Thinking about Climbing Mount Snowdon? DO IT! Here’s our story……..
Nudged by a national pandemic, I’ve been so encouraged to explore more of the UK these last few months. They say every cloud has a silver lining and whilst I wouldn’t want to put a positive spin on Covid 19 spending more time in Britain has been a true privilege as opposed to prison sentence!
One of the most rewarding and adventurous things to do in the UK is hike, be that through the lake district, along the Cornish coastline or up one of the many mountain peaks my small but mighty island has a lot to offer when it comes to enjoying the outdoors.
Snowdonia National Park is the pride of Wales boasting beautiful glacial landforms and the highest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon. The summit sits mighty high at 1,085m and beckons in climbers both novice and experienced throughout the year. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a long time and with the promise of some sunshine last weekend I summoned my most adventurous bestie to join me up top 😉
The Pyg Track
We opted to climb/walk up the Pyg track as it’s the most scenic route and the level of difficulty was perfectly suited to our fitness levels. The climb is leisurely in some parts and a little more strenuous in others. You do need to scale up and use all four points of contact along the way but apart from one teeny part of the track it’s not a scary or dangerous climb. You just need to be smart when walking by edges and ALWAYS have your hands free when climbing vertically just in case. It will definitely challenge those who want it but at the same time if you are nervous you can just go slow. It’s worth it for the views!
I filmed the majority to the walk here in my latest Youtube video to give you a good idea of what to expect on the Pyg Trail:
What to wear/pack
No matter the time of year you visit the Mountain can see all four seasons in one day so when dressing for the day, layering is key!
-Wear comfy walking shoes, this could be your most sturdy pair of trainers or a pair of walking boots like mine.
-Pack a rain jacket as even on the most gloriously sunny days Snowdon has a forecast mind of it’s own 😉
-Take a warm layer for the top and a hat! The summit, as I’m sure you can appreciate gets super super cold and if you have to queue up there you will be grateful for the extra warmth!
-Pack energy snacks and LOTS of water. There are no fountains along the way so take a little more than you think you will need. The altitude will no doubt make you thirstier than usual.
Be Prepared to Queue for the Summit!
At the top everyone is feeling pretty darn proud of themselves, rightly so 😉 The actual summit will potentially have a queue to ‘touch’ or take a picture with.
We decided to wait and it lasted just under an hour, for me, it’s a congratulatory moment worth documenting, it was, after all, the first mountain we had ever climbed! It was at this point however, we lost all feeling in or nose and toes! Like I mentioned, pack that hat 😉
The Llanberis Path
We started our decent on the Rangers Path but somehow ended up on the Llanberis path which was SUPER easy. It was a decent so obviously less strenuous in general but if you are looking for the easy way up, this is definitely it.
The Llanberis path was a beautiful country stroll but we didn’t see a fraction of the variating scenery we saw when walking up the Pyg track so bear that in mind when choosing your trail. I do think the way we did it was the perfect way round, we passed a few people struggling on the way down the Pyg as we were walking up it. There’s also a café half way down the Llanberis trail which was nice 🙂
Where we stayed – Ty’n & Rhos Country House
We stayed a short taxi drive away from where we began the trail at Ty’n & Rhos Country House. The hotel is very much a ‘country bumkin’ stay with small but cosy rooms and hearty enough hot breakfast options.
They aren’t very ‘in the know’ when it comes to the trail though so make sure you ask to book a taxi the night before if you are planning to take one.
We opted for a taxi as we left the hotel quite late and knew our chances of finding a parking space by the trail’s start would be slim. In hind sight we should have just left earlier and driven ourselves, it’s not as easy as you would think to get a taxi either end.
How we got there – Zipcar
We travelled to the hotel from London with a trusty Zipcar. The ultimate ‘pay as you go’ membership car service. In-keeping with my focus on more ‘local’ travel I signed up to Zipcar at the start of this year. The idea of having a car in London seems silly to me as I cycle or use public transport for my day to day commuting and errands so when a friend of mine suggested joining Zipcar I was very grateful for the tip!
Using a car ‘as and when’ I need it is far better for sustainability and it also takes away all the hassle of looking after one at home. Just as with every ride, I pre-booked the car for the weekend and then located my selected vehicle, opened it up using the app on my phone and set off for Wales 😉
It took just over 5 hours from London but the time flew by for Inge and I, we had LOTS to catch up on!
Making a weekend of it we drove to Llanberis the next day for a chilly but smiley stroll around the local lake, breathing in the last of that mountain air before heading back to the city. It was blissful to say the least.
We were only away for two nights but it was such a great little trip. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for some Autumn adventuring!
