Moel Siabod

Moel Siabod
Moel Siabod from the Crimpiau
Highest point
Elevation	872 m (2,861 ft)
Prominence	600 m (2,000 ft)
Parent peak	Glyder Fawr
Listing	Hewitt, Marilyn, Nuttall
Coordinates	53°04′23″N 3°55′57″W / 53.073075°N 3.932464°W / 53.073075; -3.932464Coordinates: 53°04′23″N 3°55′57″W / 53.073075°N 3.932464°W / 53.073075; -3.932464
Naming
Translation	shapely hill (Welsh)
Pronunciation	Welsh: [ˈmɔil ˈʃabɔd]
Geography
Moel Siabod Snowdonia, Wales
OS grid	SH705546
Topo map	OS Landranger 115

Moel Siabod is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, which sits isolated above the villages of Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig. At 872m it is the highest peak in the Moelwynion mountain range. The UK National Mountain Centre, Plas-y-Brenin, is located at the foot of Moel Siabod. From the top of the mountain, it is reputedly possible to see 13 of the 14 highest peaks in Wales on a clear day without turning one's head.

The name Moel Siabod is frequently translated as shapely hill, although William Williams in Observations on the Snowdon Mountains (1802) proposed that the name comes from siadod, meaning 'bare hill, whose head or crown is covered in new-fallen snow'.

The mountain is easily accessible from the north via Capel Curig and nearby Pont Cyfyng (by a separate but similar path) and from the south via Dolwyddelan.

The highest part of the mountain forms a relatively level, rocky ridge approximately 800 m long, running roughly south-west (from the summit) to north-east. At the north-eastern end of this main ridge there is a fairly steep descent towards Pont Cyfyng. At the south-west edge of the main ridge there is a further, much steeper ridge that branches off to the east, as well as several precipitous cliffs.

The north-west side of the main ridge is relatively gentle and supports a variety of flora and has numerous paths. The south-east side has many sharp drops down to a hanging valley. This valley, fenced in on two sides by the main ridge and the ridge running east from the summit, is at roughly 500 m above sea level and contains Llyn-y-foel (Welsh for lake of the mountain). There is both a steep descent, following a stream that emerges from the lake to the south-east, and a gentle descent, to the north-east, from this valley.

As mentioned above, the two main ridges are fairly rocky; an ascent up the minor ridge will usually require the use of hands, as will the ascent to Llyn-y-foel from the Dolwyddelan path. The terrain around the lake is prone to be boggy, especially on the northern side, and the path to the lake from Pont Cyfyng frequently turns into a flowing stream.