The Dragon’s Tongue                                                       UK Ultras

This is a traverse of the 5 Welsh Corbetts in southern Snowdonia: Cadair Berwyn, Arenig Fawr, Aran Fawddwy, Glaswym and Cadair Idris. It starts at the car park at Pistyll Rhaeadr south of Cadair Berwyn and finishes at the end of the pony path below Cadair Idris.  Corbetts are strictly Scottish hills of between 2500 and 2999 feet with a drop of at least 500 feet on all sides but the principle has been extended to England and Wales! Those familiar with accounts of the Meirionnydd Round will appreciate that this is mean, unforgiving country by any standards. The Dragon's Tongue was devised as a more modest foray into the area clocking up some 55 miles with 14,500 feet of ascent.  The excursion out to the Arenigs provides respite and contrast as well as creating an opportunity for food drops or support at each end of Lake Bala.

Pete Simpson and Tony Wimbush first completed the route in 20 hours 59 minutes in 2009 as an on-sight, unsupported run (except for food drops). It is offered as an informal challenge with no strict time limits although completion within daylight hours will be an obvious target. As it was initially intended for inclusion in the Over The Hill Challenge Series some will be relieved to know it far exceeded the required grade!  A secondary optional objective can be to include a further nine 2500 foot summits listed as Nuttalls (these have a drop of at least 50 feet on all sides).

Route

Schedule

Click the icon to view or print a schedule of summits and actual times. This includes the 5 Welsh Corbetts and the 9 optional Nuttall summits.

Use in conjunction with OS Explorer Maps 255 Llangollen & Berwyn and OL23 Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid (1:25000)

Completions

No formal register is kept but any further attempts can be notified by email to: info@gofar.org.uk

Links and Further Information

□   Mountaindays.net -  see North Wales section :Arans, Arenigs, Berwyns and Cadair Idris for details of the Nuttall summits