Cadair Berwyn Horseshoe: A Quiet Hiking Route in North Wales
When people think of hiking in North Wales, they usually picture the busy paths of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. But just beyond the park boundaries lies a quieter mountain range with wide open landscapes, dramatic ridgelines and a real sense of remoteness: the Berwyns.
This week I headed out to tackle the Cadair Berwyn Horseshoe as part of my Mountain Leader training, combining a challenging day hike with an overnight wild camp in one of the UK’s quieter mountain areas.
Route Overview
📍 Cadair Berwyn Horseshoe, North Wales
🧭 Approx. 9 miles / 14.5km
⛰️ Around 800m elevation gain
⚠️ Difficulty: Hard
The Berwyn range is ideal if you’re searching for quiet hiking routes in Wales with fewer people on the trails and a more rugged feel. Unlike many popular mountain walks, this route felt wonderfully remote from start to finish.
For my training, I specifically chose terrain away from established footpaths to practise navigation across mixed ground and varied mountain features. It made for a rewarding but demanding day in the hills.
Views from the Berwyn Ridge
The highlight of this route has to be the dramatic cliff-edge scenery around Cadair Berwyn itself. From the ridge, the views stretch across rolling valleys into Cheshire and Shropshire, while looking west reveals layer upon layer of Welsh mountains. On a clear day, you can even spot some of Eryri’s most famous peaks in the distance, including the Carneddau, Glyders and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), alongside the Rhinogs, Arans and Arenigs.
A Remote Route That Requires Preparation
Although beautiful, this is not an easy mountain day. The route is exposed, remote and challenging underfoot in places, so good preparation is essential. If you’re considering this walk, I’d strongly recommend being confident with navigation and carrying both paper maps and digital backups, as phone signal drops in and out throughout the area.
This isn’t a route I’d recommend for beginner mountain hikers, especially in poor weather conditions.
Wild Camping in the Berwyns
I also used this trip to log a required wild camp for my Mountain Leader training. The Berwyns can offer incredible wild camping spots if you have the right experience and equipment, with peaceful sunsets, huge skies and very little light pollution. But this particular route is extremely exposed and remote, so it’s not somewhere I’d recommend for anyone new to wild camping or not confident in remote locations.
If you’re new to wild camping in Wales or looking for quieter UK mountain adventures, there are much better beginner-friendly locations to start with. I’m always happy to share ideas and inspiration for accessible wild camping spots and quieter hiking routes across the UK.
