Y Foel Lus

A tough circuit that takes you out past Maen Escob before heading across to the glorious summit of Foel Lus. This summit that sits above Penmaenmawr offers some of the best views on the North Wales coast line. On a clear day you can even see across to the Isle of Man as well as to North West England. It returns via the 'Fairy Glen' and back over Conwy Mountain to complete a challenging circuit.

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 for approximately a mile.

7. Turn right and head down a path to the right of a sheep-fold. Follow this down and eventually over a small bridge across a stream and over a style. Follow this track onwards until you come across a gate, turn right onto the North Wales Path, follow this for a few hundred metres before turning right on the track to head towards the South East side of Foel Lus.

8. Promptly turn left on the track up to Foel Lus's summit. Enjoy the amazing views!

9. Descend on the path down the East side of Foel Lus, keep heading downhill. Eventually you will reach a signpost for the North Wales Coastal Path, here, turn right then after about 30m fork left.

10. Follow this path down and along a traverse until you reach another track. Follow this track as it bends and descends down to the fairy glen.

11. Turn right across a small bridge to a footpath which takes you up a steep diagonal climb.

12. When you reach the wall line follow the path left which heads back towards Conwy.

13. This leads you to Sychnant Pass. Cross Sychnant Pass and follow the track round the base of Alltwen.

14. 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. 

15. Bear left up the fork in the track and follow this track up and over the stunning summit of Conwy mountain.

16. Follow the ridgeline back down the other side until you drop down to Mountain Road.

17. Turn right at Cadnant Park Road and back up to Sychnant Pass to the YHA.

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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.