Cynfal-fawr

The walk up Cynfal-fawr demands proper respect for the weather, but the effort pays off in views that stretch across mid-Wales with real substance. It's a proper hill rather than a casual amble - steep in places, muddy after rain, and the sort of climb that leaves you breathing hard for the last hundred metres or so.

Once you're up there, the panorama opens properly. You're standing on open moorland with visibility right across Gwynedd on a clear day, and the sense of isolation feels genuine rather than manufactured. Walkers will get the most from this one - families with younger kids might find the ascent a slog, though teenagers keen on peaks will rate it.

Allow a solid two to three hours for the round trip depending on fitness. The path itself isn't technically difficult, just relentlessly uphill, and you'll want decent boots because the ground gets boggy. Go early in the day if possible, especially in winter when daylight runs out fast.

If you're basing yourselves at Gwerniago Campsite just two miles away, Cynfal-fawr makes a brilliant half-day expedition that doesn't eat into time at Machynlleth itself. It's the sort of walk that rewards being done when you're properly rested rather than tacked on to a packed itinerary. Not a "tick it off" type of peak - more of a solitary, wind-in-your-face sort of afternoon that justifies the mud on your clothes afterwards.