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Previously we have walked Llyn Elsi via the direct route up behind the church, having spoken with the owner of the B&B we had stayed at, we took their advice and followed a route they suggested (along with a map). This was how they called the “scenic route” and it was an even better walk than the original we had done.

We started out from the train station on a very wet January day (which was a great day to test our new Paramo Alta 3 jackets – see more here) due to the rain we were glad that a lot of the walk would be alongside and through woodland so decided to get quickly on our way. Following the main road to the bridge is simple and straightforward, from here we crossed over the bridge and headed left into the forest walk. This section is a woodland area with a raised walkway section that’s very easy to walk on and a couple of times the walkway splits around tree’s in a really nice way. Even though it was wet, this section wasn’t slippery. When it comes to an end, the walk continues over a slightly less wooded area as the middle section opens out. At this point, it’s very easy to lose the route, as the path we took is hidden on the left. Walking towards the river keeping an eye on the rocks in front of you will soon show a little hidden gate. Taking this leads through to a field which during our wet weekend was quite flooded.

Luckily, some rather large stones had been put down which helped us across the worst of it. Once over, the rest of the ground was quite low, similar height to the river and due to the fast flow, it was a little concerning although the ground does soon start to get a big higher again and towards the other end of the field where the tree line begins again, you get a nice height above the river.

Through this part of the forest there is a solid path and a few steps but the woodland is a treat keeping you slightly concealed while still being able to see the river running by, again out of the rain this was a welcome relief. Getting to the end of this section was a slightly uphill walk to a gate, from here you can go right and explore the fantastic Gwydyr forest as we did on this walk here, or turn to the left and head over to a bridge than runs over the river. This bridge is just the most fantastic I think I've crossed in the UK; it angles down at a very steep slope and there are wooden foot “wedges” for every step to keep you stable. Making you way over this and down to the rocky bottom while the raging river runs below is brilliant and once down, the rocky outcrop you stand on feels like an island in the river itself. Here we also found a little waterfall, Which Rachel decided to test her waterproofs that bit more! After this, we headed up the steps the other side, which unfortunately, were a little normal compared to the previous ones!

Crossing over the road there is a track up the opposite side, following this was easy and it’s wide enough for cars or tractors (we didn’t see any, but keep your eyes peeled) coming to the first cross road, we turned left across a flat track and after a short while walking came to a path on the right, this section is a little harder to follow, but there are obvious paths. We followed the path through the woodland, coming across some fantastic little streams and waterfalls before passing by a quarry with a mound of slate. After this, the mapped path took a long arching right, we saw another route on the right that would join up but looked easier to follow, not too far in it meets back up with the main path we wanted to be on.

This area is still quite heavily wooded and it’s not until you make you way up a bit higher than you eventually pass a few rocky sections (almost a scramble) where the land starts to clear away a little. Eventually, following this through leads out to a more main route up to Llyn Elsi and it’s here we managed to pick pace back up and following this path all the way to the dam which was our last bit of shelter for a bit.

Upon passing this, the wind really caught up and with the rain still coming down we moved through this bit quite quickly (we’ve done Llyn Elsi in the summer, check here for the route and the amazing views when it’s not so wet!) we managed to get a pace on and head around the main path which runs around the edge of the lake and although we didn’t take in too many view due to the bad weather, it was still nice having something a little different to look at now we had spent so much time in the woodland.

Once we got a bit around the lake, we met up with the main path up from Betws Y Coed and this is the route we took back down. It’s a very wide track that is very easy to follow and was the first bit of the walk we saw other people! This path steadily moves down the hill sweeping back and forth, its high tree lined sides offered much more shelter from the rain and made getting down much easier.

The end of the walk does get quite steep and make it a little harder to get down but most walkers will be fine, we finished coming out of the path behind the Church into Betws Y Coed and a short stole to the train station where we started.