Cwm Idwal & Y Garn loop from Ogwen Cottage — Eryri / Snowdonia National Park

Hiking trails & Routes

Cwm Idwal & Y Garn loop from Ogwen Cottage — Eryri / Snowdonia National Park

Moderate

4.8

(134)

677

hikers

Cwm Idwal & Y Garn loop from Ogwen Cottage — Eryri / Snowdonia National Park

03:07

7.35km

610m

Hiking

Embark on a challenging yet rewarding hike through the dramatic glacial landscape of Cwm Idwal and up Y Garn, starting from Ogwen Cottage. This moderate to hard loop covers 4.6 miles (7.3 km) with a significant elevation gain of 1985 feet (605 metres), typically taking around 3 hours and 6…

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

67 m

Ogwen Visitor Centre and Snack Bar

Highlight • Parking

The visitor centre is located on the A5, approximately 5 miles south of Bethesda and approximately 4 miles west of Capel Curig, on the western side of Llyn Ogwen.
There …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.01 km

Cwm Idwal

Highlight • Lake

A beautiful lake with stunning views to Tryfan and Pen Yr Ole Wen. There is a circular walk from the visitors centre which takes you around the lake or you …

Tip by

2.66 km

Devil's Kitchen (Twll Du)

Highlight • Gorge

The moment you arrive at Devil's Kitchen it is easy to see why the dark crack which splits the rock of Clogwyn y Geifr (Cliff of the Goat) between Y …

Tip by

4.54 km

Y Garn Summit

Highlight • Summit

Y Garn of the Glyderau is a mountain of two halves. On one side it drops in continuous green slopes to the pass of Llanberis. On its other it’s a …

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7.35 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.23 km

2.63 km

1.04 km

390 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

6.20 km

558 m

254 m

189 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Thursday 22 October

8°C

5°C

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Comments

October 8, 2024,Cwm Idwal and Y Garn loop anticlockwise

I wasn't quite ready for this! Everything aches and when I get up I make a sound like an old teddy bear. But the views were stunning. New regime required: more exercise, less wine.

May 13, 2022,Y Garn, Devil's Kitchen: Wales

A really beautiful path along the Idwal and going up the Y Garn. It's certainly difficult with high winds. So be sure before hiking. It's really great summiting the Mountain and then descending through the Devil's Kitchen .

The views are just amazing. Not a lot of traffic through the paths in the month of May. But a very popular …

October 13, 2024,Cwm Idwal & Y Garn loop from Ogwen Cottage — Eryri / Snowdonia National Park

Lovely hike up to Y Garn... I've done this route before but did it in the opposite direction 🙃 we finished the hike and I was totally spent... (realised it was because I was getting ill 🤒)

We were 10 mins from the car park and suddenly someone (not me) realised they had lost their car key 😅 so we …