Pen Llyn Bychan

The walk up Pen Llyn Bychan from Betws-y-Coed is one of those routes that rewards you without demanding a mountain's worth of effort. It's a proper fell rather than a peak, but the views across the Conwy Valley make the graft worthwhile. Most people tackle it as a two to three hour round trip, which means you're not committing your entire day to it.

You'll gain about 800 feet climbing through mixed woodland before breaking out onto open moorland. The path is well-trodden but can be boggy after rain, so decent boots matter. On a clear day the visibility stretches far enough to justify the climb. On a grey one, frankly, you won't see much beyond the next ridge.

This works brilliantly for walkers who want something more substantial than a riverside stroll but aren't ready for Snowdon. Families with older kids (nine or ten upwards) will manage it without drama, though younger ones might find the steep sections tedious. History types won't find anything to poke about in, so it's purely for the leg-stretching crowd.

Betws-y-Coed makes an obvious base - the town sits at the valley mouth and has everything you need for a night or two. If you're camped at Maenan Abbey, Snowdonia Glamping, or Erw Glas, you're close enough to pop up here as a morning expedition. Free to access, obviously, and there's parking near the village.