Snowdon. The highest peak in Wales. Trails, parking lots, map of our route to the top

• Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales, 1085 m above sea level.
• Most often it is obtained from the Pen-y-Pass pass
• The main car park on the pass is paid, it is not large and fills up quickly, so you need to book it
• In addition, there are several other paid car parks in the area, from which you can get to the pass by bus or taxi. We paid £10 for the whole day for the nearby car park
• The trails here have no colors, but names.
• If you choose the Crib Goch trail, be very careful, because it is difficult and many people have already lost their lives here
• We rolled a 12 km long loop. We went up the Pyg Track and we went down the Miner's Track
• Nearby we visited a place with a long name in the UK. It has 58 letters. In the octet it is  Llanfair P.G 

Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales. We organized a trek to the top in October.Although it is not too high, because it is only 1085 m above sea level, it is a very interesting mountain and I will immediately say that it is not easy. In a few words, it could be described as: Bieszczady, Tatry and Babia Góra in one! Why so? With picturesque landscapes and heights, it reminds us of the Bieszczady Mountains, the difficulty of the Tatra Mountains trail, and the capricious weather of Babia Góra. The views from the top are wonderful, but often the massif is covered by fog and heavy clouds. This is how Snowdon showed up from below, from the Pen-y-Pass pass. But the higher up, the more sunshine there was, and the clouds overflowed quickly, revealing the blue sky every now and then. From the top we saw beautiful landscapes!

Mountains of Great Britain

It must be admitted that the old mountains of Great Britain, suppressed by a noble age, do not impress with their height. The highest peaks can be found in Scotland, in the north of the main island. The Caledonian Mountains and Grampians grow there. The dominant mountain of the former is Carn Eige with a height of 1,182 m above sea level. Granite massifs of the Grampians are higher, and the most towering Ben Nevis, rising to a height of 1,345 m above sea level, is also the highest peak of the British Isles (UK).

Snowdon - Wales' highest peak

The second highest mountain in the UK is located in Wales, in the western part of the country. These are the Cambrian Mountains. The average height of their ridges exceeds 600 m above sea level, and the highest mountain of them is Snowdon, which reaches 1085 m above sea level. Its name, translated as Snow Mountain, comes from the fact that in the past there were huge amounts of white fluff. In recent years, this situation has changed somewhat. However, it is still the biggest attraction in the area.

National Three Peaks Challenge - Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike

And did you know that the National Three Peaks Challenge is very popular in the UK? This is an extremely difficult challenge, often chosen as a charity goal. This is an expedition to get the top 3 points in each country of the UK. These are:

• Ben Nevis (1345 m above sea level) in Scotland
• Scafell Pike (978 m above sea level) in England
• Snowdon (1085 m above sea level) in Wales
   

However, climbing the peaks is the easiest thing in this challenge. Time counts, because according to the classic rules, it should be done within 24 hours, combining climbing the mountains and reaching them by car. And the distance from the Scottish dominant to the Welsh massif is 620 km! About halfway there is the highest English peak. So the whole Three Peaks Challenge trip is just over 700 km in the car and nearly 40 km on foot!

Snowdon - access and parking

We conquered the mountain when we were in Chester, England - a beautiful town with Roman roots. We had about 130 km to cover from it, which took us just over 1.5 hours with a rented car. Initially, we drove along the A55 road, then we went down to the A5, to the Pen-y-Pass pass. This is where the main car park awaits, where the trails begin. Unfortunately, it is not very large, and there are many willing tourists. Therefore, the car park is almost always full and must be booked in advance. We had to return 3 miles (less than 5 km) to another parking lot, from where we reached the trail again by taxi. Buses also run on this route. We paid £10 for the parking lot for the whole day.

Routes to Snowdon

There are several routes to Snowdon and they start in different places. Most often, tourists start from the Pen-y-Pass pass. And so did we. Hiking trails here have neither colors nor markings in the field. But they have their names and it's really hard to get lost on them, unless it's in a thick fog, which unfortunately happens quite often here. And we were greeted by truly English weather.

Crib Goch Trail

We planned to take the most difficult route, through the Crib Goch ridge, from which the entire trail took its name. It is a really difficult route and in places it is more about climbing than walking and you have to use your hands, practically on all fours. This road is in a one-way section and can only be moved towards the summit. It is not an official trail to Snowdon. The ridge is approached very steeply, and a very narrow path leads up the hill. And although it is not a long fragment, maybe less than 1 km, there are abysses on both sides. In the absence of fog, they can really frighten people with fear of height and space. There are also fatalities along the way, so be sure to evaluate your skills before deciding on one. When we started to climb to the top, it rained and blew such a strong wind that we were afraid of the risk and decided to take an easier route.

Pyg Track Trail

This is the trail we took to Snowdon. It begins at the Pen-y-Pass pass, at an altitude of 300 m above sea level. It has a common beginning with the aforementioned Crib Goch. The trail leads mainly through stone boulders, which require a bit of fitness and hardship, but should not be a problem even for occasional tourists. From the beginning, the flora here has been very modest. In fact, it's just rocks and grasses, which results in very picturesque landscapes. Here and there, the water flows spectacularly from above, creating narrow waterfalls. The clouds overflowed quickly, but this did not discourage tourists. There were a lot of crowds, even though it was already October. Among them, a lot of Poles. 

The higher we were, the more the clouds gave the field to the sunny weather. The penultimate part of the trail, from an altitude of about 700 m above sea level to the ridge, was the most demanding. Sometimes you had to help yourself with your hands, but of course you had to do it. The length of this route from the bottom up and back is about 11 kilometers, and the climbing time is about 3 hours.

Miner's Path Trail

We decided to return along this route. First of all, to diversify the hike, but above all because it is extremely picturesque. It leads along the banks of beautiful ponds. The lakes: Glaslyn, Llyn Llydaw and Llyn Teyrn. This route is slightly longer than the Pyg Track, it is 13 kilometers long. The crossing time is similar, because in the lower parts the trail is very easy and pleasant. 

The walk can be extended only because of the breaks for taking photos, because it is beautiful here - lakes, waterfalls, naked rocks and protruding massifs in the background! The name of the Miners Path trail comes from the fact that it was formerly used by miners working in local mines.

Llanberis Trail, Llanberis Station and Snowdon Line

From Llanberis, where less crowded parking lots await, there is also a trail to the top. It is longer, because it has a total length of about 14 km, but it is easier than those from Pen-y-Pass, which is why the hike takes about the same amount of time, about 6 hours in both directions. It runs by the tracks of the narrow-gauge railway, which can be accessed from Llanberis to the very top of Mount Snowdon. 

It's the Snowdon Mountain Railway. A historic steam railway from the end of the 19th century. Its construction lasted in 1894-96. Interestingly, the maiden voyage did not take place without adventures and tragic ones. At the descent, the train derailed. Probably nothing would have happened, but one of the passengers panicked, jumped out and unfortunately hit his head on a rock and unfortunately died. What's more, the driver of the cable car coming from opposite, in the thick fog, did not notice the standing tourists who had left the cars of the derailed cable car and invaded them. Fortunately, no one was hurt too much. 

The route from the cable car station in Llanberis to the summit is 7.5 km. The entrance takes about 50 minutes and ends under the hostel. The railway is open only in the tourist season, it runs from April to September, in favorable weather conditions. 

Snowdon Ranger Trail

In Llyn, Cwellyn follows the scenic Snowdon Ranger Trail, from underneath the hostel of the same name as the trail, which is the starting point. You can leave your car under the hostel and continue on foot. The route is quite comfortable and stretches to the top for 13 kilometers. It will take about 6 hours to get to the top. It is one of the oldest trails on Snowdon. It was marked out by miners when they mined copper on the slopes of the mountain.

Snowdon Peak

We came across the tracks after entering the ridge. From here, a fairly easy road leads to the top, and we already had beautiful mountain views and a 360-degree panorama. At the top, sheep were grazing, creating an endearing view. As far as the eye can see, there are beautiful landscapes, and crowds of tourists who have already been picnicking at this place every step of the way. 

A shelter stands slightly higher (it was closed during our visit), usually full of hikers. The top itself is a small dome, which you climb up the stairs, a bit like a kind of mound. A long queue of people is lining up in front of her. Below the dome, we spread out on the rocks and ate sandwiches, admiring the incredibly beautiful landscape and the clouds rushing through the sky. Something beautiful! We were not in a hurry to enjoy the moment.

You can also read about our trekking on Snowdon on Przemek's blog Antek w podróży. We encourage you to read!

Map with our route to Snowdon

See the course of our route, which we climbed and descended from the top. This will make it easier for you to plan your trip.

Snowdonia National Park, Wales

And did you know that Snowdon is located in a mountain national park? It was founded in 1951 and took its name from the summit prevailing here. Although in fact it is only the official name of the park, because for the Welsh it is Eryri, the Place of the Eagles. They refer to the summit itself as Yr Wyddfa. It's not an easy language. Snowdonia National Park is the oldest of the three Welsh national parks. It is also quite small, and there are few roads leading through it. 

Isolated areas are therefore quite poorly accessible, but largely virgin, with wildlife. The people of Wales believe that at the top of the mountain in Snowdonia is the tomb of King Arthur, who fought here with a giant bird. Most of the residents here speak difficult Welsh, so even when they speak English, their accent makes it difficult to communicate.

The longest place name in the UK

The intricacies of the Welsh language quickly appeared on numerous tablets. Returning to Chester, we even found a big curiosity - the Welsh town with the longest name in the UK, and most likely in all of Europe and the second in the world. Its length is 58 letters. It can be seen in its entirety on several buildings, including the railway station.
The name of the place is: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch 
It has its translation: "The Church of St. Mary by the pond among white hazel trees near the water vortex under the red cave at the church of St. Thousand".
For convenience, residents shorten the name to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G, and you'll see this shorter name on road signs. The town is located in north-west Wales, on the island of Anglesey.

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