Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Routes for Walking and Hiking

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)

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Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)

Hiking Highlight

Recommended by 864 out of 868 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri

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Hiking to Snowdon’s summit is deservedly popular; this may well be one of the busiest mountains in the world. Wales’ highest is a majestic peak and grand massif. Its pyramidal apex, a great meeting point of tremendous ridges, is a sensational viewpoint. Yes, a train goes up it and, yes, there’s a café at the top; but Snowdon is so huge you can always find a wild adventure here, whilst the train enables access to the summit for all.

A mountain offering almost endless adventure

Arguably Snowdon’s most exquisite feature is the great amphitheatre caused by the horseshoe of peaks and ridges to the east of the summit. Nestled under these rocky buttresses are two gorgeous lakes: larger Llyn Llydaw and the smaller, higher Glaslyn. It is a dark, fairytale landscape steeped in Arthurian legend.

If you want to avoid the crowds, head up for sunrise or sunset, when the light is at its most dramatic. The views from the top are extensive: Snowdonia’s high mountains rise and fall in all directions. Perhaps the finest sight is that of Snowdon’s twin lakes bounded on both sides by Garnedd Ugain, Y Lliwedd and Crib Goch.

There are so many great walking routes to Snowdon, all with accommodation options at its base. Generally, expeditions that start from the Llanberis side are the busiest. A shuttle bus runs from Llanberis to the popular, elevated starting point of Pen-y-Pass. The car park here is expensive and fills up very early. The south side of the mountain is much quieter and wilder. Campsites, guest houses and hostels can be found around Rhyd-Ddu and Beddgelert.

Most hikes to Snowdon are achievable by the whole family, but there are exceptions. Crib Goch’s main ridge is sensationally narrow. Whilst the traverse is technically straightforward, mountain rescue receives many call outs every year when people become cragfast: stuck on the ridge, suddenly lacking the confidence to move forward or backward. Snowdon is also serious business in winter conditions and should be left to equipped mountaineers.

Location: Beddgelert, Gwynedd, North Wales, Wales, United Kingdom

Best Hikes to Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)

Intermediate
4.9
(526)
7,758
Pyg Track & Miners Track loop to Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon from Pen y Pass — Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri / Snowdonia National Park
04:56
12.3km
680m
Intermediate
4.3
(3)
28
Clogwyn station – Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) loop from Clogwyn
01:39
4.13km
280m
Expert
4.9
(133)
2,043
Snowdon via the Watkins path
05:17
13.4km
980m

Tips

Alex Foxfield
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is perhaps the most ascended mountain in the world, and with good reason. This is a majestic mountain, as is befitting of Wales' highest point.

Its glory lies in the myriad routes to the summit. There's everything from the gentle inclines of the Llanberis path to the knife-edged arête of Crib Goch. The south side of the mountain is generally quieter, with the South Ridge in particular a fine route up. The Miners' and Pyg Tracks are straightforward, classic approaches that enter the incredible natural amphitheatre that holds Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn.

To get the summit to yourself, rise early and avoid peak season.
- January 6, 2021
Craig Taylor
The views from Snowdon's summit can be spectacular on a clear day—you just shouldn't expect to be rewarded with them on your trip. As typical in this part of the UK, the weather can turn at a moment's notice, so pack a raincoat regardless of the weather forecast, and be prepared to get your kicks from the climb—not the view.

The summit is home to a fantastic summit station, complete with tea, coffee, beer and cider, and tons of merchandise if you're into that sort of thing. You can also get tickets for the train that'll take you back down the mountain, just prepare to part with £20 for the privilege. If you do take the train, it'll drop you out in the village of Llanberis, from where the Snowdon Shuttle will take you back to your car if you came up one of the other paths. Spot for a quick coffee or a beer on the summit. You can also buy train tickets here, just be warned: they're not cheap. A single adult ticket back down the mountain costs £22.

The top of the world! If you're in Wales, anyway. The view from the top is cracking when the weather's good, but we didn't have such luck on our trip. To snap a photo of the summit cairn, you may have to stand in line.

Great spot on a clear day. All those that are not able to climb can take the train and meet you at the cafe. Check the weather forecast before you climb if you want a view. The weather can change very quickly up there.
- August 3, 2017
Dominiek Van Dooren
The name "Snowdon" is first recorded in 1095 as Snawdune, and is derived from the Old English elements snaw and dun, meaning "hill of snow".
The Welsh name for the mountain, Yr Wyddfa, is first recorded in Latin as Weddua vaur in 1284. This is probably an approximation of Pen y Wyddfa Fawr. The element gwyddfa in this context means "height, promontory", and also occurs in the Welsh name for the town of Mold, Yr Wyddgrug.
Gwyddfa later developed the meaning "gravestone heap", and there is a legend that the giant Rhita is buried beneath the cairn on the summit of the mountain. According to one legend, the giant Rhita was slain and buried on the mountain by King Arthur, while another legend suggests that Rhita was killed by the giant Idris who lived on the mountain Cadair Idris. The mountain is also associated with other figures from Arthurian legend, a legendary Afanc (water monster) and the Tylwyth Teg (fairies).
(Wikipedia)
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- June 12, 2024