The Moel Eilio Horseshoe
This circular walk up Moel Eilio starts from Llanberis, it’s very straightforward to follow once you’ve found your parking spot. The route described is a horseshoe around Cwm Dwythwch. Watch the video guide below and feel free to turn off my rather enthusiastic voice over if you just want to get a feeling for the terrain and views!
I’d recommend this route off season if you can. The last section uses a path which is likely to be very busy with off road mountain bikers in the summer. That said, this route is stunning and pretty easy going after the initial summit.
Moel Eilio Video Guide
This video shares lots of epic views from Moel Eilio. I hope you’ll see how spectacular the views are from the summit. The views of the Glyderau, Nantlle Ridge, and Snowdon Massif are breathtaking on this walk.
Get the premium version of OS Maps for just a few pounds a month – worth every penny to get access to all the topographical maps and lots of other great features like 3D Flythrough – click the banner below for all the details.
Moel Eilio FAQ’s
How high is Moel Eilio
Moel Eilio is 726 m (2,382 ft) high. It’s not one of the biggest in Eryri (Snowdonia). However, it is a must to add to your list. It offers extensive views of many of the big 3000 ft Eryri summits.
How long does it take to walk up Moel Eilio?
From Llanberis, reaching the top of Moel Eilio will take around 90 minutes. However, the full circular route takes around 4 to 5 hours in total.
What does Moel Eilio mean in English?
English Meaning – Eilio’s hill (I can’t find anyone special called Eilio when I checked but there must be so leave me a comment if you know more)
Where to park for this Moel Eilio circular route
I parked on the side of the road on Cuenant Street, which is just below the YHA Llanberis Hostel. I’ve stayed in a few YHA’s, and they’re really good. It’s not all dormitories; you can book a private room these days.
Other parking options for Moel Eilio would be exploring more Llanberis road side parking or heading to one of the official car parks in Llanberis such as Maes Parcio Ger y Llyn or Snowdonia Park and Ride.
NB. Wherever you park, just make sure you bear in mind the extra time needed. You will need time to get to the starting point and get back to your car.
The Route Up Moel Eilio
From the Youth Hostel keep walking up past a farm until you reach the Snowdonia Slate Trail – an OS Diamond Path. You can cut corners with some smaller paths or just stick to the road.
Turn right when you reach the Slate Trail and head to Bwlch-y-groes along this obvious track. You’ll cross the Afon Goch over a modern metal bridge.
From Bwlch-y-groes a clear path leads left and upwards. The initial ascent is gradual, but it definitely gets quite steep as you follow a fence on the left. There are increasingly spectacular views to your right and on a good day even the Carneddau can be seen peeping out behind the Glyderau as you progress up.
Once at the summit you’ll see the large stone shelter and a wire fence. Keep the fence to your right as you progress along the ridge. For a clear understanding, see my Moel Eilio Video Guide.
Ignore the urge to go over the stile next to the rocky summit shelter. If like me, you fancied a look and wanted some extra close pics, you can of course head over the stile and then walk back up the hill to the fence – it’s all open access so enjoy the summit! The Nantlle Ridge comes into view along with views of the Lleyn Peninsula, menai Straights and Yr Eifl.
The path is obvious from this point onwards, you can see how it hugs the ridge line. It takes in Foel Gron and Foel Goch with a few gentle ups and downs. None of the ups are as steep as steep as the initial ascent up Moel Eilio.
The path comes to a cycle path before Moel Cynghorion. At this point you could extend the walk and take in this summit too.
To head back on the Slate Trail, turn left and follow it all the way back to the start keeping your ears out for Mountain Bikers enjoying a fast descent down the gravel track.
Please leave me any comments or feedback on this route, I’d love to know if you have walked it.
I spotted the peaks of Yr Eifl (The Rivals) on the Lleyn Peninsula on this walk. I was inspired on a rare free weekday off work to go and explore this little range. That’s the next video I’ll be creating for my YouTube Channel.
Leave a Reply