Esgair Neint

The walk up Esgair Neint is a proper workout, but if you're camped anywhere near Aberystwyth and want to bag a peak without driving hours into the mountains, this one delivers. It's a modest summit by Welsh standards - nothing that'll leave you gasping - but the climb itself is steep enough to keep things interesting, and the views back toward the coast and Cardigan Bay make the effort worthwhile.

You're looking at a couple of hours up and back depending on fitness, so it's doable as a half-day outing from any of the nearby sites. Tyn Ffordd Fach or Forester's Retreat Glamping are close enough that you could practically walk to the trailhead from your pitch. The terrain underfoot is typical upland Wales - grassy, muddy in places, no technical scrambling required. Families with older kids will manage fine; younger ones might find the climb tedious.

There's a directness to Esgair Neint that appeals. No visitor centre, no car park facilities to negotiate, no queues. Just you, the hillside, and the wind. Head up in decent weather and you'll see why people bother. The ridge walk at the top is scenic enough, and on a clear day the perspective over mid-Wales is genuinely absorbing. Not the kind of peak that'll set your Instagram ablaze, but the kind that feels earned when you're standing on top of it, looking back toward town.