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Walkers enjoying Pumlumon copyright Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

Walkers enjoying Pumlumon © MWT

Glaslyn & Bugeilyn Audio Trail

An entertaining and informative tour of an outstanding landscape in the north Cambrians, taking in the superb viewpoint of Foel Fadian and the two very different lakes of Glaslyn and Bugeilyn

Following this audio trail you can find out about the natural and human history of the area as well as the story of the Pumlumon Project and what Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust are doing now to change land management practices. These changes will help to enhance the wildlife interest of the area and to increase biodiversity, thus making the area more attractive for everyone.

To get the most out of the walk, download the 10 audio files below before you do the walk. You can also download a trail map and detailed route directions and print them out yourself. Ensure you read and follow the health and safety guidelines below before you set out.

A walker enjoying a day out on Pumlumon copyright Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

A walker enjoying a day out on Pumlumon © Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

Walk details

 

Length: 6.5 miles/10.5 km; allow three to four hours excluding stops

Grade: Moderate: about 825ft/275m of ascent, some over open hillside undefined on the ground; this section is now waymarked (yellow posts). The rest is mostly on defined tracks or paths, including part of Glyndwr's Way.

Flowering heather at Glaslyn Nature Reserve copyright Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust/Tammy Stretton

Flowering heather at Glaslyn Nature Reserve © MWT/Tammy Stretton

When to go

 

The audio trail may be walked at any time of your choosing, but is best walked in fair weather in spring, summer, or autumn. We recommend you take account of the weather forecast, particularly if you decide to go in winter. The Pumlumon Plateau is high and exposed and weather conditions change rapidly. In low cloud or mist, visibility is greatly reduced (so are the views!) and you could easily get lost unless you can use a map and compass. You need to allow for wind chill and driving rain.

Pumlumon walkers at the Wynford Thomas Memorial copyright Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

Pumlumon walkers at the Wynford Thomas Memorial © MWT

How to get to the start

 

The audio trail starts at the Wynford Vaughan-Thomas memorial at SN836959).

From Machynlleth: take the mountain road towards Staylittle and Llanidloes. Follow this for about 8 miles, climbing steeply on the final stretch. You will see the memorial on your right just after you cross a cattle grid.

From Llanidloes: take the B4518 signposted to Staylittle and Llanbrynmair. About a mile and a half past Staylittle, there is a left turn towards Dylife and Machynlleth. This is the mountain road. Follow this for about 5 miles until at the bottom of the first steep descent you will see the memorial on your left.

There is limited roadside parking, so please park carefully.

Health and Safety on the Mountains

Please remember that the Cambrian Mountains generally, and the Pumlumon area in particular, can be dangerous to explore without appropriate skills, equipment, and preparation. Whilst we have taken care to provide good route-finding information and some of the route is signposted and/or waymarked, it is still possible to get lost in mist or low cloud. Bad weather can develop suddenly in the mountains and you should take appropriate wetgear and wear walking boots. Parts of the trail can be very boggy. The route directions and trail map are intended to supplement, not replace, the use of a large scale ordnance survey map and you are advised to take a compass and learn how to use it if you don’t already know. If you have a GPS finder this can be helpful but is not a substitute for proper map reading and compass work. Over most of the area of the audio trail, there is only sporadic mobile phone reception.

We also advise you to take some food and water with you – there are no facilities for acquiring these en route! For more information on what equipment you should take on mountain walks, head to Mountain Rescue England & Wales website.

Downloads

You can stream the audio files below. To download them, right click on the relevant bar and choose 'Save audio as.."

01 Wynford Vaughan Thomas memorial

02 Foel Fadian

03 Owain Glyndŵr

04 Glaslyn Nature Reserve

05 Glaslyn lake

06 I know it looks odd...

07 The ravine

08 The beasts that shape the landscape

09 Bugeilyn Farm

10 Ditch blocking

Rural Development Plan funding logo strip

This project received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development