Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia, Wales
Cwm Idwal is surrounded by the high peaks of Y Garn (3,107 feet / 947 metres) and Glyder Fawr (3,278 feet / 999 metres), lies in the Glyderau mountain range and is a classic example of a landscape which was dramatically sculptured by ice thousands of years ago. Llyn Idwal, measuring 800 metres long by 300 metres wide, is named after Idwal, the son of one of the ancient Princes of Wales, Owain, Prince of Gwynedd. Legend relates Idwal was murdered by being drowned in the lake. Tradition further states that no bird flies over the lake, as a result of Idwal's terrible fate. The dark cliffs of Cloqwen y Geifr ( the Cliff of the Goat) form a dramatic backdrop to the lake. The plume of steam that rises from a crack in the towering rocks above, once viewed as having sinister origins, bestows another name on the area - Devil's Kitchen. The steam however is actually the result of moist air coming into contact with the rock face, which forces it upwards, causing it to cool and condense, forming swirling clouds. Devil's Kitchen is known in Welsh as Twll Du, meaning black hole.
Size: 5100px × 3400px
Location: Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia
Photo credit: © Stuart Greenhalgh / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: cloqwen--geifr, cwm, devil, du, glyderau, gwynedd, idwal, kitchen, lake, landscape, llyn, mountains, owain, prince, snowdonia, twll, wales
