Carnedd Llewelyn

Carnedd Llewelyn
Highest point
Elevation 1,064 m (3,491 ft)
Prominence 750 m (2,460 ft)
Parent peak Snowdon
Listing Marilyn, Hewitt, Welsh 3000s, council top, Nuttall
Naming
Translation Llywelyn's cairn (Welsh)
Pronunciation Welsh: [ˈkarnɛð ɬəˈwɛlɨn]
Geography
Location Gwynedd / Conwy, UK
Parent range Snowdonia
OS grid SH683644
Topo map OS Landranger 115, Explorer OL17
Climbing
Easiest route Hike
Listed summits of Carnedd Llewelyn
NameGrid refHeightStatus
Carnedd DafyddSH6636301,044 m (3,425 ft)3, H, N
Pen yr Ole WenSH655619978 m (3,209 ft)3, H, N
Foel GrachSH688658976 m (3,202 ft)3, H, N
Yr ElenSH673651962 m (3,156 ft)3, H, N
Foel-frasSH696681942 m (3,091 ft)3, H, N
Garnedd UchafSH687669926 m (3,038 ft)3, H, N
LlwytmorSH689692849 m (2,785 ft)H, N
Pen yr Helgi DuSH698630833 m (2,733 ft)H, N
Bera MawrSH674682794 m (2,605 ft)H, N
DrumSH708695770 m (2,530 ft)H, N
DrosglSH664679758 m (2,487 ft)H, N

Carnedd Llewelyn, usually spelt Carnedd Llywelyn in Welsh, is a mountain massif in the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, north-west Wales. It is the highest point of the Carneddau and the second highest peak by relative height in Wales, 49th in the British Isles and lies on the border between Gwynedd and Conwy.[1]

Topography and ascent routes

Carnedd Llewelyn lies in the middle of the main north-east to south-west ridge of the Carneddau, between Carnedd Dafydd to the south-west and Foel Grach to the north. A short subsidiary ridge links it to Yr Elen to the north-west. Its position means that any route to this summit involves a long walk, and it is regarded as the most difficult ascent in the British Isles. It can be climbed from Gerlan, above Bethesda, taking the path following Afon Llafar then continuing to the summit of Yr Elen before following the short ridge to Carnedd Llewelyn. Another path starts from Helyg on the A5, taking the track to the reservoir then following the slopes above Craig yr Ysfa to the summit. An alternative is to reach it by following the main ridge, either from Pen yr Ole Wen or from Foel-fras.

The summit is a flat, boulder-strewn plateau, similar to several of the other mountains that lie in the southern Carneddau. The cliffs below the ridges are well-known rock climbs, notably Ysgolion Duon (meaning "black ladders") and Craig yr Ysfa. The flat plateau means that during winter and spring, significant accumulations of snow and blizzards occur on frequent occasions. The mountain has also been noted for its long-lying snow patches in recent years, with old snow patches known to survive on its southern gullies well into July. The highest lake in Wales, Llyn Llyffant lies to the lee of the summit of Carnedd Llywelyn.[2]

Name

Carnedd Llywelyn means "Llywelyn's cairn" in Welsh. It is widely believed that Carnedd Llewelyn and the neighbouring Carnedd Dafydd are named after Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the last independent prince of Wales, respectively.[3] An alternative theory is that the twin peaks are named after Llywelyn the Great, an earlier prince of Gwynedd, and his son and successor, Dafydd ap Llywelyn.[4][5] Other sources cite a combination of the above, i.e. Llywelyn the Great and Dafydd ap Gruffudd.[6]

The spelling of the name is also controversial. Carnedd Llewelyn is the form used by the Ordnance Survey, the mapping agency for Great Britain, and other sources.[7] In Wales the spelling Carnedd Llywelyn predominates (it is used on the website of the Snowdonia National Park Authority, for example[8]); this is also the form preferred by most Welsh writers, among others.[9] Many authoritative works, from other study groups, also use the Welsh form.[10] The Welsh personal name Llywelyn, from which the mountain's name is derived, is always spelt thus in the Welsh language, although the forms Llewelyn and Llewellyn are found in older English-language sources.

Cultural references

The mountain features in Welsh poetry and literature; the earliest known work is a poem by Rhys Goch Eryri, Carnedd Llywelyn, composed c. 1400.

Notes

  1. ↑ Dawson, Alan (1997). The Hewitts and Marilyns of Wales. Cambuskenneth, Stirling: TACit Press. ISBN 0-9522680-6-X. Archived from the original on 2006-12-05.
  2. ↑ https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/910130
  3. ↑ Edmund Vale (editor) (1958). Snowdonia National Park Guide. HMSO.
  4. ↑ Nuttall, John & Anne (1999). The Mountains of England & Wales – Volume 1: Wales (2nd ed.). Milnthorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone. ISBN 1-85284-304-7.
  5. ↑ R. F. Walker; et al. (1972). "Hubert de Burgh and Wales, 1218–1232". The English Historical Review: 466–494.
  6. ↑ Carr & Lister (1925). The Mountains of Snowdonia. London: Lockwood Press.
  7. ↑ For example, John and Anne Nuttall, The Hewitts and Marilyns of Wales, cited above; or Irvine Butterfield, The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland (Diadem, 1986).
  8. ↑ Snowdonia National Park Authority: Snowdonia's Mountains Archived October 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ For example, Dewi Tomos, Eryri (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2005); Colin Marsh, The Mountain Walker's Guide to Wales (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2002); or Harvey Superwalker Waterproof Map, Snowdonia, the Glyderau and the Carneddau (Harvey Maps, 2003).
  10. ↑ G. H. Howe & P. Thomas, Welsh Landforms & Scenery (Macmillan, 1963); Physical Names for the Map of Britain: Discussion (The Geographical Journal (102), 1943); or M. O. Hill, D. F. Evans & S. A. Bell, Long Term Effect of Excluding Sheep from Hill Pastures in North Wales (The Journal of Ecology (80), 1992).

Further reading

  • Adams, Colin (2002). The Mountain Walker's Guide to Wales. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0-86381-725-4.
  • Rees, Ioan Bowen (1995). The Mountains of Wales: an anthology in verse and prose. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1163-9.
  • Tomos, Dewi (2005). Eryri. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0-86381-994-X.
  • Lowe, W. Bezant (1927). The heart of Northern Wales: Vol. II.
  • Roberts, Geraint (1995). The Lakes of Eryri. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 0-86381-338-0.
  • Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments Wales (1956). Caernarvonshire, Volume 1: East.
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