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 Pen-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
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Bwlch y Moch Stile
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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. If the easiest option is preferred
then take the Miners Track that leads south away from
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
as it steadily climbs the flanks of Crib Goch past Llyn
Llydaw and eventually joins the Miners Track from the
left, taking care on the final zig zags above Glaslyn
in icy conditions. The Pyg Track and Miners Track top
out at the Finger Stone on Bwlch Glas at which point
you turn left following the railway to reach the summit.
So for the Crib Goch route 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
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Knife Edge Crib Goch
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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
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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
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Garnedd Ugain Trig Point
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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 Track
and 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
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Crib Goch beyond Snowdon
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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.
To descend you must now follow the path back down the
side of the railway track until you eventually reach
the Finger Stone at Bwlch Glas once again. This time
take the steep path right that now leads down from the
Finger Stone towards Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw. This is
a very clear and well managed path that zig zags right
then left heading down towards the blue waters of Glaslyn.
This zig zag section is notoriously dangerous when slippery
or icy as despite being well laid, the path contains
many larger slabs so take care.
The path continues to head east after the final zig
zag and clings onto the side of Garnedd Ugain. Eventually
the path splits into two with a path heading down towards
Glaslyn. This is where the Miners Track leaves the Pyg
Track and heads down towards Glaslyn. The main difference
between the two tracks is that the Pyg is best known
for its slightly shorter distance and mainly for its
height above the lakes which gives it a different perspective
to the Miners Track. The Miners Track can however be
a little more appealing to some due to its historic
industrial ruins and unique lake side views of the Snowdon
Horseshoe. So it is completely up to yourself now which
route you take from here, I would personally recommend
the Miners Track, however if you have little time then
the Pyg Track will get you back slightly quicker.
Y Lliwedd Twin Peaks
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Y Lliwedd from Snowdon
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To take the quicker Pyg Track option then stay on the
path as it hugs the flanks of Garnedd Ugain then Crib
Goch before eventually reaching the Bwlch y Moch stile
you left earlier in the day. There are a few theories
on how the Pyg Track got its name. Probably the most
credible of these is that the hotel back in Pen-y-Pass
from where the path starts is called Pen-Y-Gwryd. Another
theory is that the path gets its name from Bwlch y Moch,
passed on the ascent from Pen-y-Pass, which in welsh
means Pass of Pigs.
To take the preferred Miners Track option then take
the path that leads down to the shores of Glaslyn. 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.
As the path heads down to the shores of Glaslyn the
views from inside the hollow really open up and Snowdon's
small pointed summit can be seen towering above your
right shoulder. Follow the path still as it leads through
the old copper mine ruins, some of which are fascinating,
and eventually reaching the shores of the lake at a
wide slate shingle beach. The path then follows the
Afon Glaslyn as it tumbles down towards Llyn Llydaw.
Llyn Teyrn
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Miners Track
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After strolling along the side of Llyn Llydaw and passing
a few more industrial ruins the path comes to the causeway
which slices Llyn Llydaw into two. In the past this
causeway has been known to flood when Llyn Llydaw is
higher than normal, however it has been raised to eradicate
this problem. Cross the cause way to the track on the
other side, the track here being more like a dirt road
in places due to its size. 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. |
Duration
: 4.5 Hrs
