A year ago I’d never even seen Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. Six months later I’d climbed to the top of it seven times by six different routes. Once at 5am in mist so thick I couldn’t see my boots.
Hiking to the Roof of Wales so many times in such a short period doesn’t make me a Snowdon expert, far from it. Many others have climbed this peak so many times they’ve likely lost count. One chap last year even climbed Snowdon 9 times in 48 hours for charity!
I do however run a hiking website. This combined with my recent experiences climbing Snowdon puts me in a good position to pass on a few bits of advice that first-time hikers arriving at the mountain might be interested in.
Hiking Snowdon – Things to Know
1. Not All Routes Are Created Equal
Let’s start with the routes up to the summit, which stands at 1,085 meters above sea level. There are many trails, as you’d expect from a mountain this size.
The six main hiking routes to Snowdon’s top are Llanberis, Miners’, Pyg, Ranger, Rhyd Ddu, and Watkin.
Your experience hiking Snowdon is going to be very different depending on the route you choose so I will give you a quick intro to each of the six.
The Llanberis Path
14.6 km – 6 hours – Medium Difficulty
Known as the “Snowdon Superhighway” or sometimes by cheeky locals as “the tourist path” Llanberis is by far the most popular route up to the summit.
At 9 miles there and back, Llanberis is both the longest in terms of distance and climbing time. So why is it so popular? Well because it’s the most gentle ascent. Almost anyone can make it up this route, given enough time.
Some call it a little dull but that’s only in relation to the other more dramatic routes. It’s still a spectacular climb.
The Miners’ Track
13 km – 4-6 hours – Hard
Starting at the Pen Y Pass car park which it shares with the Pyg Track route, The Miners’ Track is a climb of two halves. The first is a relatively gentle stroll around the two main Snowdon lakes of Llyn Laidlaw and Glaslyn, the second half is an absolute calf-melting climb to the peak.
The ascent is tough but doable by most people without any health conditions.
Miners is a great option for those who want both a day out and a serious climb.
The Pyg Track
10.8 km – 6 hours – Hard
Starting at the same Pen Y Pass car park as Miners’ Track, the Pyg Track dispenses with the gentile start and gets straight to business.
Instead of ambling around the two lakes, you start climbing straight away. It’s tough but you are rewarded with views down over Llyn Laidlaw and Glaslyn.
At 6.7 miles this is the shortest of all the routes up and down Snowdon. But don’t underestimate this one it is a leg and lung burner.
The Snowdon Ranger Path
12.9 km – 4-5 hours – Medium/Hard
At 8 miles there and back the Ranger Path is almost as long as the Llanberis Path but it is much quieter and feels like much less of a slog. It’s also more gentle than Pyg and Miners’.
It is a great option for inexperienced climbers or first-timers.
The oldest of the six main Snowdon routes is named in honor of the guides who would take early Victorian climbers to the summit.
The Rhyd Ddu Path
12.1km – 5-6 hours – Hard
This is the most adventurous of the six main routes up Snowdon and the one you least want to be on if it’s a really windy day.
There’s nothing technical about the climb but some of the sections are very exposed with big drops on either side of the path, especially the exposed ridge line of Bwlch Main, which translates as “narrow pass”.
This is not a route for inexperienced hikers or anyone who has the remotest aversion to heights.
The Watkin Path
13.2km – 5-6 hours – Hard
The Watkin Path starts at the lowest elevation of the six main Snowdon routes meaning you’ve got the most climbing to do. But as a reward, it has some of the most picturesque views.
The route starts gently enough but the mid and final sections are seriously tough.
There is a section of gentle scrambling involving your hands which won’t be much of a struggle for mountain regulars but may be a little daunting for first-timers.
2. Do Your Route Research Before Hiking Snowdon
Now that you know the names and characters of the six main routes you can do your research.
Think seriously about your fitness level, the fitness levels of your fellow hikers, the time of year, how early you will be setting off, your familiarity with mountain hiking etc, etc. Then do your research and pick a route accordingly.
All routes can be found on Alltrails, which is a useful app to download before you start your climb.
Also Read: What to Bring on a Hike
3. Snowdon Gets Busy in Summer, Really Busy
Snowdonia is an incredibly popular national park, which contains all 15 mountains in Wales that are over 3000 feet high. Snowdon is the highest, and hiking to the top of Snowdon is the goal of many of the national park visitors. Around half a million folk take on the mountain each year.
That’s on top of the 4 million visitors to the wider Snowdonia National Park. And most of these climbers and visitors will arrive in a very condensed period during the summer months.
So guess what? Parking can be an issue. Don’t let it be for you. Think and plan.
Don’t Let Parking Become a Problem
The shared car park at Pen y Pass for two of the most popular routes Pyg and Miners requires you to book online at least a day ahead for a coveted bay. But those spots fill up fast, as in a week or two in advance sometimes in the summer.
Opting for a quieter route, such as Ranger or Rhyd Dhu can solve this issue but they only have small car parks so arriving early is very much advised.
Now, if you arrive and the car parks are full, don’t fear. There are overflow car parks around the park where you can park and walk a bit further to your trailhead. Just know you might be adding an extra few miles to your hike.
There is also the very efficient and comprehensive Sherpa Bus Service that visits the trailhead of each of the six main routes. So why not park and ride, baby?!
Wild Parkers: Your Car Will Get Towed
Snowdon is in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. The roads around the massif are narrow, and winding country lanes. You might think, oh I’ll just pull over here and park at the side of the road by this pretty stream and climb Snowdon from here. What harm can I do?
Well, if you did that then the next car along might do the same and suddenly those narrow winding roads are completely jammed and nobody is having any fun.
The park authorities are draconian about this. Park your car illegally and don’t expect it to be there when you return from your climb. It will have been towed. And you will have nobody to blame but yourself.
You have been warned!
4. Don’t Rely on the Snowdon Cafe to be Open
Snowdon is unusual, not only is there a train to the peak but there is also a cafe up there.
Known as the Hafod Eryri which translates from Welsh as the Eryri Summerhouse. Eryri is the Welsh name of the National Park. It bills itself as the UK’s “highest refueling station”.
This is great news in theory as you can get a hot coffee and a sandwich to celebrate your successful climb. However, the cafe is only open in summer, so Late May to October.
But, and here’s the big but. If it’s windy out or the trains aren’t running the cafe won’t be open. It also only opens after 10 am, so if you’ve had an early start you may have to hang around.
I’ve been up to Snowdon seven times and I’ve yet to enjoy the jumbo hotdog on their menu.
Now most of my climbs were outside of the summer season but three weren’t, and of those three it wasn’t open once. So take my advice, and pack some snacks to avoid a rumbling belly.
5. Get into the Festival Spirit and Be Prepared to Queue
This might sound like a strange one. Who queues on a mountain?!
Well, welcome to the UK my friend, where we queue everywhere for everything.
Also Read: What Travelers Love About the UK (And a Few Quirks That May Surprise You)
In the high summer, the popular routes up Snowdon, Pyg, Miners, and Llanberis experience heavy footfall and the first two of these routes have some notable bottlenecks, particularly Igam Ogam, the zigzag section.
Be prepared to wait for slower-moving upward climbers running out of puff and also be prepared to wait and let downward climbers pass.
Don’t look at it as queuing, look at it as a mindful moment on a beautiful hike. In general, spirits are high on the mountain, everyone is friendly and encouraging, and has a mild festival spirit where you are happy to chat with strangers (something we Brits typically avoid at all costs).
Oh, and even once you’ve reached the peak, prepare to queue again. That is, if you want to get that coveted selfie with the topograph that marks the highest point.
6. Read Up on a Little Snowdon History
Eurgh, homework. Nobody likes homework. I hear you cry!
One thing that will make your Snowdon experience a little richer is if you know a little of the history of the mountain. This is too deep a subject to get into here, but here are a few little things you could look into before arriving for your climb.
- The connection between King Arthur and Snowdon. Even the Welsh name of the mountain Yr Wyddfa involves ol’ Arty. It’s a very fun story involving a giant with a beard fetish.
- How important Snowdon is to the whole genre of mountain climbing as a pastime/sport. It was here that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay trained for the first ascent of Everest.
- The link between Snowdon and the UK’s walking scene. Snowdon’s Watkin’s Path was the UK’s first-ever “designated footpath”. There are now over 150,000 miles of public footpaths in England and Wales.
Final Thoughts About Hiking Snowdon
There you have it, a few handy bits of insider knowledge for you to mull over before you arrive in North Wales to tackle Snowdon.
It’s a truly amazing mountain soaked in as much history as it is Welsh rain. But it can be a busy place, especially in summer. This is reassuring for many the less experienced climbers but it can take hiker heads by surprise, especially if they are used to your mountains being lonely and windswept.
My final advice is just to repeat: do a little research before you arrive. And pick your path carefully so you have a better chance of achieving the experience you desire.
And if you’d prefer not to hike Snowdon on your own, you can also book a guided summit hike.
Good luck hiking fans, may the rain fall lightly upon you, and may your footing always be sure and true.
Also Read:
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- Important Things to Know When Hiking Alone
- Hiking to Machu Picchu, Peru
- Trekking to the Lost City in Colombia
- Hiking on Spain’s Costa Blanca
- The Best Views in Switzerland & Some Incredible Hikes
- Hiking in Redwood National Park, California
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