As part of our week at Maes Yr Hendre holiday cottage we had a trip to see The Devil’s Kitchen.
The Devils Kitchen name given to the dark, black crack which splits the rock of Clogwyn y Geifr (Cliff of the Goat) between Y Garn and Glyder Fawr. The Welsh name for Devil’s Kitchen is Twll Du, meaning ‘black hole’. Twll Du is known as the Devil’s Kitchen because of the plume of steam that is often seen rising from the crack resembling a chimney. It’s said when steam can be seen rising from the chimney, the Devil was cooking.
We decided to get a glimpse of the Devils Kitchen so parked at Maes Parcio Dyffryn Ogwen Car Park and headed South, uphill, along a gravel path following the banks of Llyn Idwal.
This is the route, note the tight contour lines near the end of the route, quite a climb. When we got to the end at a place marked as the Devils Kitchen we just headed back along the same route. We did try to find another path and return via the other side of the valley but couldn't find it.
Following a stone path south with some great views.
The first view of Llyn Idwal.
Following the path alongside the lake. It's been failry level so far, but that was soon to change.
Ruby conquered her own mountain.
And here in the distance, the Devils Kitchen. Note the path on the left of the picture going steadily upwards, thats the path we're about to take to the rocks just below the Devils Kitchen.
It's at this point that the path gets steeper and rockier, for those daft enough to try it. The level gravel track follows to the right around the edge of the lake but we scrambled uphill to the left to the Devils Kitchen.
The easier path is visible at the bottom of this pic.
We carried on scrambling up the hillside (mountainside?) and got some great views.
This is as close as we got to the Devils Kitchen. Some hikers walk through/over it and down the other side of the hill. We didn't have that option due to time, weather and Tiggy being in the opposite direction, so we headed back the way we came for a nice leisurely and best of all, downhill trek.
Rubys step count was much greater than ours and it took its toll that evening. A well earned rest.
