Tal y Fan - full loop

A challenging run that takes in the summit of Tal y Fan - the mountain that towers over Conwy as you approach Conwy from the Llandudno direction. This run features a long hard outward leg which is richly rewarded from the summit of Tal y Fan with views across to the Foel Fras and the high Carneddau as well as back over Conwy and cross North Wales to the English Coast. The ridge line offers some fun but relatively easy scrambling. An excellent route. Stone-circle extension: If you're feeling particularly keen, you can descend the North side of Tal y Fan to join onto the North Wales Coast Path, this adds an extra mile or two but takes you past the old druid stone circle which is of interest.

Directions:

1. Head up Sychnant pass from the YHA. Turn left onto the new Oakwood Estate (Lon Caer Seion) and follow the road uphill to the right alongside the fields. Look for the young bulls on your right (time of year dependent).

2. At the top of the estate go through the kissing gate onto the fields above Oakwood. Follow the path across the fields to the gate/road at the far side. Here you may see sheep.

3. Turn right onto the road and then immediately left up past the grand Tudor houses. Off to the right across the fields you may see the pig sties and pigs. As you continue up the road past the old golf course clubhouse you may encounter the Shetland pony in their technicolour coat and his/her big horse friend.

4. Opposite the house on the right, go through the kissing gate to the left and head across the fields bending to the right towards Llechwedd. Lambs and sheep abound here. 

5. Go through the kissing gate, on your right here there are often alpacas and donkeys. Continue across the field and over the style. Go straight ahead here across the track heading towards the corner of the field where a kissing gate and narrow passage awaits. Go down this passage to the road.

6. Turn left on the road and then immediately right, head up the hairpins until it turns into a track, follow this track uphill. At the top of the long climb follow the track to the left along the wall line.

7. Follow this for about 2.5km before taking the left hand fork in the track, follow this path and cross the stream. Follow the path in a southerly direction which steadily climbs. Stay on this path past the hillfort (flattened) and continue for a couple of km passing through a gate or two on the way. 

8. Eventually you reach a road, turn right and promptly go over the style which takes you up a path towards Tal y Fan. Follow this path all the way up a long and tough climb until you reach the wall line at the top. Cross the style.

9. Turn right and follow the wall line all the way along to the summit, this is a fun scrambly section, be careful! Continue along this scrambly ridgeline before dropping down to the left in the direction of Conwy and roughly following the stream down a steep grassy descent. There are numerous paths here, the main thing is to aim for the top of the old quarry. 

10. Drop down to the right of the quarry and follow the path round to the left past the entrance and down the slate path. Eventually you will re-join the track.

11. Turn left and follow this track down a grassy descent as it turns back towards the direction of Conwy. Follow this until you drop down to the sheepfold after a couple of km.

12. Continue to follow the track ahead in a North Easterly direction. As you pass a remote house 15km into the route, fork left on a path which drops down between two walls. At the bottom of these walls turn immediately right and head onto the traverse below Maen Escob.

13. Follow this to Sychnant Pass, cross Sychnant Pass and follow the track round the base of Alltwen and then cross the stream and pass through the gate. Follow this track back along the edge of Conwy Mountain all the way back to Conwy. Once you reach Mountain Road, go to the end, turn right up Cadnant Park Road and then right at the end up to the YHA on Sychnant Pass Road.

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NB. Please do not attempt to feed the animals! Some of the animals have special dietary requirements, recently two Shetland ponies died as a result of people thinking they were being kind feeding them.