Y Grug

Y Grug rises 2,593 feet above the Mawddach Valley near Dolgellau, and the walk up rewards you with views that stretch clean across to Snowdonia on clear days. It's not technically a mountain - more of a proper fell - but don't let that put you off. The ascent is steep in places and took me a solid hour and a half from the lower car parks, though fit walkers will do it faster.

This isn't a tourist trap. There's no café at the top, no gift shop, no crowds jostling for the view. You get the fell largely to yourself, which is partly why it's worth doing. The ridge walk at the top is excellent - grassy underfoot and genuinely engaging rather than just trudging uphill. Visibility matters more than season here; come after rain has cleared and you'll see for miles. Winter brings snow that makes the upper sections interesting if you know what you're doing with a map and compass.

Families with older kids will manage it fine, but very young children might struggle with the gradient. It's not dangerous, just relentless. Walkers who fancy something more demanding than a ramble but less technical than full mountaineering will find their sweet spot here.

Dolgellau sits just down the valley, and Llwyn yr Helm Caravan Park - rated 5.0 stars - is less than six miles away. Basing yourself there gives you access to proper fell walking without the nonsense. Allow a full afternoon, bring water, and wear proper boots. The weather changes fast up here.