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What is The Quickest Way to Climb Mount Snowdon?

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At 1085 metres above sea level, Mount Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa is the highest mountain in Wales and the highest point in the British Isles outside of the Scottish Highlands.

It is the busiest mountain in the UK and the third-most popular destination in Wales. In 2019, 590,984 walkers and 140000 train passengers visited the mountain.

Snowdon’s cliff walls, such as Clogwyn Du’r Arddu, are popular for rock climbing, and Edmund Hillary used the mountain as practise for his 1953 ascent of Mount Everest.

A café is located in the summit building, known as Hafod Eryri, which opened in 2009 to replace one constructed in the 1930s. It is only open when the train is running. Trains start running to the summit station in May, and the railway typically runs from the beginning of March to the end of October. Weather and client demand affect the daily running schedule.

This guide’s objective is to give you an extremely helpful summary of the six main Snowdon routes that you may use to assist you make a decision.

Routes around Snowdon: a brief summary

There are six main hiking routes that go to Snowdon’s 1,085-meter summit, and they all depart from various mountain sides.

All of the Snowdon trails have clear, well-maintained paths.

You may also combine some of these routes to create more intriguing circular walks, like:

  • Miners Track and Pgy Track
  • Llanberis Path and Pyg Track
  • The Snowdon Ranger Path and Rhyd Ddu
  • The South Ridge and the Watkin Path

With more than 600000 people ascending it in 2018, Snowdon is the busiest peak in Britain.

Snowdon’s six routes:

Llanberis Path

There is a tonne of parking and services in the village of Llanberis, where the route begins. The Llanberis Path is the most popular and straightforward Snowdon route.

The Llanberis Path is the best way if this will be your first mountain hike or if you’re travelling with kids.

Route specifics:

  • 7 to 7 1/2 hours
  • Approximately 9 miles
  • Rise: 970 metres
  • 2/5 difficulty
  • Llanberis, where to begin
  • Parking cars: OS OL17 Explorer’s map
  • Llanberis Path Route is the name of the route.

Pyg Track and Miners Track

Starting from Pen-y-Pass are the Pyg Track and the Miners’ Track. The routes are nearly parallel, with the Miners’ Track beginning lower, but they both converge at Llyn Glaslyn. Typically, hikers ascend Snowdon using the Pyg Track and descend using the Miners’ Track.

It’s nearly tough to find parking at Pen-y-Pass unless you want to get up very early. On weekends, Pen-y-Pass is frequently full by 7 a.m.; thus, it is wise to park at Llanberis or Nant Peris and take advantage of the Sherpa Bus.

Route specifics:

  • 7 to 7 1/2 hours
  • It is 7.3 kilometres away
  • Rise: 750 metres
  • 3/5 difficulty
  • Beginning at Pen-y-Pass
  • OS OL17 Explorer’s map
  • Pyg Track Route is the name of the route.

Snowdon Ranger Path

The Snowdon Ranger Path, named after the Snowdon Ranger Inn, which is now the YHA, is the oldest of the Snowdon paths up the mountain.

This is comparable to both the Pyg Track and the Llanberis Path in terms of ease. One of the simplest paths is the Ranger Path, which is also a lot calmer than the Llanberis Path. It is less crowded, nevertheless, because it doesn’t have as many services or parking spaces as Llanberis.

Route specifics:

  • 7 to 7 1/2 hours
  • Approximately 8 miles
  • Rise: 937 metres
  • 3/5 difficulty
  • beginning at Llyn Cwellyn
  • Llyn Cwellyn Car Park is a parking area
  • Snowdon Ranger Path Route on the map: OS OL17 Explorer

Rhyd Ddu Path

Anyone who has traversed all of Snowdon’s routes will almost certainly say that Rhyd Ddu is their favourite.

It’s the quietest, to start. Before the summit, there have been instances when we only saw a small group of people.

Second, you get to see a different side of Snowdon in addition to the breath-taking views.

Last but not least, the Snowdon South Ridge elevates this round route to the top of Snowdon.

Route specifics:

  • Duration: 6-7 hours
  • Longitude: 7.5 miles
  • a climb of 890 metres
  • 3/5 difficulty
  • starting place: Rhyd Ddu Parking Lot
  • Rhyd Ddu Car Park, parking

The Watkin Path

The Watkin Path has the advantage of starting almost at sea level, which means you are climbing nearly all 1085 metres of Snowdon.

The scenery along this path is also interesting. Before crossing the enormous Cwm Llan and Cwm Tregalan, the hike begins through forests and beside raging waterfalls.

Route specifics:

  • Duration: 6-7 hours
  • Approximately 8 miles
  • Climb: 1,015 metres
  • 4/5 difficulty
  • Start here: Across the street from the parking lot
  • Parking cars: Nantgwynant Pay & Display
  • OS OL17 Explorer’s map
  • Watkin Path Route is the route.