Pumlumon Fawr hike guide - The best Hike in Mid Wales
Situated deep within the last wilderness of Wales, Pumlumon Fawr (Also known as Plynlimon) is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains and the county of Ceredigion.
This short but moderately challenging hike is perfect for those wanting to reconnect with nature, find some solitude, and have magical 260 degree panoramic views over Mid Wales
Within this guide to Pumlumon Fawr, I will be focused on the Caradog Jones Trail, which is the shortest of the 5 routes up to the 752m summit.
The route is named after local mountaineer Caradog Jones, who in 1995 became the first Welshman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Please note that this walk is very remote.
There are no toilets, cafes, or visitor centres, and there’s a distinct lack of signs.
It’s also highly likely that you will not see any other hikers on this trail, which is part of the reason why this hike is so appealing.
Please make sure you have the route downloaded onto your mobile device for offline use, and carry a physical map as a backup.
Key Information
Route type - loop
Length – 7.8km
Elevation gain – 430m
Difficulty - Moderate
OS Maps Route
Technical aspects - Plenty of bog
Where to park for the Caradog Jones Trail?
The trail head is only accessible by car, via a 5 mile drive up a single-track road from the village of Ponterwyd.
A limited amount of free parking is located alongside the Nant-Y-Moch reservoir on a single track mountain road. The what three words location is
You will know when you have reached the start point you will cross over a river and the road will be blocked by a metal swing gate. Space is limited to around 5-6 cars so please park responsibly and dont block any access.
If there is no space to park, you will have to turn around and park in one of the lay-bys back down the road you have just driven up.
The initial route follows the left hand side of the waterfall.
The route
From the start point, follow the path up the left hand side of the waterfall. Once the slope levels off Continue to follow the left hand side of the river as it weaves its way up the hill. The path is quite boggy and will become less obvious but you will eventually emerge onto a gravel bridleway.
Head straight across the gravel bridleway and continue to follow the boggy path up the hill. The route will again stick on the left hand side of the river. It will start off relatively gentle and begin to ramp up as it bends left.
After around 1.2km you reach a series of paths just below Pumlumon Fach. This subsidiary summit lies on a small ridge and is marked by a small cairn. Walking up to this is optional, but its does offer great views back over the Nant -y-Moch reservoir to the north and Llyn Llygad Rheidiol to the east.
Bear right and begin the final 550m ascent up to the summit. Although not technical this section of the walk is steep, gaining 100m of ascent in the first 450m. After this it levels off and you’ll emerge onto a wide plateau.
The summit of Pumlumon Fach is at the bottom of the image, with the final ascent up to Pumlumon Fawr
The summit
The 752m summit of Pumlumon Fawr is officially the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains and the county of Ceredigion. The summit is marked by marked by a trig point alongside a stone shelter.
The name of the summit translates to "five beacons" and the mountain is the source of the rivers Wye, Rheidol, and Severn.
On a clear day the summit affords magnificent 360 panoramic views.
You will be able to see Preseli Mountains and a sweep of Cardigan Bay in the south west. The Peaks of Pen-y- Fan and the Bannau Brycheiniog in the South East. Alongside the Llyn Peninsula, Cadair Idris, and Snowdonia to the north.
Looking back over the Nant-y-Moch towards the Ceredigion Coast
Looking north towards Cadir Idris
Looking South towards Bannau Brycheiniog
The route down
From the summit you have two options to create a loop.
You can retrace your steps back down tot he subsidiary summit of Pumlumon Fach, before making the short but steep descent down to Llyn Llygad Rheidiol. This route is 1.2km.
Alternatively you can continue for 1km eastwards to the summit of Pen Pumlumon Llygad Bychan, before turning north and skirting around and down to Llyn Llygad Rheidiol. This route is 3km.
Llyn Llygad Rheidiol is a dammed corrie lake which sits below the mountain. It is owned and managed by Welsh Water and supplies the town of Aberystwyth.
For that reason you aren’t allowed to go swimming in it, however its well worth stopping at to take it the beautiful views.
From the lake its 2.2km back he initial gravel bridleway which you crossed at the start of the walk.
Follow the the wide bridleway in front of the lake as it drops down and around the mountain and heads back towards the Nant-y-Moch reserviour.
Once you reached the initial crossing point, turn right and retrace your steps alongside the river back to your vehicle.
Llyn Llygad Rheidiol. The steep descent from Pumlumon Fach can be seen on the right hand side of the image.
So there we have it, my hike guide to Pumlumon Fawr.
a hidden gem of a hike which is perfect for escaping the crowds. On a clear day the views are stunning, just make sure you bring supplies and you have the route downloaded onto your mobile device for offline use, alongside carrying a physical map as a backup.
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For more Mid-Wales travel inspiration check out my other guides below.
The 10 best hikes in Mid-Wales
For some Welsh travel inspiration check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite Welsh regions below.