Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts at Pen-y-Pass, already about 360 m up, and makes a circuit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest mountain in Wales. It climbs the Pyg Track below Crib Goch, whose knife-edge scramble is no part of this route, then zigzags up to the summit (1,085 m), which has a café and a railway station. The way down is the Miners' Track, past Glaslyn and over the Llyn Llydaw causeway. It is on path nearly all the way.
It is 12.4 km with 736 m of ascent; allow about 5½ hours. The grade is Moderate: the high start keeps the climbing modest, but the upper Pyg Track and the zigzags are steep, rocky ground.
Summit weather can be very different from the car park's, so carry a map and compass, check the mountain forecast and be ready to turn back. In winter the zigzags hold snow and ice and need an ice axe, crampons and experience.
Parking at Pen-y-Pass must be booked in advance and there is a fee; the Sherpa'r Wyddfa buses serve it. There is mapped drinking water at the car park. Roman Bridge station is about 8 km away in a straight line.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The highest mountain in Wales, with a café and a railway station on top
- Up the Pyg Track from Pen-y-Pass, down the Miners' Track past Glaslyn and the Llyn Llydaw causeway
- Crib Goch rises above the Pyg Track: a knife-edge scramble that is no part of this route
- Parking at Pen-y-Pass must be booked in advance; the Sherpa'r Wyddfa buses serve it
Summits on the way
- Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa 1,085 m
Getting there
Start: Pen-y-Pass · Pay and display. 53.08040, -4.02100
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Roman Bridge: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
