Tuesday 12 November 2013 (am) - Allt-fawr - 698 metres

Jon is a Marilyn bagger. He has now climbed 1263 of these 'Relative Hills'. So he has 294 left to climb.

(A 'Marilyn' is a hill that is 500 feet higher than the surrounding ground on all sides.)

Today's first objective was this fine little hill, accessed from the A470 just north of Blaenau Ffestiniog, below the Crimea Pass.

In a complete contrast to yesterday, it dawned bright and sunny, though Snowdonia's 3000 ft summits remained under a grey hearthrug all day.

So it was an ideal day on which to restrict our ambitions to around 700 metres. The ascent soon revealed an unexpectedly picturesque switchback ridge that led us gently to the summit. A cool breeze joined us about half way up, but it was far from unpleasant. 

Allt-fawr's summit is the little visited high point of an extensive plateau on which the iconic mountain, Cnicht, is probably the best known peak. The views from Allt-fawr extend over Snowdonia,  with Moel Siabod standing dominantly above Dolwyddelan Castle. Snowdon lies beyond the distinctive profile of Cnicht, which from here looks to be the highest point on the plateau. The 'heighters' would have us believe otherwise.

After chatting to a chap who was continuing to Cnicht and enjoying tea and shortbread on the summit, we wandered down to Llyn Iwerddon, the 'Blaenau Ffestiniog Lido', with its adjacent steam room. Lower down,  we lunched beside an air shaft for the railway far below, before returning to the car along a pleasantly grassy path.

This was a lovely 5.5 km circuit, with about 400 metres ascent, taking us a leisurely 4 hours or so.

Excellent.