Graig Fach

The walk up Graig Fach from Dolgellau isn't long, but it's steep enough to remind your legs why you came to North Wales. This modest peak sits above the town, offering proper views across the Mawddach estuary and the surrounding hills - the sort of landscape that makes you understand why people move here and never leave.

It's a straightforward fell walk rather than a technical climb. Most people tackle it in under two hours round trip, which makes it ideal if you're based at one of the local parks like Llwyn yr Helm or Torrent Walk and fancy stretching your legs without committing to a full day's hiking. The paths are well-trodden, though it can get boggy after rain, so decent boots matter.

Families with older kids will manage it fine. Younger ones might find the steep bits tedious. Walkers passing through Dolgellau often skip Graig Fach in favour of the higher peaks nearby, which is their loss - this one gets you above the town's immediate landscape without the slog of something like Cadair Idris.

There's no charge, no facilities at the top, and no cafe at the base, so bring water. Go early to bag parking near the trailhead. The best light is late afternoon when the sun picks out the estuary below. Winter can make the upper sections icy, so spring through autumn is sensible. It's the sort of unshowy walk that locals do routinely - not Instagram-famous, but genuinely rewarding for half a morning's effort.