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Name:Foel Penolau
Hill number:2078
Height:614.4m / 2016ft
Parent (Ma):2074  Moel Ysgyfarnogod
RHB Section:30D: Barmouth to Betws-y-Coed and Bala
Nuttall/Wainwright area:The Rhinogs
County/UA:Gwynedd
Catchment:Glaslyn, Catchment Boundaries, Mawddach
Class:Simm, Hewitt, Nuttall, Buxton & Lewis, Bridge
(Tu,Sim,Hew,N,BL,Bg)
Grid ref:SH 66187 34835
Summit feature:rock
Drop:31.9m
Col:582.5m  SH 6609 3473  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 124
(1:25k) OL18W
Observations:ground on SW top at SH 66148 34777 of equal height
Survey:Abney level/Trimble GeoXH 6000
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 425 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Cambrian Way Stage 17Rob Rees04/03/2024
with YFabioski01/02/2024
With Deborah, Frances, Rory and RobDonpeblo01/08/2023
Nuttall walk 9.2: Moel Ysgyfarnogod and Foel Penolau.Terrible weather- had to wait in car for 30 mins for rain to stop before walking in thick clag all afternoon. Could barely see lakes as visibility about 12 meters.Lazylizzie25/06/2023
Solo from Diffwys, both tops. Climbed easy route direct up the cliff to the SW top. Interesting crags and shattered joint feature on west side grand views.Nick Canute04/06/2023
A mountain of two tops, there are a few easy routes up, just be patient to find them, once up on the top, there is still a small scramble to get to the two tops.Buckleymon20/04/2023
From the Eastsidegingerreader09/04/2023
12 miles, 2035ft walk. start at Traws Fynydd Lake carpark up lane and turn left onto Cambrian Way up over Moel Y Gyrafolen, Foel Penolau, Moel Ysgyfarnogod + south top, Craig Ddrwg + north top, down Bwlch Gwylim turn left and follow path and track to carpark.stephenbuda09/04/2023
2/8 (Moel y Gyrafolen/Foel Penolau/Moel Ysgyfarnogod/Moel Ysgyfarnogod South Top/Corn-y-Stwc/Craig Ddrwg/Clip/Craig Won)Fergalh07/04/2023
Interesting summit area. Up from miners track to the east which is much longer on 1:250,000 than 1:50,000. Lovely open joint pattern in the granite.jef30/03/2023
Circular walk from CP at the south of Llyn Trawsfynydd. Moel y Gyrafolen - Foel Penolau - Moel Ysgyfarnogod. With R.Dan Baddeley04/03/2023
From Moel Ysgyfarnogod. Descent SE to quad bike track rough but fairly easy.Jim T29/12/2022
Craig Ddrwg, Corn-y-stwc, Moel Ysgyfarnogod South Top, Moel YSgyfarnogod, Foel Penolau, Moel y Grafolenkeithouk26/08/2022
Circuit of Northern Rhinogs, starting from small woodland walks car park at SH626366. Took footpaths by Garth-byr, Coetty-mawr to eventually reach open hillside and climb Moel y Geifr. Descent to Llyn Eiddew-mawr and continued on W side. Continued SSE and eventually climbed the rough ridge to reach Clip. Continued along the ridge to Craig Ddrwg, Corn-y-stwc [Craig Ddrwg North Top], Moel Ysgyfarnogod, the two tops of Foel Penolau (the first requiring some care), Moel y Gyrafolen, Craig y Gwynt. Return by path running W to reach minor road via Caerwych, then path through woodland at Ceunant Coch to start. Some rough terrain and paths not always clear and some overgrown with bracken.RobertP30/07/2022
both summitswainwrighteer10/07/2022
From Moel Ysgyfarnogod. Traversed round south side and climbed rocky gully continuing on grass. Easy walk from there to summit with small pile of stones. Southern summit looked difficult. Completes Welsh Hewitts, having initially completed them in 2006 before three additions.peter4lc07/07/2022
Started from the end of the minor road leading east from Eisingrug 62913 34251, A Six mile walk taking in Moel Ysgyfarnogod and Foel Penolau, this was a lot easier terrain than the main Rhinog's mainly grass with only a few rocky sections, Three and half hours in total.WAYNE ROWLETT15/05/2022
Mid afternoon from Cefn Clawdd. In two minds about it due to late start o next to shortest day of the year and light rain which looked threatening. Track goes well up, past the small plantation. Then head up to ow point in ridge where there is a stile. Opted for Foel Penolau first as weather was deteriorating. Could not see an easy option up crags so followed path which took me round west side where they became more broken. Easy then across to Moel Ysgyfarnogod Descended by ascent route using plantation as guide back to track as light faded - I had left my headtorch at home!dickscroop22/12/2021
A long hot day from Merthyr Farm campsite to the west to bag Moel Ysgyfarnogod and Foel Penolau. A detour to the 'crown of thorns' cairn at Bryn Cader Faner is highly recommended, along with the swim in Llyn Eiddew-bach on the way down.AndrewP20/07/2021
On a hot long day finally Riyadh was Top no. 2...my journey all along the rough and exhausting Rhinogs ridge from before the northerly Marilyn all the way down collecting all the tops & culminating in Rhinog Mawrvegibagger16/07/2021
From Cefn ClawddThe Playful Pig15/07/2021
Climbed from track to the west via Moel Ysgyfarnogod.dhbond26/06/2021
Early morning climb from sea level at Talsarnau to the summits of Foel Penolau and Moel Ysgyfarnogod via the Bronze Age cairn of Bryn Cader Faner. Great route at first but soon descended into bog and going was rather tough. Reached the steep-sided granite top of Foel Penolau first and after pondering the best route up, made a cautious scaling (rather slippery in the light rain). Took in the excellent view before climbing down the far side and up the second top just to be sure. Retracing my steps, made a mess of the decent, coming down the wrong side near the stone wall at a rather steep angle. Followed wall back to start to pick up the much easier path to Moel Ysgyfarnogod.MysteriousSue23/06/2021
with Dadmaryjdavies18/06/2021
Having been surprised to meet a chap at m.y.g. I bump into another 3 at f.p. young lady doing Nuttall tops.then 2 chaps. 3rd visit to what is one of my favourite tops in the whole of Wales. New route today though on to clip etc. Such fun up here. A bit tougher with a 25lb pack on mind.stig_nest17/04/2021
Start from SH684302. Path to SH686334, then to Foel Penolau, Moel Ysgyfarnogod, return via Graig Ddrwg and Llyn Pryfed.welshe20/09/2020
After Moel Ysgyfarnogod.NormanW11/09/2020
Parked at quarry on way to Cefn Clawydd. Followed track to it's end, then up Foel Penolau (both tops) and on to Moel y Gyrafolen.PGCE14/08/2020
Seven 5-600m summits between Trawsfynydd & Cwm Bychan with Rufus. Parked SH 68357 33605 off-road at quarry and walked towards Cefn Clawdd, track on right just before farm until small plantation then direct to gate and stile in NE corner of wall. Quick out and back to Moel y Gyrafolen then high ground over the tops to Clip. Return via Bwlch Gwylim and track down depression then increasingly boggy path/ROW NE/E to road again. Great hills, some tricky descents with the dog, sometimes taking big detours to avoid descending steep grit outcrops.jacobrichmond10/08/2020
An easy day out with Tim747Shutterlag09/01/2020
With Shutterlag after Moel Ysgfarnogod, both lumps of rock climbed!tim74709/01/2020
Moel y Gyrafolen, Diffwys, Foel Penolau, Moel Ysgyarnogod from the Llyn Trawsfynydd Cafe SH 696383Geoff Briggs10/11/2019
A mass or rock, summit atop of giant blocks of vertical faced rock, very rugged and impressive.richardrosser14/10/2019
From Moel y Gyrafolen over Diffwys. Weather overcast, but dry.DanMaisieBex13/07/2019
Quite spectacular lump of rock. Climbed it after Moel Ysgyfarnogod from West.IanHHill30/05/2019
Followed the route in the book. The scramble was fun and not to difficult. We went a bit more north to pick up a better path back from the stone circle to the startAristotle Chip26/05/2019
Moel y Gyrafolen > Diffwys > Foel Penolau > Foel Penolau SW Top > Moel Ysgyfarnogod > Craig y Gwynt from GR: SH 68432 35825Hippster07/04/2019
Moel y Gyrafolen > Diffwys > Foel Penolau > Foel Penolau SW Top > Moel Ysgyfarnogod > Craig y Gwynt from GR: SH 68432 35825ronaldo33307/04/2019
From the Afon Eisingrug via Llyn Eiddew-bach to both summits.Winterfloodian27/03/2019
Approach from E (P near Cefn Claedd farm) - made use of obvious track. Visited Moel Ysgyfarnogod then Foel Penolau (both tops).ger26/02/2019
After Moel Ysgyfarnogod.very imposing but actually okay once gully found. Bit of a scramble but fun.Longwojo15/10/2018
doneoutlawcatcher10/10/2018
With Val. Clear warm weather. Walked from the East. Parked at road end near Cefn Clawdd and followed track to its end south of the summit. Ascended to gap in wall then to summit of Moel Ysgyfarnogod and on to Foel Penolau. A scramble to the summit. A good walk with great viewsmike.hoult09/08/2018
From end of minor road east of Eisingrug. With dad and SophieJamesD197205/04/2018
Me Darryl and Sophie from Eisingrug.jrj05/04/2018
614mThe Grouse25/03/2018
Parked by the disused quarry on the minor road to the east, a wet but easy to follow track as far as possible then straight up, both tops on a very unusual hillbardolph29/09/2017
https://www.strava.com/activities/4464934744Sleepwa1ker21/06/2017
Staying at Tallin farm so walked from there.Up Cwm Moch to Moel y Gyrafolen and then Foel Penolau (yes, I did both peaks) and then on to Moel Ysgyfarnogod. Great views of the Llyn Peninsula, particularly on the way down. Saw 2 or 3 people but only in the distance.tsharp03/06/2017
Nuttall walk 9.2martin_hall01/06/2017