Maesglase
Encyclopedia
Maesglase is a mountain
in Snowdonia
, North Wales
, situated approximately four miles to the south-west of Aran Fawddwy
. It is the highest of the "Dyfi Hills".
It can be reached by an easy but steep walk through the forestry from Dinas Mawddwy
or directly from the bwlch
on the A470
. Ascending Maesglase provides an opportunity to climb several other nearby peaks including Maen-Du, Craig Rhiw-erch,
Waun-oer
, Craig Portas and Cribin Fawr
which are linked by a series of ridges and arête
s.
The precise location of the summit is the subject of some confusion. Traditionally, the top of Maen Du (674 m at ) was regarded as Maesglase's summit. However, more recent surveys suggest that the top of Craig Rhiw-erch (c 676 m at , some 600 m to the west) is higher. The geomorphology
of these mountains is classical U-shaped glacial valleys with text-book examples of hanging valleys and intersecting valleys.
The eastern slopes are devoted to sheep farming whilst the western slopes are intensively forested.
Above the semi-improved grassland
is some bracken
but much of the higher ground is covered in typical Calluna
/ Erica
communities interspersed with large areas of Juncus
, Carex
and Sphagnum
bogs. The tops of Cribin Fawr are flat expanses of peat-hags. On the eastern flanks Bilberry
(Vaccinium myrtillus) grows in abundance with Cowberry
(Vaccinium vitis-idaea) common on the highest ground.
Half a mile to the west of the peak of Cribin Fawr at a high point of 659 metres is a stone boundary marker
dated 1861 and inscribed CCC and bearing a benchmark
.
Maesglase waterfall has a total height of 160m.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, situated approximately four miles to the south-west of Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom.The nearest urban centres to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west. On the eastern slopes of Aran Fawddwy is...
. It is the highest of the "Dyfi Hills".
It can be reached by an easy but steep walk through the forestry from Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, north Wales, just to the side of the A470 so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn which climbs up through the mountains to cross Bwlch y Groes at its...
or directly from the bwlch
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
on the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
. Ascending Maesglase provides an opportunity to climb several other nearby peaks including Maen-Du, Craig Rhiw-erch,
Waun-oer
Waun-oer
Waun-oer is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, situated approximately four miles to the south-west of Aran Fawddwy. It is one of the peaks in the Dyfi hills, a subgroup of the Cadair Idris group. It is a top of Maesglase and the summit consists of a trig point that crowns an uneven grassy...
, Craig Portas and Cribin Fawr
Cribin Fawr
Cribin Fawr is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, situated approximately four miles to the south-west of Aran Fawddwy. It is one of the peaks in the Dyfi hills, a subgroup of the Cadair Idris group. It is a top of Maesglase, connected to its parent peak by the Craig Portas ridge. The top of...
which are linked by a series of ridges and arête
Arete
Areté is the term meaning "virtue" or "excellence", from Greek ἈρετήArete may also be used:*as a given name of persons or things:**Queen Arete , a character in Homer's Odyssey.***197 Arete, an asteroid....
s.
The precise location of the summit is the subject of some confusion. Traditionally, the top of Maen Du (674 m at ) was regarded as Maesglase's summit. However, more recent surveys suggest that the top of Craig Rhiw-erch (c 676 m at , some 600 m to the west) is higher. The geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
of these mountains is classical U-shaped glacial valleys with text-book examples of hanging valleys and intersecting valleys.
Above the semi-improved grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
is some bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
but much of the higher ground is covered in typical Calluna
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
/ Erica
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
communities interspersed with large areas of Juncus
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
, Carex
Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
and Sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
bogs. The tops of Cribin Fawr are flat expanses of peat-hags. On the eastern flanks Bilberry
Bilberry
Bilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible berries. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
(Vaccinium myrtillus) grows in abundance with Cowberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is a short evergreen shrub in the heath family that bears edible sour fruit, native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. In the past it was seldom cultivated, but fruit was commonly collected in the wild. ...
(Vaccinium vitis-idaea) common on the highest ground.
Half a mile to the west of the peak of Cribin Fawr at a high point of 659 metres is a stone boundary marker
Boundary marker
A boundary marker, boundary stone or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary...
dated 1861 and inscribed CCC and bearing a benchmark
Benchmark (surveying)
The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future...
.
Maesglase waterfall has a total height of 160m.