In 1857, an anonymous writer commented on the number of walkers, saying: ‘Snowdon is ascended by everyone because it is the highest top; no one seems to ascend the other mountains but the shepherds of the country. Snowdon is the Righi of Wales, with a trifle worse inn at the top.’ Snowdon is certainly the highest mountain in England and Wales but it has so much more to offer than its bare altitude. It has something for everyone, easy ways and hard ways. In the words of the English judge and sometime Member of Parliament for his home town of Reading, Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd, who, comparing it with Cadair Idris, Helvellyn and Ben Nevis, wrote: Snowdon ‘forms…the noblest aggregate, because, except on the side opposite Caernarvon, its upper portion is all mighty frame-work, a top uplifted on vast buttresses, disdaining the round lumpish earth, spreading out skeleton arms towards heaven, and embracing on each side huge hollows, made more awful by the red tints of the copper ore which deepens among its shadows, and gleams through the scanty herbage of its loveliest pathways’ – which really says it all.
There is a history of refreshments being served on the summit dating back to 1838, a licence to sell intoxicating liquor being granted in 1845. When the Snowdon Mountain Railway was opened in 1896, a hotel was built a short distance below the summit. In the 1930s, this was replaced by a restaurant to a design by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. By the end of the 20th century, this was operating as a café and shop complex. However, it was becoming increasingly dilapidated and its state led to a campaign to replace the old building. In April 2006, Snowdonia National Park Authority agreed to start work on a new café and visitor centre complex. By mid-October 2006, the old building had been largely demolished. The shell of the new visitor centre was erected during 2007 and finally opened on 12 June 2009, and named Hafod Eryri – ‘Eryri’ in English is ‘Snowdonia’, but there is no adequate translation for ‘Hafod’, an old Welsh term for a residence on high land.
The steep cliffs in the Snowdon group hold an important place in the history of British rock climbing. The first recorded climb was the 1798 ascent of the Eastern Terrace of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu (Cloggy, as it is affectionately now known among the climbing fraternity) by the Reverends Peter Williams and William Bingley, botanists looking for alpine plants. What prompted them to complete the climb was summed up by Bingley, who wrote: ‘I believe it was the prospect downwards that determined us to brave every difficulty.’ Nothing has changed on Cloggy.
The north face of Y Lliwedd was explored in the late 19th century, and in 1909 became the subject of one of the first British climbing guides, The Climbs on Lliwedd by J M A Thompson and A W Andrews. The testing nature of Snowdon’s wall is testified to by the fact that Edmund Hillary trained here in preparation for his successful ascent of Everest in 1953.
Amazingly, for all its trampled ways, Snowdon remains an impressive mountain, with a menu of ascents to suit all abilities and dispositions, and although, as Pennant observed ‘It is very rare that the traveller gets a proper day to ascend the hill’, when perfect days do come, the extent of view is remarkable, reaching as far as the hills of southern Scotland.
Overshadowed somewhat by the mountains that radiate from Snowdon, those of the Moel Eilio range to the north-west have the advantage of solitude, which has merit, especially on a fine summer’s day, that should not be undervalued. Lying near to Llanberis, the four grassy summits comprising this group present splendid views of Mynydd Mawr across Llyn Cwellyn, the Nantlle ridge and of the sombre precipices of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu. The complete round of the four summits is no mean undertaking, and a perfect antidote to the much-trammelled hills close by.
Y Lliwedd from the summit of Snowdon (Walk 1)
WALK ONE
Snowdon Horseshoe
The Snowdon Horseshoe from above Capel Curig
This route is the classic walk in North Wales, arguably in the whole of Wales, and is a must for all strong walkers. ‘Strong’ is the operative word here, because the circuit is very tiring and can leave even experienced walkers jaded towards the end. Sadly, its appeal draws walkers who are not prepared for the exposed narrowness of the Crib Goch ridge, nor the descent of Snowdon followed by a weary climb onto Y Lliwedd. But it is quite spectacular and deservedly popular.
The Route
The early part of the circuit is shared with the so-called Pyg Track (see Walk 4), which leaves the Pen y Pass car park in a westerly direction, heading for the pointed cone of Crib Goch seen in the distance. The track rises in a series of rocky steps beneath the long ridge leading to an unnamed minor summit just to the east of Bwlch y Moch. This ridge, which can be gained quite easily after the initial steepness of the Pyg Track, is by far a more rewarding way to begin the ascent not least because the unnamed summit is technically the first nail in the Snowdon horseshoe – one for the purists, then.
At Bwlch y Moch (Pass of the Pigs), the path forks, left (and actually descending for a short while) to continue following the Pyg Track, and right, to tackle the steep rocky slopes of Crib Goch.
The ascent and traverse of Crib Goch is one of the finest ridge walks in Britain, although ‘walk’ is hardly the right word. This is hands-on, and the ridge wants only for more length to make it a hugely different undertaking. From Bwlch y Moch the way up Crib Goch is so popular and therefore well-defined that there is little need to attempt to describe the route in detail. In any case, the physical configuration of the many rock outcrops is such that a description would be difficult to follow. The way, however, is not confusing; at half height there is a brief rock wall which may seem intimidating (more so in descent), but there are ample hand holds to facilitate a scrambly passage to easier ground above, and then by a final pull to the eastern end of the summit ridge. Take time, frequently, to pause and study the way you are going before you move. Do not blindly follow the person in front.
ROUTE INFORMATION
| Distance | 11km/6¾ miles |
| Height gain | 1110m/3640ft |
| Time | 5–6 hours |
| Grade | arduous |
| Start point | Pen y Pass SH647555 |
| Getting there | Pen y Pass car park; fills quite quickly, so consider taking the hourly Snowdon Sherpa shuttle bus from Llanberis or Nant Peris |
| Maps | (Harvey Superwalker) Snowdonia and the Moelwynion; (Ordnance Survey) OL17 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa |
| After-walk refreshment | Pen y Pass; Pen y Gwryd; Nant Peris; Llanberis |
Contrary to popular belief, the actual summit of Crib Goch is not at this eastern end, but nearer to the middle of the ridge, marked by a tiny cairn placed on the very edge of the steep drop into Cwm Glas to the north; most people never even notice it.
The crossing of the ridge requires a good head for heights and will be made considerably more difficult in strong winds (from any direction). Keeping to the crest all the way is nigh on impossible, and the best way, when the ridge narrows dramatically, is to keep to the left (southern) side, which allows hands to be used more readily. In winter conditions, Crib Goch is a place for only the most experienced and properly equipped walkers.
At the far end of the ridge lie the Pinnacles, which can be either crossed with care, or bypassed on the southern side to gain respite on a brief col before pressing on up Crib y Ddysgl and on to Carnedd Ugain. A short descent from the Pinnacles leads to a narrow ridge with a minor bump in the middle, and then a more grassy section before it finally comes up against a shattered rock wall. Most walkers at this point tend to go left a little, to scramble through the rocks. But there is a satisfactory alternative directly ahead, up a short and narrow rock gully from the top of which it is possible to keep nearer to the crest of the ridge with correspondingly better views to the left and right. A short distance further on, the ridge narrows abruptly affording a scrambly route along the crest, or an easier option on the north side. Both