One of the most scenic routes in Britain, the Abergwesyn Pass is an old drover's track stretching for about 20 miles between the small hamlet of Abergwesyn and the town of Tregar.
Traversing a ledge in the hillside, the road climbs from Abergwesyn, soon becoming incredibly steep and windy - a 1 in 4 gradient over an seemingly endless series of hairpin bends, the aptly named Devil's Staircase - through thick forests.
Reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands, the road opens up onto the moorland and Mynydd Elenydd Range of the Cambrian Mountains and some spectacular broad open scenery of vast skies and emptiness. It finally descends through a forestry plantation before dropping into Tregar.
If you want to explore on foot, there are a number of footpaths. Ask the local tourist office for guides. There are youth hostels at Dolgoch and Tyncornel, open during the summer months.
Getting There
From Llanwrtyd Wells take the small road to Abergwesyn (5 miles north of Llanwrtyd) which leads up the Devil's Staircase and to the Abergwesyn Pass.
From Tregar, take the road eastwards from the marketplace in the centre of town through the Brenig Valley. It climbs through forest until it reaches the plateau of the Abergwesyn Pass.
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