2. THE OGWEN

Part one CWM IDWAL

I love Eryri (Snowdonia).

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the lakes in equal measures with its varied, fantastic landscapes but as you drive down the A5 from either Bethesda or Capel Curig, you get ‘that’ view of Tryfan and Llyn Ogwen…..it gets me every time. People on my landscape photography workshops are always taken aback when they see it.

The Ogwen valley cuts between the Glyder and Carneddau ranges and doesn’t disappoint. We are lucky to have so many great passes on ‘our island,’ that promise and deliver.

It has alway seemed to me, that the ‘whole of Snowdonia’ is concentrated right here. It isn’t of course but thats how I feel as the towering mountains of rock rise either side of the road. No matter what the weather or season, I just love being there.

If you are a walker, whether casual or serious you are spoiled for choice but as a landscape photographer….wow!

I have a few spots that, for me, are ‘go too.’ It never bothers me that I have photographed them before as I love to see places throughout the seasons with different light and one of those places I regularly descend upon is Cwm Idwal.

If you are travelling at weekend or during the height of summer, you will need to be there early as the free car parks along the A5 are usually filled. The road leading up to the area is also marked with yellow lines due to lots of people simply dumping their cars there over the years. Out of season is best but on decent days, they still get a fair amount of visitors. Most will arrive by car but there is an excellent bus service that runs through the valley and is never short of takers in the height of the season.

When you arrive there is a visitor centre, and a little coffee shop and toilets. If you haven’t been here before, the info at the centre is well worth your time. I cannot stress the importance of what Cwm Idwal means to us as human beings…..thats why it’s iOS important to take a few minutes to go into the centre and find out why! If you wish too learn more, here is a video I made about Cwm Idwal which is available now on my MovingStills Youtube channel.

The walk up to the Cwm and Llyn Idwal will take you around twenty minutes but be warned….there are numerous photographic opportunities presented for you to get the camera out along the way!

Whilst these abound all year round, you’ll see by my choice of images that my favourite time to photograph there is in the winter!

*Clicking on the title of the photograph below will take you to my online shop*

WATERFALLS

There are a few to choose from dotted around with the first one literally 100 yards (I am old school) from the info centre as you walk up towards the Cwm.

Biggest issue here?

People….you just have to set up and dodge them when you can, although for this one I dropped down onto the rocks and so avoided everyone crossing on the bridge!