Snowdonia, North Wales: A Magical Place For Landscape Photography
Brad Carr taking a photograph of the Glyderau mountains at sunrise from Pen yr Ole Wen.
Introduction
Have I reached heaven? Not quite, it’s Snowdonia National Park in north Wales and it’s an absolute paradise for landscape photography.
An 827 square mile area that attracted 4.48 million people in 2018. It contains 9 mountain ranges, 1,497 miles of footpaths, 250 lakes, 23 miles of beautiful coastline, numerous spectacular waterfalls and whatever else you care to imagine. That’s not to mention the many stories and legends that are tied to the area. Rumour has it that one of 3 of Snowdonia’s lakes; Llyn Dinas, Llyn Llydaw or Llyn Ogwen contains King Arthur’s Excalibur.
A view from the Snowdon summit; sunrise paints the landscape in Snowdonia National Park
The name ‘Snowdonia’ derives from the tallest mountain in the park and the highest point in the United Kingdom, outside of the Scottish highlands; the great mountain of Snowdon. In Welsh, the area translates as ‘Eryri’ (Eh-ruh-ri) which, as some recent evidence suggests, is related to the Latin ‘oriri’ (to rise). Talking of which, while standing on top of Snowdon, you will have risen a whopping 1,085m.
You certainly won’t struggle for things to do around Snowdonia. A popular place for hikers, climbers, wild swimmers, cyclists, stand up paddle boarders, you name it and Snowdonia will probably have it. It is one of three national parks in Wales and has been like a second home for me and my camera over the last 3 years. I have spent many a weekend wandering around its’ lakes (‘lake’ reads ‘llyn’ in Welsh) and over the countless mountains that the park has to offer, sometimes forgetting that I actually have a life outside of my walking boots too.
Once you’ve visited this magnificent part of north Wales enough times, those famous roadside signs that you’ll see dotted around the country as you enter into this area of tranquil beauty, will begin to hold a new power. Every time you pass, a new memory of ‘that time wild camping’ will bring with it a special feeling of nostalgia or the Welsh word ‘hiraeth’ as is commonly quoted across social media pages within Welsh communities. It’s a feeling that can’t quite be explained except by the words on Wikipedia, ‘a deep and irrational bond felt with a time, era, place or person.’ Whatever it is, I’m certainly missing it as I write this while heading towards the 3 month mark on our lockdown here in Wales.
Always remember that if you do decide to visit, the locations that I write about come with many dangers of their own and they are not to be taken lightly. Humans are nothing when matched against the sheer power of nature and we must respect it at all times. Snowdonia is home to some of the wettest spots in the country, so be sure to pack sensibly, especially if you’re planning to hike into the mountains. The weather is unpredictable, to say the least and can change in an instant around the park. I’ve been on top of mountains where the visibility has been perfect one minute, only for me to blink and find myself surrounded by fog or being pummelled with a sudden downpour of torrential rain.
The following list has been compiled with the aim of inspiring you to visit a part of the world that has become a second home to me over the past few years. I often run out of words to describe the possibilities and magic that Snowdonia holds, which is why it is much easier to let photographs do the talking. Hopefully a combination of my attempt at both in what follows will do it justice.
Llyn Ogwen
This fantastic ribbon lake is situated alongside the A5 in the Ogwen valley between two of Snowdonia’s finest mountain ranges; the Carneddau, where you’ll find the mountains of Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Llewelyn and Yr Elen, and the Glyderau, containing the famous mountains of Tryfan, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach, the two latter being from where the name ‘Glyderau’ derives. The 78 acre lake offers some of the finest mountain views in the whole of Wales. It is the view on the west side of the lake, closest to Pont Pen-y-Benglog, which is probably the most famous. It’s from here that you can’t help but marvel in the beauty of Snowdonia as you cast your eye beyond the Llyn Ogwen boathouse towards the north face of Tryfan and away from the Ogwen valley. This is an absolute must on your Snowdonia itinerary.
You’ll want to have a good pair of walking boots with you because from Llyn Ogwen, you’re spoilt for choice for with hiking routes taking you in any which way you desire. There is a fantastic little circular walk that I discovered last year which will take you north from the boathouse on the path that runs alongside the A5 towards Bangor. You’ll cross Pont Pen-y-Benglog and walk for a couple of miles at the foot of Pen yr Ole Wen until you reach the Ogwen bunkhouse, at which point there is a footpath that crosses some vast and rugged farmland to the other side of the Nant Ffrancon valley. If you’re lucky, you might even see some of the magical and wild Carneddau ponies that have wandered the landscape for hundreds of years as you cross this land. If you’re unlucky, it might be rain season and you’ll find yourself battling through knee deep mud!
A beautiful old stone wall and narrow, uneven lane that is just oozing history will guide you for part of the way back along your return journey as you make your way up the valley. I’m always left wondering just how many other people have walked along this lane, marvelling at the natural beauty that surrounds them. What was life like here once upon a time and how long have these man-made features been a part of this landscape? The mountains would laugh of course and scoff, ‘no where near the length of time that we have been here!’ These lanes around Snowdonia make for some fantastic photography opportunities. There is just something very magical about a road that leads into some distant mountains.
Talking of mountains, you’ll be walking beneath some giants on your return journey, with Carnedd y Filiast, Mynydd Perfedd and Foel Goch forming the mountainous wall alongside which you’ll hike. Why not stop at Pont Pen-y-Benglog at the end of your journey to grab yourself a photograph of the wonderful Rhaeadr Ogwen, the point at which the Afon Ogwen falls into the lower part of the Ogwen valley; Nant Ffrancon.
The elements all combine to give plenty of photographic opportunities here, with lots of features providing you with an array of interesting focal points. You’ll have trees, mountains, moving water, varying seasonal colour and, on the right day, changing light, which should ensure that you have maximum opportunity to capture something unique from this special part of north Wales. You can try to use the landscape to your advantage to look for subtle frames and leading lines, this environment will provide you with plenty of both.
2. Llyn Idwal
I couldn’t write a guide about landscape photography in Snowdonia without including this wonderful lake that is situated beneath the Glyderau mountain range. I have spent many a day just wandering around the calming waters of Llyn Idwal with no real direction or purpose in mind, except maybe the purpose of getting lost beneath a formation of rock that is commonly known as ‘The Devil’s Kitchen,’ which you will find at the south side of this small but mighty 28 acre lake. This legendary and unmistakeable dark black crack is a feature that is simply known as ‘Twll Du’ which translates as ‘Black Hole’ and splits the rock of Clogwyn y Geifr (Cliff of the Goat) between Y Garn and Glyder Fawr.
The lake itself is synonymous with medieval folklore legend. It is named after Prince Idwal Foel. As legend has it, Idwal was the son of the 12th century prince Owain Gwynedd. Idwal was a bright and beautiful child but didn’t have the makings of a warrior like his father, and so was sent away to the safe haven of his uncle Nefydd’s home, while Owain was at war. Nefydd was a jealous man and didn’t appreciate how his own son, Rhun, appeared witless, dull and without charm in comparison to his nephew. Unable to live with the bitterness that consumed him, he took the boys for a walk around the lake. From the paths around the very Llyn Idwal that we see today, Nefydd pushed Idwal into the waters. Without the physical abilities to match up to his intellect, Idwal drowned while his uncle and nephew stood beside the lake laughing. Owain, when returning from war was, of course, devastated and proceeded to banish Nefydd from his lands before naming the lake after his son in order to carry on his memory. The largest glacial moraine within Cwm Idwal is known as Bedd y Cawr (Giant's Grave). It is in here that Idwal was supposedly buried, with his spirit guarding the lake from any further tragedies.
You’ll probably want to keep one eye over your shoulder as you approach the lake from the visitor centre at the magnificent mountain, Tryfan, who’s ridge-like east face looks both spectacular and a little intimidating at the same time. Check out the photo below which was taken during a summers day in Snowdonia, where the small figure of a human provides some fantastic scale in this epic and dramatic landscape.
On the north of Llyn Idwal lies the seventh highest mountain in Wales; Pen yr Ole Wen, which belongs to the Carneddau mountain range and at 978m, it measures the same height as Scafell Pike, the highest point in England. Following the path to the south side of the lake as you approach along the main path from the Ogwen Visitor Centre will carry you above the lake for a fantastic view of Llyn Idwal and Pen yr Ole Wen, a scene which wouldn’t look out of place in a fantasy film.
While hiking along this route you will pass the unmistakeable Idwal slabs, a paradise for climbers containing many routes, one of which is known in the climbing world as ‘Suicide Wall’. The slabs can make for some great photographs that show the impressive geology in Snowdonia. In places like this, I often find that it’s important to show the sheer scale of the landscape too, something that I feel the photograph below does very well.
Research shows that the igneous rocks at Cwm Idwal were formed during the Ordovician period, around 450 million years ago. In 1831, Charles Darwin visited the area to carry out a study on the scattered rocks and boulders at Llyn Idwal which he determined contained marine seashells and fossils of sea creatures and plant life. He then came to the conclusion that the rocks must have formed within an ancient ocean and were therefore, the rocks that lay on the bed of the lapetus Ocean. This study went on to become a part of his famous publication, ‘On the Origin of Species’, a piece of work that is widely acknowledged to be the foundation of evolutionary biology.
Can you spot the trio of climbers ascending the Idwal Slabs in Snowdonia?
Follow the path on the south side of Llyn Idwal and you’ll eventually be faced with two choices; play it safe and stay low to continue your walk around the lake, or choose the adventurous route and navigate your way over rocks, clamber over boulders and manipulate yourself through cracks while attempting to follow a loosely identifiable path up into the Devil’s Kitchen, for what could be one of your most memorable hikes to the summit of my next location.
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3. Y Garn
Forming a part of the Glyderau mountain range in Snowdonia is the impressive peak of Y Garn which stands just shy of the 1,000m mark at 947m, making it the tenth highest mountain in Wales. Still, it’s tall enough to be classed among the Welsh 3000’s, meaning that it’s one of 15 summits in Wales measuring over 3,000ft.
Y Garn is difficult to miss as you drive along the A5 through the Ogwen valley from Capel Curig. It is the fearsome wall-like structure that takes the shape of an arm chair straight ahead as you approach the Ogwen visitor centre. It is from the summit of this mountain that I have enjoyed some of my finest days of landscape photography so far. On a clear day, you’ll see miles upon miles of the fabulous north Wales landscape. The view to the east from up here has to be among the best in the area on a clear day and makes for a truly spectacular sunrise photograph, as you’ll have golden sunlight just pouring into the Ogwen valley. In the opposite direction, breath-taking views of the Irish sea and Anglesey await.
I like to try to find some interesting foreground elements in my photography, in order to give my images that extra depth and perhaps try to provide the eye with something to follow. Ideally, I’d arrive at my location a little while before the sunrises in order to scout out potential photographic opportunities. On this occasion, I was running a little late and didn’t have time to set up properly. However, I still managed to take this handheld photo with some interesting rocks that catch some of the first light of the morning in the foreground.
There are no end to potential compositions on the summit of, and on the routes up to Y Garn. Keep an eye out for any natural elements that could help to tell more of a story of the landscape and get to know what recognisable features need to be included in your photograph. This is where your research and location scouting will come in handy. In the photograph above, I’ve been sure to include Pen yr Ole Wen, Tryfan, Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Idwal.
The summit of the mountain can be accessed via many different paths, the route via the Devil’s Kitchen and the east facing ascent will require a reasonable level of fitness to complete. They both form the circular route that I highly recommend and ascending the mountain in either direction will probably take you between 1-2 hours, depending on your experience and general fitness levels. There are, of course, some fantastic places to stop for a brew along your route.
As I specified earlier in this post, make sure that you have done your research about the weather conditions in the area and up high on the mountain tops. They can change very quickly. It’s vital that you know just what to expect and always be prepared that what you expect, might not even be what Mother Nature has in store for you. Winds can, and probably will, be stronger up high. Rain can, and probably will, be much heavier up high. And guess what.. If it’s cold down low, it’s probably a whole lot colder up there. Pack sensibly, tell somebody where you are going (especially if you’re going solo) and know both your route and your limits.
4. GANLLWYD & Rhaeadr Ddu
This beautifully quaint little waterfall in the southern region of Snowdonia translates as ‘Black Falls’ due to the appearance of the black stone over which the two-tiered waterfall descends. The short walk from Ganllwyd will lead you along a path next to which the Afon Gamlan runs through the Coed Ganllwyd National Nature Reserve. You’ll walk for no more than a mile, at which point you’ll be transported into a real life fairy-tale, surrounded by some ancient oak trees, with the sound of the ever-changing waterfall for company. Visiting through different seasons will bring with it new conditions, as the water levels can change rapidly depending on rainfall in the area and surrounding mountains.
My favourite time to visit this fantastic and somewhat, underrated location has to be through the autumn. I was lucky enough to capture the photographs below during the peak autumn weeks in 2020 when the colours were at their vibrant best.
Waterfalls tend to look at their most spectacular after a few days of heavy rain, which does make for some great photographs. However, I prefer to shoot them when the conditions are a little calmer due to the look and feel that I tend to like in my photographs. My style reflects the more calming and peaceful moments as opposed to any chaos and drama. Perhaps this is how I feel when I’m outdoors in nature and therefore that is how I like my viewer to feel when looking through my portfolio.
I think that it’s very important to try to gain an understanding of yourself and some level of self-awareness as you progress through your photography journey. Spending time in beautiful places like this should make self-reflection incredibly easy, giving you plenty of time to think about the stories that you’d like to tell through your photography.
When photographing waterfalls, it might be worth attaching a circular polarising filter (CPL) to your lens. There are many places that CPL’s will work wonders for your photography but none will be transformed quite like an autumnal waterfall scene, where the effects of twisting the filter to your likening will bring out those beautifully vibrant orange, yellow and red colour tones and reduce the glare on the surface of the water, helping to add depth and mood to your image.
I have another blog containing Ten Top Tips for Landscape Photography.
I like to keep my eye out for natural frames in the scene when photographing waterfalls like Rhaeadr Ddu. In the first image, you can see that I have been sure to include those twisting tree branches in the top of my frame, which help to keep the viewers eye pinned on my subject; the stunning waterfall.. In the second photograph, I got down low to find a subtle leading line and natural path through the rocks to lead the viewer towards the waterfall, also making sure that I included those lime green spring leaves to add to the overall balance and story of the image.
Waterfalls have to be up there among my favourite things to photograph. There is nothing quite like the feelings of your excitement building as you hear the sound of the crashing water gradually getting louder as you approach. This little gem in Ganllwyd provides some really special ancient woodland with moss covered trunks and dry stone walls too, all of those will make for some fantastic subjects to photograph aside from the waterfall itself.
You’ll probably want to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife while you’re here too. The distinctive Welsh woodland migrant, the pied flycatcher makes these ancient trees home and throughout the summer it can be seen along with a host of other woodland birds. While I was photographing away, one passer-by told me to keep my eyes peeled for the unique diving and underwater swimming bird; the dipper.
5. Snowdon
Last but certainly not least in my list of the best places for landscape photography in Snowdonia, a place that simply could not be left off any such list just has to go to the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom, outside of the Scottish highlands; Snowdon. After all, over 600,000 people flock to Snowdonia to take on this fantastic mountain and hike along one of its’ 6 unique and interesting routes every single year hoping to enjoy some of the most spectacular views in the whole country. On a clear day, you can see England, the Isle of Man, Ireland and apparently, even Scotland (if you believe some stories on the Internet). From the summit, some of the things you’ll see include; 24 counties, 29 lakes and 17 islands, while also catching views of the mountains in the Peak District and south Pennines. Binoculars would be a great idea if you are planning on heading up.
The routes range in difficulty with the easiest being the long and gradual climb from the village of Llanberis which will take you alongside the train track on the west face of the mountain. The most difficult route up to the summit, is along the legendary ridge of Crib Goch. Though climbing it is an exhilarating experience, it’s probably a little risky to be setting up your tripod for photographs along the ridge where several people have fatally fallen over the years. My favourite path for photography would have to be the miners track which begins in the Pen-y-Pass car park and proceeds to lead you up to the summit via the two beautiful lakes beneath Snowdon; Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn, the latter of which you can see in my photograph below as the last light of the day kissed the south face of Y Lliwedd.
The English name for Snowdon derives from the Saxon ‘snow dune’, which means snow hill. Snow is not uncommon on the mountain and has even been seen as late as June in previous years. The two lakes named ‘Llynnau Mymbyr’ that you’ll see in the Dyffryn Mymbyr, the valley as you leave Capel Curig en route to Snowdon, provide the perfect place to photograph the mountain range that is commonly known as the Snowdon Massif. The range is made up of Garnedd Ugain (right), Crib Goch (central), Snowdon (left) and Y Lliwedd, out of shot to the left in the photograph below. A circular polarising filter (CPL) could, again, be a great addition to your arsenal of gear as you photograph lakes and clouds, with the effects proving to have great results for me over the years.
The Welsh name for Snowdon is Yr Wyddfa, meaning burial mound, or grave in English. It is believed that the legendary giant Rhita Gawr was buried on the summit of mountain beneath the rocks and falling snow after being slain by King Arthur. Rhita Gawr had a reputation for killing men and claiming their beards in order to fashion himself a cloak. King Arthur was the next name on Gawr’s hitlist in yet another fantastic story of Welsh folklore. Arthur himself is rumoured to have died later on Bwlch y Saethau (Pass of the Arrows), where a cairn marks the place of his own grave. Isn’t it fantastic to imagine a great medieval battle happening in the scene below?
In Conclusion
I hope that I have done enough with my words and photographs to inspire you to visit this beautiful little corner of the world that is just steeped with history, interesting landscape and beautiful walks. There is so much more that Snowdonia has to offer and I feel as though I have only just scratched the surface myself over the 3 years that I’ve been exploring this land. As I wrote earlier in this blog, Snowdonia National Park contains nearly 1,500 miles of footpaths and I’ve probably only covered around 3% of those here.
I’ll also urge you to do some more reading and undergo some of your own research about some of these fantastic places that we are lucky enough to be able to visit during our lifetimes here on Earth. The stories that I have shared have added a whole new meaning to this wonderful place for me and I’ll feel like I’m entering a new land once again when I return.
Now, it’s probably wise that you grab yourself a map and get out there to write your own stories about the magical land of giants, kings and dragons.
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Sources used throughout this article include:
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/GeositesCwmIdwal
https://www.snowdonia.gov.wales/visiting/ogwen/cwm-idwal/the-making-of-cwm-idwal#:~:text=The%20deposits%20and%20igneous%20rocks,of%20dust%2C%20ash%20and%20lava.
https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/united-kingdom/snowdonia/idwal-slabs-and-walls
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carneddau-and-glyderau/features/tales-of-cwm-idwal
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carneddau-and-glyderau/features/darwin-discoveries-at-cwm-idwal
https://www.visitwales.com/en-us/attraction/nature-or-wildlife/coed-ganllwyd-nature-reserve-928248
https://www.visitsnowdonia.info/myths-and-legends