Arenig Fawr, Gwynedd

Best at / for: sunrise and sunset – panoramic views all around.

Best avoided: bad weather or poor visibility.

Parking: roadside free parking with consideration.

Access: steep walking in places.

Notes: superb views across Snowdonia and to the south.

Arenig Fawr is 2,802 feet high, situated some 5 miles west of Bala.

The easiest access is to take the A4212 north-west from Bala.

Turn left on a minor road, signposted to Rhyduchaf and Llidiardau.

Past Llidiarau and about level with the end of the locally sensitive Llyn Celyn, there is a rough track through a metal gate on the left-hand side.

Limited parking is available on the other side of the road, please park with consideration.

Follow the track through the gate to Llyn Arenig Fawr.

At the far end of this is a bothy and a path winds right past this and to the summit. Care is needed as the path is indistinct in places.

The walking is strenuous but not excessively so. Experience in mountains is advisable.

Given the right weather conditions, the views from the top are extensive and amongst the finest in Wales.

All the major Snowdonia peaks are visible, as well as Cadair Idris. There are panoramas of lesser tops and lakes.

There is also a memorial stone to the crew of an American bomber which crashed on the peak in 1943.

This is not a place to be in bad weather or poor visibility.

Given the right conditions, the mountain oriented photographic opportunities are many and varied.