Three Peaks Challenge

Arriving at Rhewl, near Llangollen, we were immediately blown away. It was stunning. The sun was shining, it was warm and there was very little wind — perfect walking weather.

There was no warm-up today. Straight up from the car park, the path took us past a cottage with amazing piles of neatly stacked wood. Quite a work of art.

It soon became obvious this wasn’t going to be an easy walk. Up, up, up through the woods, then through shoulder-high bracken before eventually emerging into a beautiful valley.

Moel Gamelin was there in the distance. It looked very high.

The landscape was full of colour, a stark contrast to the drought-stricken fields down below. It was so peaceful, with only the occasional bleat from the sheep - and two helicopters hovering low in the valley.

Then came a familiar call.

“Chow, chow, chow.”

We looked up. Four choughs were circling overhead.

After a very steep ascent, we finally made it to the summit. Wow. Far-reaching views across to the Clwydians, with Llangollen below and Castell Dinas Brân perched high above the town. From up here, even the castle looked tiny.

It had been a real struggle for me, but there was more to come. We hadn’t realised quite how much we would descend before climbing again for the next two peaks, Moel y Gaer and Moel Morfydd.

Options were discussed. But what the heck. It might take me a while, but we carried on.

And I’m glad we did.

We had picked the perfect time of year. Yellow gorse, purple heather and bilberry foliage already beginning to take on its autumn colour. It was quite a sight.

From the final peak we descended steeply, eventually reaching farmland and the lane back to Rhewl.

Tired legs.

Hot feet.

Every step had been worth it.

Thanks, Doris. 😂

The Route

Moel Y Gamelin

Walk Stats

Distance: 6.59 miles
Elevation gain: 2,164 ft
Difficulty: Tough
Start/finish: Rhewl, near Llangollen
Route: Moel Gamelin – Moel y Gaer – Moel Morfydd
Navigation: OS Maps — route link