Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of 1,085 metres above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd.
Ben Nevis may be the highest mountain in the UK, but #YrWyddfa the highest peak in Wales, sees far more pairs of boots. Around 125,000 people climb Ben Nevis in a year, but almost three times that number ascend Snowdon. The 1085-metre mountain has a storied history, being the training ground for the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition. There are at least six paths to the summit of the rugged mountain, or you can simply buy a train ticket and ride to the café-covered summit on the Snowdon Mountain Railway snowdonrailway.co.uk. a feat of engineering in itself the train does contribute to the amount of people who summit Yr Wyddfa each year, and personally #climbaxemountaineering think its a wonderful opportunity for people with limited abilities to experience a true mountain summit, but nothing beats a true attempt of the summit on foot by one of the many varied routes that this majestic mountain has to offer.
Snowdon history and geology
Snowdon and its surrounding peaks have been described as "true examples of Alpine topography". The summits of Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain are surrounded by cwms, rounded valleys scooped out by glaciation. Erosion by glaciers in adjacent cwms caused the characteristic arêtes of #CribGoch, Crib y Ddysgl and #YLliwedd, and the pyramidal peak of #YrWyddfa itself. Other glacial landforms that can be seen around Snowdon include Roches moutonnées, glacial erratic's and moraines.
The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by volcanoes in the Ordovician period, almost 500 million years ago!! At that time, most of modern-day Wales was near the edge of Avalonia, submerged beneath the ancient Iapetus Ocean.
Which way to the summit?
The majority of hikers taking on Yr Wyddfa generally choose the #Llanberispath, at 6.8km this makes it the longest route on the mountain to the summit, It pretty much contours the train track and is an easily managed path gently increasing in height to the top. This is a really great path to take with smaller family members in summer, although it can get rather busy. In winter conditions the section of the path above the Clogwyn station stop is know to be an accident black spot and care is needed here especially if there is large deposits of consolidated snowpack, good crampon and axe skills are advantageous here.
Another popular route is the #Pygtrack The "Pyg Track" (Welsh: Llwybr Pyg), or "Pig Track" leads from Pen-y-Pass. The track climbs over Bwlch y Moch on the eastern flanks of Crib Goch, before traversing that ridge's lower slopes. Above Glaslyn, it is joined by the Miners' Track for the zigzag climb to Bwlch Glas between Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain, where it joins the combined Llanberis and Snowdon Ranger paths. At 5.3km the Pyg Track is the shortest of all the hiking paths, regularly used for the ascent of Yr Wyddfa if you are attempting the #National3peakchallenge .The Pyg track has great sections of low grade scrambling and really gives that mountaineering feel for the Hiker. Again in winter conditions the path takes on a whole different feeling, with the massive East face of Snowdon covered in Ice and Snow you instantly get that big mountain experience. In periods of low visibility the Pyg track can get tricky to navigate, with sections at bwlch y moch and around Glaslyn with the old mine workings causing difficulties for people in low visibility. In winter a good understanding of winter walking/mountaineering will put you in a better mindset on your journey.
There are 4 other main paths to the summit, Ranger path, Miners path the Rhyd Ddu path and finally the Watkin path, these paths tackle Yr Wyddfa from different aspects of the massif and are all wonderful routes in there own right and usually have the added bonus of being less travelled. Also there is a plethora of other routes that can be taken that require a more hands on approach and are entry level into mountaineering. #cribgoch is probably one of the finest ridge routes in the UK, classed as a grade 1 mountaineering route this knife edge ridge is a route not to be underestimated, also the traverse of Y Liwedd is an amazing day especially when linked into the Snowdon Horseshoe.
Do I need a Guide?
Personally I think it depends on your experience or the route you choose to take, climbing Snowdon via the Llanberis path is well within the realms of most people on a good clear sunny day. and is completed by many people each year. Yet hiring a guide takes away all the challenges of route finding, they are able to set the pace so you are able to enjoy your day and not be a sweaty mess and also they are there if things do turn the worse with the conditions. We at #Climbaxemountaineering have been guiding on Yr Wyddfa for over 12 years, we have an intimate knowledge of the mountain in both summer and winter conditions, our leaders/guides have many years of experience on all the routes and if wanted can usually select a route that will be away from the crowds. If something more of an adventure is what you are looking for then we can guide you along the traverse of Crib Goch, the South ridge climb from Cwm Tregellan, or even the Cribau. Whatever your choice is why not give us a call, it would be great to discuss some options with you and hopefully put a plan into action. And if all else fails, remember there is always the train, you might just see us making our way up the Llanberis path.
Happy Hiking
Russ (Climbaxe