The day on the hill
A good day on Foel-goch: light winds and clear tops for most of the day.
Wind
On the summit expect light winds of up to 5 mph, mainly south-easterly, with gusts of 0–10 mph at the windiest.
Cloud and visibility
The tops are likely to stay mostly clear of cloud, though brief patches cannot be ruled out.
Rain and ground
Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon. The timing could shift by a few hours.
Warmth and kit
On the tops it will be around 2 to 6°C, feeling like 0 to 4°C in the wind. The freezing level is above the summits. Take a warm layer and a hat for the top.
Daylight
A short day, with only about 9 hours of daylight. Sunset is around 4:30pm, so allow time to get off the hill before dark, and carry a head torch.
Forecast confidence
Things could still change through the day, so keep an eye on the sky.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 1.6 h of sunshine. This is not a forecast of time in sunshine on the summit. Use the cloud and views outlook above for the conditions on this mountain.
- Early
- 0 h
- Midday
- 0.8 h
- Later
- 0 h
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaA mixed night to camp, mainly because of the rain: about 8 mm of rain. 53Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full overnight outlook
A mixed night to camp, mainly because of the rain. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 15 mph. Expect about 8 mm of rain, mostly early on, so you'll likely pitch in the rain. Above about 600 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 900 m. A warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag rated to about 0°C comfort, and a warm mat, should do. Allow more if you sleep cold.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 4 mph / 12 mph
- Typical / low
- 5.3°C / 5.0°C · a brief spell
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 4 mph / 14 mph
- Typical / low
- 4.3°C / 3.8°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 100% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 5 mph / 17 mph
- Typical / low
- 2.9°C / 2.4°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 100% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
Warmth planning: As a broad starting point, consider a warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag with an ISO/EN comfort rating at or below about 0°C. Allow more margin if you sleep cold or expect fatigue, and use an adequate insulated mat. Dampness is possible, so keep the sleep system dry and ensure its insulation remains effective if damp.
Open-hillside reference. A sheltered pitch may be calmer; cols and ridges may be much windier. Tent design and the exact pitch still matter. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
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Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaPoor conditions for exposed scrambling: wet, slippery rock. Poor28 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Poor conditions for exposed scrambling. The rock is likely to be wet and slippery through the day. The rock around the summit is mostly mudstone or slate, a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds. On the usual routes up you may also cross volcanic tuff, which is rough and grippy when dry and usually still grips reasonably when wet. These are general notes for each rock type, taken from geological maps around the summit, so the rock on your line may differ.
Mudstone or slate is a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds. These are general notes for each rock type, from geological map samples at and around the summit. The rock on your line can differ, and lichen, vegetation and seepage all change how it feels underfoot.
Rock groups along the sampled routes
These are mapped rock groups, not separate weather forecasts or a ranking of route safety.
Elidir Fawr Ridge
volcanic rock, sandstone or gritstone, slate or mudstone
Geological detail and BGS records
7 rock types appear in the mapped samples
Samples around the summit inform the main rock-response profile, with the summit pin shown separately where it differs. Route samples add further context, but this is not a continuous geological survey.
Mudstone or slate is a soft, fine-grained rock that splits into thin flakes. It has only fair grip even when dry and is slippery when wet. It is often shattered, breaking into loose flakes, scree and poor holds.
BGS recordVolcanic tuff is rock formed from compacted volcanic ash and debris. It is rough and grippy when dry and usually still grips reasonably when wet. It is mostly solid, in slabs and ledges, though weathered patches can be crumbly.
BGS recordVolcanic tuff is rock formed from compacted volcanic ash and debris. It is rough and grippy when dry and usually still grips reasonably when wet. It is mostly solid, in slabs and ledges, though weathered patches can be crumbly.
BGS recordRhyolite is a hard, fine-grained volcanic rock. It grips well when dry and gets slippery on smoother faces when wet. It is hard, but often cracked into sharp, blocky pieces, so some holds are loose.
BGS recordSandstone is a gritty sedimentary rock. It is rough and grippy when dry and can feel greasy when damp or covered in lichen. It is usually solid in terraced steps, but softer layers crumble and weathered edges can break away.
BGS recordSandstone is a gritty sedimentary rock. It is rough and grippy when dry and can feel greasy when damp or covered in lichen. It is usually solid in terraced steps, but softer layers crumble and weathered edges can break away.
BGS recordGranite is a coarse, crystalline rock. It has excellent friction when dry and clean and is fair when wet, but greasy where there is lichen or moss. It is generally solid, but weathers into rounded slabs and blocks, and loose granite grit on slabs can roll underfoot like ball bearings.
BGS recordGeneric exposed scrambling terrain; BGS summit-area bedrock samples are included where available, but route grade, exact rock, polish, drainage and escape options remain unresolved. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
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Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaMostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night beginning 2026-11-10. All times are UK local time.
Aurora is unlikely on this night
A noticeable aurora display is unlikely here. Any glow may be faint or camera-only. Activity peaks around Kp 3.0 (on a 0 to 9 scale).
Activity can change at short notice. Check again on the night.
Stargazing
Poor sky conditions during the best available spell: 11 Nov, 03:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT.
Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times.
Moon-free dark sky: 10 Nov, 18:30 GMT to 11 Nov, 05:30 GMT.
Sky conditions through the night
| Time | Viewing conditions |
|---|---|
| 10 Nov, 18:30 GMT to 19:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 10 Nov, 19:00 GMT to 20:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 10 Nov, 20:00 GMT to 21:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 10 Nov, 21:00 GMT to 22:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 10 Nov, 22:00 GMT to 23:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 10 Nov, 23:00 GMT to 11 Nov, 00:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 11 Nov, 00:00 GMT to 01:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. |
| 11 Nov, 01:00 GMT to 02:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. |
| 11 Nov, 02:00 GMT to 03:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. |
| 11 Nov, 03:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. |
| 11 Nov, 04:00 GMT to 05:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Rain at times. |
| 11 Nov, 05:00 GMT to 05:30 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
Moon, darkness and meteor showers
Near-new moon, about 3% illuminated.
Full darkness: 10 Nov, 18:30 GMT to 11 Nov, 05:30 GMT.
Moon times assume an open horizon. Hills can hide the Moon sooner. Moon-free does not mean cloud-free.
Southern Taurids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
Northern Taurids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
Leonids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
- Southern Taurids: peak around 10 October 2026.
- Northern Taurids: peak around 12 November 2026.
- Leonids: peak around 18 November 2026.
- Geminids: peak around 14 December 2026.
- Ursids: peak around 22 December 2026.
Dates from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Activity dates do not guarantee visible meteors. Look across a broad, dark sky, not only north.
Darkness of the surroundings
Estimated darkness rank 891 of 980 assessed peaks (1 is darkest), based on surrounding artificial light in 2021. This is not a measurement of tonight’s sky.
2021 artificial-light baseline, not measured sky brightness or a Bortle class. Changes to lighting, blue-rich LEDs, terrain screening, atmospheric scattering and cloud-reflected light are not resolved. Similar ranks are not meaningfully distinct. Darkness is not a recommendation to climb a summit at night.
VIIRS nighttime lights: Earth Observation Group, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines. Reprocessed by OpenGeoHub/OpenLandMap. Cropped and ranked by Mountain Weather.
Sky-weather grades exclude light pollution, terrain and thin haze. They are not mountain safety ratings. Check the mountain and camping forecast separately. Accessible lower viewpoints may be a better choice than summits.
Explore the dedicated aurora forecast, meteor shower forecast or dark-sky and astrophotography forecast.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
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