Mountain (Hewitt) & Nuttall Icon

Pen yr Helgi Du
833m (2734ft)

The Carneddau, Snowdonia, Conwy, Wales

Pen yr Helgi Du means 'Hill of the Black Dog' in Welsh and is pronounced 'pen-ur-hell-gi-dee'.

The summit of Pen yr Helgi Du is marked by a beehive shaped cairn.


Record Pen yr Helgi Du as Bagged, Climbed & Conquered


Welsh Mountain Icon

Welsh Mountain
26th highest in Wales,
57th in England & Wales

Welsh Nuttall Icon

Welsh Nuttall
30th highest in Wales,
66th in England & Wales

Walk Pen yr Helgi Du walking UK Mountains in The Carneddau Snowdonia National Park Conwy, Wales

The view from the summit of Pen yr Helgi Du

Photo: Mike Griffiths

You can find Pen yr Helgi Du & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)

Snowdonia National Park


1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):

OL17 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa and Conwy Valley/Dyffryn Conwy


1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):

115 Snowdon & Caernarfon


See Pen yr Helgi Du and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:

See Pen yr Helgi Du and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:


You can walk to the top of Pen yr Helgi Du by using any of these 6 easy‑to‑follow route maps:
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Walk cw126 Craig Eigiau and Pen Llithrig y Wrach from Llyn Eigiau

Superb mountain walk with fine views

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 9.5ml (15km)
Ascent:2,714ft (827m)
Time:6.25hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 6 Icon (Moderate)
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Walk cw113 Pen Yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn and Pen Yr Helgi Du from Glan Dena, Llyn Ogwen

A fine high walk with dramatic views

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 9.75ml (15.5km)
Ascent:3,523ft (1,074m)
Time:7 hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 7 Icon (Hard)
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Walk cw109 Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Pen Yr Helgi Du from Capel Curig

Fine views of Tryfan and the Glyders

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 10ml (16km)
Ascent:2,945ft (898m)
Time:6½ hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 7 Icon (Hard)
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Walk cw199 Carnedd Llewelyn, Foel Grach and Pen Llithrig y Wrach from Llyn Eigiau

Superb mountain walk with fine views

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 11ml (17.5km)
Ascent:3,641ft (1,110m)
Time:7.75hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 7 Icon (Hard)
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Walk cw129 The Welsh 3000's (Carneddau) from Glan Dena, Llyn Ogwen

Peak baggers paradise

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 11.5ml (18.5km)
Ascent:4,599ft (1,402m)
Time:8.75hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 8 Icon (Hard)
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Walk cw146 Craig Eigiau, Pen Llithrig y Wrach and Creigiau Gleision from Llyn Eigiau

Superb mountain walk

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Vital Statistics:

Length: 13.5ml (21.5km)
Ascent:4,477ft (1,364m)
Time:9½ hrs
Grade:Walk Grade 8 Icon (Hard)

Other walkers who hiked, climbed, bagged and summited Pen yr Helgi Du Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Pen yr Helgi Du

Adrian Haywood walked up Pen yr Helgi Du on January 22nd, 2023 [from/via/route] Pen yr Helgi Du & Pen Llithrig-y-Wrach circular [with] Darryl, Mike and Rob [weather] snow & cloudy & windy.

Melfyn Parry climbed Pen yr Helgi Du on January 12th, 2020 [from/via/route] Ascent of tarmac highway to leat. Along leat to ascend Y Braich to Pen yr Helgi Ddu and on to Pen Llithrig y Wrach returning down it's south ridge. Cross footbridge at south of LLyn Cowlyd followed the leat back to tarmac highway & returned to car park. [with] PRC [weather] Windy on Y Braich with hail showers.

Andy Buxton bagged Pen yr Helgi Du during August, 1964 [from/via/route] Dad - Took wrong turn: intended to Pen Llithrig, Pen Helgi & Carrneddau. Ended up doing Craig Eigiau & Pen y Castell as well. Very late back to Llanfairfechan.

Anthony Scott hiked Pen yr Helgi Du on September 16th, 2018 [with] HF [weather] cloudy & drizzle

Hugh Strickland summited Pen yr Helgi Du on September 1st, 2018 [from/via/route] 20 miles (just under 10 hours, 8500 feet) Capel Curig to Y Garn, down to Ogwen upPen Yr Ole Wen & back along Carneddau including Pen Llithrig y Wrach

Bleddyn Rhys conquered Pen yr Helgi Du on April 9th, 2018 [from/via/route] fynnu o'r A5 dilyn y llwybr amlwg ar y grib i Pen yr Helgi Ddu, lawr ir bwlch ar y dde ac i fynu i Pen Llithrig y Wrach. lawr heibio ceg y llyn ac yn ol ir lon drwy'r gors! [with] Gyda Caradog! [weather] Eithaf braf gyda cymylau ond sych a dim llawer o wynt mond ar y top Da iawn am fis Ebrill cynar. - Ddim yn hir iawn, a hawdd ei gyrraedd or ffordd gyda'r route yma. 3 awr in total Dod adra yn fwy anodd, mynd oddi ar y llwybr a ffeindio'n hynnain mewn cors wlub!

Mark Davidson scaled Pen yr Helgi Du on June 26th, 2003 [with] Alone [weather] Sunny & very hot - long tiring walk in such conditions - Ran out of water towards the end

Christina Lander walked up Pen yr Helgi Du on May 18th, 2016 [from/via/route] Llyn Eigiau - Pen Llithrig y Wrach - Pen Helgi Du - Carnedd Llywelyn - Foel Grach - Llyn Eigiau [with] Dick [weather] Cloudy on the tops

Iain Jones climbed Pen yr Helgi Du on March 29th, 2014 [from/via/route] Glan Dena, Llyn Ogwen [with] Jim Hamilton & Steven Hunt - 14 February 2015 - walked from Llyn Ogwen with Graeme High

John Drysdale has bagged Pen yr Helgi Du [from/via/route] Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafyddd & Llewelyn [with] Solo [weather] Good clear, sunny & some breeze

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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Pen yr Helgi Du

Craig yr Ysfa with Carnedd Llewelyn beyond from Pen yr Helgi Du

Craig yr Ysfa with Carnedd Llewelyn beyond from Pen yr Helgi Du

Photo: Mike Griffiths (18)

Craig yr Ysfa from Pen yr Helgi Du

Craig yr Ysfa from Pen yr Helgi Du

Photo: Mike Griffiths (17)

On Pen Yr Helgi Du

On Pen Yr Helgi Du

Photo: Steven Thurling (1)

Bwlch Eryl Farchog from Pen yr Helgi Du

Bwlch Eryl Farchog from Pen yr Helgi Du

Photo: Mike Knipe (111)

Creigiau Gleision (left), Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, Pen Llithrig y Wrach (centre) and Pen yr Helgi Du from Moel Eilio (Dolgarrog)

Creigiau Gleision (left), Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, Pen Llithrig y Wrach (centre) and Pen yr Helgi Du from Moel Eilio (Dolgarrog)

Photo: Dafydd Morgan (98)

Bwlch Eryl Farchog with Carnedd Llewelyn beyond from Pen yr Helgi Du

Bwlch Eryl Farchog with Carnedd Llewelyn beyond from Pen yr Helgi Du

Photo: Paul Hancock (4)

Pen yr Helgi Du from Pen Llithrig y Wrach

Pen yr Helgi Du from Pen Llithrig y Wrach

Photo: Mike Knipe (112)

Pen yr Helgi Du from Craig yr Ysfa

Pen yr Helgi Du from Craig yr Ysfa

Photo: Mike Griffiths (16)


Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Pen yr Helgi Du

If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of Pen yr Helgi Du to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:



and we shall do our best to publish them.

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