The steps climb out of Cwm Bychan through heather and boulders to the pass between Rhinog Fawr and Clip, and on a grey day it is easy to imagine them busier than they are. The legend says that sometimes they are. A patrol of Roman soldiers, leading mules loaded with packs, is said to be seen trudging up the stairway before fading into the mist of the pass.
The story attaches treasure to them. In one form the soldiers are guarding hidden gold; in another, anyone who follows them will be led to it.
The steps being medieval rather than Roman does not stop the story, and may explain it: the name "Roman Steps" came first, and the ghost legion fits the name. There are no recorded modern sightings attached to the tradition.
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