| The starting point for the trek is the car park
at Pen-y-pass, situated at the top of the Llanberis
Pass on the A4086 road. The car park fills up very quickly
on busy days especially in the summer. Its popularity
is due to many factors, the most important being its
lofty position which cuts almost a third off the total
ascent of any alternate starting point. So to make sure
you get your space and save yourself the unnecessary
ascent, get there very early. The Pen-y-pass car park
is the start of three popular routes up Snowdon, those
being the Pyg track, Miners track and of course Crib
Goch.
If the Pen-y-pass car park is full then I recommend
you park down the hill on the side of the A498 road
where there is plenty of road side parking, then make
your way up to Pen-y-pass from there. There are also
options of parking in the Nant Peris car park at the
bottom of the Llanberis Pass from where a park and ride
bus service runs to and from the Pan-y-pass car park
at a reasonable price.
At Pen-y-pass you will see the Pen-y-pass youth hostel,
a well known hostel in the world of mountaineering,
it has housed many a famous climber and walker and even
boasts a most famous guest by the name of George Mallory
who in the 1920's led three British expeditions to Mount
Everest. The hostel is steeped in history and a warm
and welcoming place to stay.
Pen-y-pass
|
Bwlch y Moch Stile
|
From the car park take a path that is clearly indicated
as being the Pyg track which heads in a westerly direction
out of the car park. The Pyg track is a well laid path
as it is well preserved and has to be due to the large
numbers of walkers it takes through the year so the
way ahead is very clear. The Pyg track ascends slowly
along the top of the Llanberis Valley with amazing panoramic
views down the valley and heads towards Bwlch y Moch.
The path will finally reach a ladder stile over a small
fence where the view to the left shows most of the profiling
outline of the Snowdon Horseshoe and the summit itself
on a clear day.
The Snowdon Horseshoe is a result of a glacial hollow
by the name of Cwm Dyli, one of many glacial hollows
around Snowdon which give it its exciting starfish shape
when viewed from above. The lake below is the lake of
Llyn Llydaw and shelved above it in the hollow is Glaslyn.
Both lakes have a unique blue colour which despite looking
somewhat mystical is simply due to the open shafts and
workings of the victorian copper mines that are scattered
around the shores of both lakes. The high copper content
of the waters also means that there is hardly any life
in the deep cold copper contaminated lakes. Llyn Llydaw
is also said to be the setting of King Arthur's encounter
with the Lady Of The Lake in the legendary Excalibur.
At the stile on Bwlch y Moch at 569M the Pyg track
continues ahead on its slow ascent of Snowdon's massif.
However to the right is a much smaller and less defined
path that heads off towards the steep ascent of Crib
Goch. It is at this point you need to decide whether
the conditions are okay and company present are going
to be able to handle what's ahead, if not then simply
follow the Pyg Track all the way to Snowdon's summit
taking care on the final zig zags in icy conditions.
Take the smaller path as it leads off in a slight North
West direction heading towards the steep ascent of Crib
Goch. The path is at first well defined as there is
still soft ground where boots have trodden a clear path.
However the further, higher and steeper the path gets
the less defined it gets too, until eventually you find
yourself using your hands as well as your feet as the
exciting scrambling starts. This is Crib Goch at its
best, from here on there is no path. This is a 1km long
grade 1 scramble at its very best.
Scrambling Crib Goch
|
Knife Edge Crib Goch
|
Once you have scrambled all the way to the top there
is a small ledge, most take a well earned rest here.
This ledge is often thought of as the summit point of
Crib Goch but actually isn't. This ledge is the eastern
end of the Crib Goch ridge with a summit height of 921M,
the actual summit is 923M above sea level and is situated
200 metres to your west from the initial summit. From
the eastern ledge position you will now be able to look
west and see the 200 metres that you are about to conquer.
Crib Goch's ridge has been likened to a knife edge for
many years and you will soon see why people make this
terrifying comparison, the ridge is at times inches
wide with exposure from huge drops to frighten even
the bravest of souls.
From the eastern ledge the ridge leads west, how you
tackle it will depend on your courage and will power,
the safest way is to follow the crest but in cases of
unease simple stay slightly to the left and use the
ridge as a hand rail, although this is not recommended
for the the full ridge as the slight paths to the left
are quite loose. It is important to be aware of other
people when on the ridge and be thoughtful of those
around, do not pressure people and allow others to go
at there own pace, if you are slowed down by someone
else just remember where you are, take in the view and
remember you have all the time in the world and are
in one of the most beautiful places of that world!
Diagram of the Crib Goch Ridge
|
After tackling the knife edge for 200 metres you will
eventually be on the real summit of Crib Goch at 923M
and then after another 90 metres of knife edge ridge
walking you will come across the first of the three
Crib Goch pinnacles, these are best tackled by going
straight over as to avoid any loose ground on the side
passes. Once over the third and final pinnacle the path
will lead down on to the more familiar and safer ground
of Bwlch Coch, which at 858M is the col between Crib
Goch and the next Welsh 3000 summit ahead of Garnedd
Ugain. The view from here of Snowdon's summit is great
and the view south towards the truly amazingly shaped
peak of Y Lliwedd above Llyn Llydaw is one of the best
in Snowdonia.
Now another initially tricky scramble up the eastern
side of Garnedd Ugain awaits on front. Garnedd Ugain
has its own pinnacles which stand even higher than those
on Crib Goch and is likened understandably to a dinosaur
back due to the steep and spiny ridge of Crib y Ddysgl.
These pinnacles are also best tackled by going straight
over them although some may wish to take a route left
round them, if you choose this way be sure to immediately
climb back up to the crest of the ridge once you have
rounded the pinnacles otherwise you will find yourself
on very loose and dangerous ground. Once the initially
tricky part of the ascent of Garnedd Ugain is complete
follow the obvious crest of the ever widening ridge
to the summit. You will pass a huge impressive pinnacle
on your way that in misty conditions looks like a huge
church that appears out of nowhere. After a while you
will top out onto the summit of Garnedd Ugain where
a trig point cairn can be found at its lofty position
of 1065M.
Scrambling Crib y Ddysgl
|
Garnedd Ugain Trig Point
|
Follow the path now that descends slightly in a south
westerly direction away from the cairn and eventually
meets the Llanberis path and the infamous Snowdon mountain
railway track. Follow the path and track left until
you pass the Finger Stone on Bwlch Glas, a huge standing
slate stone that indicates the top of the Miners and
the Pyg track which you left earlier. The four paths
now continue as one very clear track that follows the
railway until you are greeted by the shock of seeing
a huge block of concrete. This awful looking mess is
the Snowdon summit cafe and railway station. Although
a horrible looking thing, it can be useful on a freezing
cold stormy winters day. A path now leads off left as
you reach the cafe and heads up a short climb to the
summit of Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa as the locals would prefer.
At 1085M the highest point in Wales.
On a clear day it is said you can see 4 countries from
the summit as in those of Wales, England, Scotland and
Ireland, and of course not forgetting the Isle Of Man.
The summit is a very controversial part of welsh mountain
history and the introduction of the railway and summit
cafe have been a cause of many arguments in the walking
world. Seeing the concrete mess for yourself I'm sure
you will gather your own views, personally I am not
a fan, although on the other hand I do not see why those
less able should not be allowed to enjoy those views
us healthier beings are able to admire. I am not a fan
of people who believe that the mountains and views should
only be shared by healthy people prepared to spend hundreds
on the proper gear and I do not put my nose up at anyone
on the hills no matter what they are wearing, however
I do believe in preserving a natural looking environment
which is hardly achieved by a huge mass of ugly concrete.
Snowdon Summit
|
Crib Goch beyond Snowdon
|
Despite the controversy surrounding Snowdon's summit
you cannot escape the simple fact that this mountain
is one of the best places in the world! It is one of,
if not the most, varied mountain massif in Britain.
It has been shaped by the ages into a starfish arrangement
of glacial hollows, knife edge ridges and sheer mountainous
walls of rock. After completing Crib Goch and looking
back at it from the summit you can appreciate that you
have certainly conquered the most exciting ascent route
that's to be had on the massif.
From the summit of Snowdon follow a path that leads
in a South West direction away from the summit buildings.
This path is a combination at this point of the Rhyd
Ddu, South Ridge and Watkin Paths. After about only
100 metres there is a path leading off and down the
steep scree at the end of the Watkin Path ascent route.
Descend this steep scree taking care and doing it at
a steady pace. You will eventually reach the col known
as Bwlch y Saethau that lies between Snowdon and Y Lliwedd.
The path continues towards Y Lliwedd until the path
splits in two, at this point carry on heading towards
Y Lliwedd, ignoring the Watkin Path which heads off
right and down towards Cwm Llan.
Y Lliwedd Twin Peaks
|
Y Lliwedd from Snowdon
|
Once at the foot of the Y Lliwedd climb looking up
at this huge spiky monster of rock can be terrifying
but in all honesty the scramble to its peak is nothing
like as hard as it looks. This impressively shaped peak
is one of the best looking mountains in the country.
The path will zig zag its way through the boulders and
scree until the rock becomes much sharper and dense
until eventually after climbing for some time the path
almost disappears and a great scramble is on to the
top. Y Lliwedd actually has two summit peaks, the first
you will come to is the West Peak at 898M the highest
of the two. From here follow the crest of the ridge
to the slightly lower East Peak at 893M high then descend
the crest to Lliwedd Bach. From the end of Lliwedd Bach
the now clear again path heads down over a grassy slope
towards Llyn Llydaw. The path will then eventually join
the Miners Track.
The Miners Track simply gets its name from its original
use. It was used originally for transporting men and
materials to and from the Britannia copper mines that
still stand in ruin on the shores of Glaslyn today.
Due to its original use, the path is very wide and clear
all the way back to Pen-y-Pass The Britannia mine was
worked intermittently for around a hundred years from
the early 19th to the early 20th century, and most unsuccessfully
it must be said. The mine was a financial disaster for
various companies who ran the mine.
Llyn Teyrn
|
Miners Track
|
Turn right onto the Miners Track and as the path goes
under the cliffs of Craig Llyn Teyrn on the left it
then bends right and passes Llyn Teyrn, a small lake
with a dramatic backdrop of Snowdon's prolific outline.
From the track you can now see another of Snowdon's
nasty scars in the form of the pipe line that runs down
into the Nantgwynant Valley. Follow the track now for
another mile or so and back to the Pen-y-Pass car park.
|
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Duration
: 6.5 Hrs
