Dolgellau to Machynlleth

We started the first stage by taking a T2 bus from Dolgellau to the highest place on the A487 at the locally named Mach Loop.  From here there is a stile off the main road and a path heading northwards. This drops down to a ford by some animal pens then rises uphill alongside an overgrown green road.  The route goes over the brow of the shoulder of Cadair Idris where it crosses another path before dropping down through fields to Bwlch Coch where the track becomes a minor road.  A short distance further on a track goes off to the right into the forestry.  Follow this cycle route to a junction then turn left and follow footpath signs leading towards Dref gerig.  From here the path winds towards Pen-yr-Allt then drops through woodland to a ford near Trefeilia.  The track reaches a road which, turning left, drops steeply to a road junction.  Turn left for Dolgellau town centre.

 Top - Stile off A487 above Mach Loop  (Above) ford stream near animal pens

(Below) Follow finger posts to avoid overgrown green lane

 (Above) Looking back towards top of hill over wall.
(Below) leaving farmland to join lane near Bwlch Coch

 (Above) Track leaving road to enter forestry

 (Below) Path goes round buildings before entering woods

The next stage required us to take the T2 bus back to Mach Loop, where we spent a good hour waiting for military aircraft to appear and negotiate the steep sided valley.  Our route to the south took us over a stile on the east side of the road then climbing steeply up a path to the north side of Bwlch-Llyn Bach.  This path joins a minor road which we follow turning right to head south with forests on the left side as the road drops to Waenllefenni.  A short distance later there is a footpath off to the right which crosses a stream then cuts through open country before entering forestry at Cwm Hen-gae.  The path emerges from the woodland and passes Hen-gae then skirts the forest until it reaches an area of disused slate quarries and tips with impressive workings on the opposite side of the valley.  The path joins a road at Aberliefenni.  Take a right turn to follow the road to a picnic spot.  Leave the road here to pass the houses at Caecenau on the right side and then follow the path alongside the river down to Abercorris.  The track meets a minor road where the route heads south skirting the wooded hillsides.  
 (Below) Minor road which runs parallel to A487

 (Above) Footpath off road to valley by Cwm Hen-gae.

 (Above) Track behind buildings in valley  (Below) Disused slate workings on other side of valley

 (Above) Road through Aberliefenni.  (Below) Leaving picnic spot after
Aberliefenni

 At the far end of the village of Esgairgelliog Ceinws there is a track to the left between houses and the path climbs up to the right.  It continues to rise with woodland on the left.  A track on the right should be followed round to a small reservoir.  From here there is a steep climb to a gate in the forest.  The track meets another track where a right turn leads back out of the forest on the south side of the valley.  A wind turbine will be directly ahead for a while then the path veers to the south of it towards the remains of a quarry which lies above the Centre for Alternative Technology.  

 (Above) Entrance to track at far at Esgairgelliog Ceinws leading to footpath (below)

 (Below) View from top of path

 (Above) Entrance to forestry at top of hill  (Below) Junction on forest road - take right turn

 (Above) wind turbine beyond forest.  Keep to left of it toward Centre for Alternative Technology

A stile leads into a narrow woodland where the path drops to the buildings in the museum (avoiding the ticket office).  Head along the higher track around the edge of the centre towards a woodland on the south side.  Keep above the trees to join a path following the contour before dropping to the farm buildings of Glan Dulas mawr and joining a minor road.  Turn left, heading south, to the B4404 where a right turn crosses a stone bridge and, shortly later, joins the A487.  Turn left following the cycle path which leaves the road to cross the river by a metal bridge then rejoins the main road at the old stone bridge at Pont ar Ddyfi.  Turn left and follow the main road into Machynlleth where there are bookshops, art galleries, pubs and cafes to fill the hours.

 (Above) Bridge on B4404  (Below) Cycle track to Pont ar Ddyfi

Trawsfynydd to Dolgellau

(Above) Llanelltyd Church

After the walk to Tomen-y-Mor, we did a linear walk starting at Ganllwyd on A470 (between Dolgellau and Trawsfyndydd) and walked in a northerly direction taking the forestry cycle track on the left after crossing the river.  This track is sometimes referred to as the Roman Road or Sarn Helen and climbs uphill through a coniferous plantation emerging in open countryside where the track follows a contour below the slopes of Craig y Penmaen.  Further on, where the path splits, take the higher route and then drop down to the road in the valley to the east passing Roman Kilns.  Follow the road to the left, passing a chapel and then bear right at Penystryd before crossing a fence into a field and heading uphill, following a wall for a while then keeping right over the left shoulder, but not heading towards the summit, of Moel Ddu.  The path crosses a number of streams as it rises towards a crossroad of paths at the gap between two hills.  Take the left path over a wall and continue on this path which drops down to eventually reach a farm, Plas Capten.  Follow the footpath signs through the farmyard to reach a track which joins a minor road at Bryn Goleu.  Turn left and cross the A470 into Trawsfynydd.  On leaving the small town at the northern end, cross the A470 and there is a green road opposite which rises uphill then drops down to a stream and follows a track which eventually reaches Tomen y Mur and the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre.  Our route was to head back over the A470 to follow the cycle path through the remains of the power station buildings and back to the nearby campsite.

 (Above) Signpost for Council Road and finger post showing Roman Road route

(Above) Coed y Brenin Medieval Bloomeries above the forest
(R) Chapel viewed from near Roman Kilns

  View up to gap between two hills

 (Above) View of Trawsfynydd descending from hill.
(Below) Where track which joins a minor road at Bryn Goleu near Trawsfynydd

The next stage was to cover the route south from Ganllwyd but this took two attempts, first walking to the well marked route up stream to Rhaeadr Ddu  (Black Waterfalls) and then cutting south through the forest and heading right into open country at Goetre.  The path is well signed until Tyddyn bach where a sign indicated that the path goes left, eventually heading north back towards Ty’n y groes back on the A470.  At a later date we took the footpath from the minor road in Llanelltyd and a track joins the road on the right, immediately after the houses.  This clearly defined track cuts through the forest and rises up to open country below Bryniau Glo.  Here is follows a contour, cuts through a wall then goes to the left of a small hill to join another path from the left toward Hafod y fedw.  Keeping to the higher path, drop down to cross a stream then follow the wall for a while before veering to the right and dropping to the corner of two walls on the edge of the forest.  Here it joins a track.  Turn left crossing another stream and eventually reaching a pasture which gently climbs up towards Tyddyn bach.  The route, in either direction, requires careful map-reading as well as reference to the Cicerone Guide.  At Llanelltyd a track drops down the left hand side of the church to join a track that leads to the old bridge.  Upstream are the remains of Cymer Abbey and an excellent camp site.  Directly opposite the road from the old bridge is a track leading up hill towards a golf club and over the hill with woodland on the lefthand side to crossroads and the lane dropping down to Dolgellau.

 (Above) Lane up to Rhaeadr Ddu

 (Above) Rhaeadr Ddu  (Below) Bridge by falls to join Sarn Helen footpath

 (Below) Ruins near Goitre

 (Above) track into woods before Tyddyn Llan  (Below) Signpost to ignore - Keep straight on

 (Below) Tyddyn Llan (empty building)

(Below) Track dropping down to  Llanelltyd  (Bottom) Cymer Abbey