List of mountain passes of Wales

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Wikipedia

The following is a list of notable mountain passes in Wales:

Pass name Translation/alt. name Road number OS grid ref of summit Historic county Principal area National Park? Maximum Elevation(m) Notes
Aberglaslyn Pass A498 SH595465 Caernarfonshire Gwynedd Snowdonia
Bwlch Bryn-rhudd English: pass of the crimson hill A4067 between Defynnog and Abercraf SN870219 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons
Bwlch Cerrig Duon English: pass of the black stones minor road between Trecastle and Swansea Valley SN857227 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons 369m
Bwlch y Cloddiau a.k.a. 'the Mohican Road' right of way between Llangurig and Cwmystwyth SN854782 Montgomeryshire Powys 533m Right of way. Eastern approach paved road; western approach largely unpaved.
Bwlch y Fedwen A458 between Mallwyd and Llangadfan SH752135 Montgomeryshire Powys
Bwlch Esgair Gelli road between Abergwesyn and Tregaron SN784576 Cardiganshire Ceredigion 472m
Bwlch ar y Fan a.k.a. the Gap Road restricted byway between Pontsticill and Brecon SO032205 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons 599m Rocky track over the pass.
Bwlchgylfin B4418 between Rhyd Ddu and Dyffryn Nantlle SH555534 Caernarfonshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 236m
Bwlch Llyn Bach English: pass of the small lake A487 between Dolgellau and Corris SH752135 Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 285m
Bwlch Oerddrws A470 between Dolgellau and Dinas Mawddwy SH802170 Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 363m
Bwlch y Parc A494 between Mold and Vale of Clwyd SJ164582 Denbighshire Denbighshire 291m through the Clwydian Range
Bwlch Penbarras a.k.a. 'Old Bwlch' minor road between Tafarn-y-Gelyn and Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd SJ162605 Denbighshire Denbighshire 362m through the Clwydian Range
Bwlch Pen-y-feidiog a.k.a. 'The Gated Road' minor road between Llanuwchllyn and Bronaber SH784333 Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 531m
Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen English translation: pass of the two stones minor road/track between Abergwyngregyn and Vale of Conwy SH712718 Caernarfonshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 429m
Crimea Pass Welsh: Bwlch y Gorddinan A470 SH699485 Caernarfonshire & Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 385m
Bwlch y Groes English translation: pass of the cross

Commonly known as Hellfire Pass

 minor road between Llanuwchllyn and Dinas Mawddwy SH913233 Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 545m Highest paved pass in North Wales.
Gospel Pass Welsh: Bwlch yr Efengyl minor road from Hay-on-Wye to Vale of Ewyas SO236352 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons 549m Highest paved pass in Wales.
Horseshoe Pass Welsh: Bwlch yr Oernant (pass of the cold stream) A542 SJ195474 Denbighshire Denbighshire 417m
Milltir Gerrig English translation: mile of stones B4391 between Llangynog and Bala SJ 017305 Merionethshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 486m
Nant Ffrancon Pass A5 between Bethesda, Gwynedd, and Llyn Ogwen in Conwy SN649605 Caernarfonshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 312m
Pengenffordd A470 between Talgarth and Vale of Usk SO173300 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons
Pen-y-Pass English: Llanberis Pass A4086 SH646556 Caernarfonshire Gwynedd Snowdonia 359m [1]
Pen Rhiw-wen A4069 between Llangadog and Brynaman SN732184 Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire Brecon Beacons
Rhiw Fawr English: Forge Road minor road between Machynlleth and Staylittle SN837884 Montgomeryshire Powys 509m
Pen Bwlch Llandrillo Drovers road between Llanarmon Dyffryn-Ceiriog and Llandrillo/Cynwyd SJ091365 Merionethshire Denbighshire 580m Unpaved drovers road over the pass.
Storey Arms A470 between Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil SN983203 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons 435m
Sychnant Pass Welsh: Bwlch Sychnant (dry stream pass) minor road between Dwygyfylchi and Conwy SH750770 Caernarfonshire Conwy 158m
Torpantau minor road from Talybont-on-Usk to Pontsticill SO052172 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons
Bwlch Bryn-rhudd A4067 SN870195 Brecknockshire Powys Brecon Beacons

References

Where not otherwise specified, much information is taken from 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scale maps published by the Ordnance Survey.

  1. ↑ The mountains of England and Wales, Volume 1 Wales John and Ann Nuttal