"Friday 23rd February 2018. An ascent of Moel y Belan 359m/50m, Ffridd Fach 457m/32m and Croes y Forwyn 499.2m/80m, from Llyn Efyrnwy (Lake Vyrnwy), Powys, Mid Wales. 10.4km, with 465m of ascent. 4hrs 15mins. After picking up AC from the railway station in Flint, we drove south to Lake Vyrnwy, parking in a muddy lay-by off the A4393 near the tower in the reservoir lake called the 'Straining Tower' - presumably because this is where the water is drawn off and first filtered on its journey to Liverpool. The tower is rather fine, and would look not look out of place in some German fairy tale set in the Black Forest. The weather was dry, but very cold and grey, with an icy wind whipping in from the east. However, the forecast was for good sunshine later, and so it proved to be. We walked south-east along the road, picking up a right-of-way, not marked on the ground, which led us up north-west to the edge of a wood. From there it was a steep ascent through open woodland to the summit of Moel y Belan. There was no view due to the trees and undergrowth, but it was not an unpleasant place to stop. We descended back to the road, turning north near Pont Cynon onto quiet narrow lanes..." — marktrengove2 • Feb 23, 2018