-Ddwy-elor. Or, of course, if you have a car waiting at the other end, to walk the whole ridge and descend to Cwm Silyn. Needless to say a double traverse is a very serious undertaking and best left to the exceedingly fit, young or mad.

Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge

Y Garn stands at the northern apex of the wonderfully undulating Nantlle Ridge, separated from the great bulk of the adjacent Mynydd Mawr by the Drws-y-Coed pass and with fabulous views eastwards to the Snowdon Massif – Yr Eryri itself.

This is a special place to come and hang out with just the wind for company. Evidently our Bronze Age ancestors shared the same opinion, since the 2,077ft summit plateau is crowned by two large burial cairns..... whoever was interred here hanging out for eternity upon this windswept mountain top.

According to our friends at Coflein:

“Two large cairns, probably dating to the Bronze Age and situated within open moorland on the summit of Y Garn. The stone built cairns are circular on plan and measure about 10m in diameter and up to about 2m in height. The cairns have both been disturbed in the past, with the construction of drystone shelters around hollows dug into the centres. Cairn A is the easternmost cairn (SH551526) and Cairn B is the westernmost of the pair.”

The most direct approach begins from the hamlet of Rhyd-ddu and is pretty obvious, to be honest – that is, straight up in an unremitting grind! The reward upon reaching the summit is not only one of the most expansive views in all Wales... but two large Bronze Age cairns to enjoy it from. It’s too much, it really is.

Sites within 20km of Y Garn, Nantlle Ridge