The walk between these two Snowdonian lakes, Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Idwal, was sublime on a blustery summer day. We trekked up towards the mountains in search of the Devil’s Kitchen, a tall jagged rock formation around a dark, boulder-strewn alley.
The sunlight reflecting off the surface of the lake gives Llyn Idwal (on the right) the appearance of a sheet of glass, or smooth obsidian.
It was a spontaneous decision to get out and wander, on a drive back north from Blaenau and Betws. Seeing a place marked on the map as the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’, we decided to get out and explore and hunt for it.
The lower lake lies at the bottom of a valley, alongside a twisting road, the A5, that winds its way through this part of Snowdonia. It was a couple of hours’ trek up from Llyn Ogwen to Llyn Idwal, choosing an adventurous route through a steep rocky gulley.
We passed sheep and wild mushrooms, and a fisherman wading out into the smooth clear water of Lake Idwal. The lake has a white shingle beach on one side, and on the other shore it backs up against a sheer cliff of the mountain.
2 thoughts on “Snowdonian Lakes”
This is a beautiful part of the world. Thank you for sharing! It’s lovely to just get out of the car and wander 🙂
Thank you! It really is, and there are lots of parking places on the roads through Snowdonia, giving you the opportunity to head off into the landscape, or even just stop and admire the view.