Cerrig y Gordref

The walk up Cerrig y Gordref from Bala isn't exactly a secret, but it rewards you with views that justify the leg work. You're climbing roughly 600 metres of rough Welsh hillside - think heather, loose stone, and the kind of wind that tests your resolve - but the payoff is a proper panorama across the Penllyn Valley.

It's a peak for walkers who actually want to walk, not amble. Allow two to three hours return depending on your fitness and how long you fancy sitting at the top. There's no visitor centre, no café, no car park - just the mountain and you. That's either brilliant or not your cup of tea, depending on your mood.

Historically inclined types might appreciate that you're stomping around land that's been traversed for centuries, but the real draw here is the solitude and the vista. On a clear day you can see right across to Cader Idris. On a grey Welsh day - and there are plenty of those - it's moody and atmospheric in equal measure.

Bala itself is close enough for a proper base. If you're camping at Tyn Cornel just outside town, this makes a cracking morning outing before everything else in your day. The walk demands decent boots and weather awareness - it's exposed up there - but for anyone wanting to actually earn their views rather than just drive to them, Cerrig y Gordref delivers. No frills, no shortcuts, just mountain.