Mount Snowdon

Mount Snowdon sits at the heart of high Snowdonia, a complex but majestic mountain, promising spectacular view as far as England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man on a clear day(!). It has atmosphere galore, despite the railway, café and crowds at the summit: the mountain’s beautiful lake-sprinkled bowls, glaciated valleys and rugged peaks and ridges fascinate walkers and climbers alike.   

From the high summit ridge, you can see the full glory (horror) of Crib Goch, the inviting Nantlle Ridge to the west, with the Lleyn Peninsula receding behind it. The sea gleams to the north and south-west, with central Snowdonia receding to the east and South. Thrilling.

Steeped in history, geological significance and folklore, Mount Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa (‘burial place’ in Welsh – legend has it that the summit’s cairn marks the grave of the giant, Rhita Fawr) is the UK’s highest mountain south of the Scottish Highlands and would be one of the more beguiling mountains in the world, but for the depressing tourism at its top.

Whether your interest is fossils, flora and fauna, from skylarks to bedstraw, Wales’s mining heritage, or pulse-racing extreme sports, Snowdon is laden with interest. The Snowdon massif was much loved by the great early climbers, with Mallory and others often on its sheer flanks.

The only downside to these varied splendours is, sadly, its depressing exploitation for tourism: once dubbed ‘the highest slum in Wales’ by Prince Charles, the funicular railway, ugly navigation dial and former café structure at the very top have been the subject of much disgust for the walking community.  Reopened after a multi-million pound makeover, the new ‘visitor’s centre’ is, at least, an interesting piece of architecture: encased in granite, with one glass, floor-to-ceiling wall (aiming to endure extreme weather, ‘blend with the natural landscape’ and offer a ‘window to the world’), it boasts ‘ecological’ credentials, with rainwater cannily redirected from the roof to flush the lavatories.  Talk about ‘high tea’ …

Snowdon’s starfish form affords an intriguing variety of routes to the summit, each with its own unique allure and varying degrees of difficulty, from centuries-old miners’ tracks to the challenging Horseshoe.

The climb can be conquered in 4-6 hours (or 6-7 hours for those disarmed by the splendour), which makes for a perfect if tiring day.

The main routes are:

The Miners’/ Pyg Tracks

These most-used tracks approach from Pen-y-pass to the east. They both offer well-constructed if heavily used paths to the summit. A classic way to climb Snowdon would be to combine these routes.

The Miners' Track follows the lower hillsides above the valley up to the beautiful Llyn Llydaw reservoir, with its classic views westward up the bowl below Snowdon's elegant cone. A steady climb gets you to the Glaslyn upper lake right below the Snowdon cliffs, passing  the remains of early mining as you go. From Glaslyn you make a taxing, craggy ascent to join the Pyg Track and then on up to the high Snowdon summit ridge, to enter a new world of huge views and often blustering wind. The walk up the high ridge to the summit is an easy if often overpopulated walk.

The Pyg Track traverses the same northern hillside, but significantly higher up. It is, overall, a steadier climb than the Miners’ Track, with bigger views from earlier on and little mining mess but not the lakeside beauty either.

Watkin and Rhyd Ddu paths

These very different paths both approach from the south, with the lowest start and therefore the highest climb to make. While they have way fewer climbers than the Miners’/Pyg, you won’t be alone on the Watkins in particular. -Most people walk both these paths as a circuit, ascending the Watkins Path and descending Rhyd Ddu. Were you to be able to arrange transport so as to descend a different way, you might do well to climb the Rhyd Ddu path and then head on.

The Watkins Path makes the long slog up the right-hand hillside of the beautiful bowl of upper Cwm Llan to the high shoulder between Snowdon and Lliwedd. Then it is the dreary slog up the infamous, horribly eroded southern scree slopes, to rejoin the Rhyd Ddu path just below the summit. 

The Rhyd Ddu path is a really glorious climb/descent, following the marvellous south ridge, between the craggy drop into Cwm Llan and the relatively gentler, lake sprinkled landscape to the west.

Y Lliwedd

This wonderfully inspiring serrated fin of rock to the south-east of Snowdon itself soars above the magnificent cirque below the Snowdon summit pyramid. It looks more exposed than it actually is.  Lliwedd is climbed in conjunction with Snowdon by the great majority. The main approach routes are from the Miners’ Track and from the southern shoulder of Snowdon, from the Watkins Path – but the most exciting, indeed a demanding and in places seriously exposed, route up is the airy scramble up the Y Grilyn ridge from the foot of the Glaslyn upper lake.

Crib Goch

This notorious knife-edge ridge looms to the north of the great bowl east of Snowdon. It is a demanding, ultra-exposed scramble rather than a walk and is thought by most to be a terrifying horror-show and simply not worth trying. (Do not even think of it unless are an experienced scrambler or are with an experienced guide. And never in poor or uncertain weather.) The views are sensational in both directions, and it is staggeringly beautiful and exciting on the right day.

You begin climbing the northern branch of the Pyg Track from Pen-y-pass, turning right to start the hard climb then scramble up to high Crib Goch at the eastern end of the long ridge ending at the Snowdon shoulder, which winds westward as a narrow fin of rock with deadly drops on both sides. Then you tackle the long struggle westwards. Amazing – for the right person!

The Horseshoe 

This is the truly great walk here, although in its pure form truly extreme, too. Starting at Pen-y-pass, set out on the northward/upper Pyg Track, then turn north to join the fearsome Crib Goch ridge – although, if you are (relatively) chicken like Walkopedia, you carry on up the Pyg or Miner’s tracks to the summit. (We call this the Reasonable Horseshoe.) Having enjoyed the views, you head south-west briefly, then turn south-east for the tedious, steep descent down the Watkins Path to the shoulder where it turns downhill below the sharp ridge of beautiful Y Lliwedd. You turn left to climb (a simple scramble at times) to Y Lliwedd’s double summited, dramatic rocky fin high above Llyn Llydaw. Thence you carry on north-east to drop back to the Miner’s Track and head back to a grateful finish at Pen-y-pass. Amazing.

Unsettled Welsh weather often shrouds the summit in moody mist. This is demanding (and can be downright dangerous) walking in sheer mountains with uncertain weather. Come fully prepared, and consider whether tackling it is sensible in poor conditions.

Access and parking can be painful at busy times. In particular, the car park at Pen-y-pass to the east has to be booked ahead, online. There is a good shuttle bus from a car park above the head of Llyn Peris to the west, and a less frequent one from the historic Pen-y-Gwyrd climbers hotel down the hill to the east.

We want to give more information. Photos and ideas welcome! 

See our Snowdonia page for helpful practical information, photos ideas and any risks to consider.