Status

Open

Right to roam

The "right to roam" in Wales is currently the same as in England and does not allow access to open access land for the purposes of hang-gliding or paragliding.

The legislation is enacted by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and the section relevant to us is Schedule 2 on page 75:

1. Section 2(1) does not entitle a person to be on any land if, in or on that land, he—

(s) engages in any organised games, or in camping, hang-gliding or paragliding

Primary tabs

Best Wind Cardinal: 
ESE
Sites officer: 
Gareth Aston
Grid Ref: 
SH652557
Takeoff Height: 
450m
Landing Height: 
150m
Top to bottom: 
300m

The club may have a no-fly agreement on this site during lambing, so if flying in March, April or May please look out for, and observe, any notices that will be prominently positioned on entry points to this site, and/or contact the club. Please frequent yourself with the map that follows this section. During this period there is an agreed alternative take-off site - 'Station 4'. This is outlined with the map.

Moel Berfedd offers good soaring for the non-XC pilot. For the XC pilot it is a serious mountain-flying proposition.

Getting to take-off: 

Find a parking space somewhere around the Pen y Gwryd hotel (SH 660 558). Don't park in their car park and ensure you are off the road completely as the local traffic wardens are keen to say the least, especially in season time. At the top end of the Gwryd car park you'll see a ladder over the fence. Go over this and make your way up the hill. If you look at the hill you can see a stone wall that disappears over its top roughly in the middle. Where this wall disappears onto the hilltop you'll find a great and grassy take-off. You can also take off in suitable places on the lower slopes. From this Easterly take-off you can also walk around to the S/SE face. Search hard for suitable looking takeoff ledges, not for the ill experienced.

Landing: 

The main landing site is situated down by the Pen y Gwryd hotel, in the area directly over the road from the ladder you climbed over, alternatively the area just to the east of the Pen Y Gwryd and on the North side of the road before the river that passes under the road. If you go XC towards Snowdon and can't get back, the landing field is right down in the bottom of the Gwynant Valley, in the fields immediately beside the lake. This is also a campsite. There is no landing area between Moel Berfedd and this lakeside field. Do not get caught short or you will seriously jeopardise the good relationship we have with the farmer. The trip to the lake field is a mini XC in itself and a great first XC - but don't fall short!

Don'ts: 
  • Land in the fields North of Llyn Gwynant campsite.
Challenges: 
  • Watch out for sea breezes mainly from the west, coming over the back.
  • The southerly portion of Moel Berfedd is marginal and turbulent. In strong winds there is the potential to be pushed over the back and down the Llanberis Pass, you don’t want to do this! 
  • When flying in the Snowdon bowl it can be very turbulent
  • Beware strong winds when landing at Llyn Gwynant campsite, don’t get blown into the lake!
  • It can be turbulent on the pump & there is a lot of turbulence behind the pump, give it a wide berth if going down to land in the campsite. 
Safety: 

Thermal days

A small rounded hill in the axis of a Y shaped valley system, Berfedd works when there is East in the wind.  More often than not on thermic days sea breeze will come up the Gwynant valley or the Llanberis pass. Get ready for a remarkably quick change in conditions. Typically an E breeze will switch to S or NW depending on which way the sea breeze comes in.  Don’t hang around on this site if the wind is dropping! Fly while you can and take the minimum you need to soar. Scratching when the sea breeze is just behind the hill is risky. If you suspect the sea breeze is nearing the hill you can try for the convergence ahead of it. Fly out (to the SE of the nose is often a good place to look for a climb) and don’t scratch close. You will be rewarded with a very strong climb if you catch it right.

Soaring days

When it is easy to soar Berfedd it is often much more windy in the mountains outside of this Berfedd shelter zone. If you venture into the Snowdon horse-shoe on such days you may well get stuck in a venturi in the gap between Snowdon
and Lliwedd and between Carnedd Ugain and Crib Goch. Pilots have had accidents and lucky escapes after being blown back through these gaps in the ridge-line.