The highest mountain in Wales
Snowdon's summit, 1,085 m above sea level, is the highest point in Wales and in the whole of the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands: only Scottish peaks such as Ben Nevis are higher. Until 18th-century surveys proved otherwise, it was even believed to be the tallest mountain in Great Britain. Together with Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike, England's highest, it forms the National Three Peaks Challenge.
The mountain is also the busiest in Britain. Counts gave 543,541 walkers in 2022, and the national park authority now speaks of more than 600,000 people a year; on summer days walkers queue for 45 minutes or more to touch the summit pillar. Much of the eastern part of the massif is a national nature reserve for its rare plants, including the Snowdon lily, rarely found elsewhere in Britain, and the Snowdon beetle.
Where it is and how to get there
Snowdon stands in Gwynedd, in the north of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia, established in 1951). The six main paths start from roads around the massif: Llanberis to the north, Pen y Pass (about 360 m) at the top of the Llanberis Pass to the east, Nant Gwynant (Pont Bethania) to the south, and Rhyd Ddu and the Snowdon Ranger youth hostel by Llyn Cwellyn to the west. Car parks at Llanberis, Pen y Pass, Nant Peris and Pont Bethania fill early in spring and summer; the park asks visitors not to park in lay-bys or walk along the narrow road to Pen y Pass. The Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus service runs around the base of the mountain, with stops close to every path, and is busiest between April and September. The Welsh Highland Railway also stops at Rhyd Ddu and Snowdon Ranger.
The six paths
Lengths and ascents below are for one way, from the start on a public road. The park gives 11–14.5 km and 4–7 hours for a round trip, depending on route, fitness and weather.
- Llanberis Path: 6.8 km, 965 m of ascent. The longest and most gradual route, following the railway; used by the annual Snowdon Race. Above Clogwyn station lies the slope called the "Killer Convex", where in icy conditions walkers have slipped over the cliffs of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu; four people died there in February 2009.
- Pyg Track: 5.3 km, 726 m from Pen y Pass. It crosses Bwlch y Moch on the flank of Crib Goch and joins the Miners' Track for the zigzags up to Bwlch Glas. Its name may come from the pass ("Pigs' Pass"), from the tar ("pyg") once carried to the mines, or from the Pen y Gwryd Hotel.
- Miners' Track: 6.6 km, 726 m from Pen y Pass, the gentlest gradient. It passes Llyn Teyrn, crosses Llyn Llydaw by a causeway built in 1853, reaches Glaslyn among old copper-mine ruins and then climbs steeply to join the Pyg Track.
- Watkin Path: 6.2 km, 1,025 m from Nant Gwynant. The most demanding direct route, starting lowest and climbing steepest, but with the prettiest beginning, through woods and past the waterfalls of Cwm Llan. Opened in 1892 by the railway owner Sir Edward Watkin, it passes the Gladstone Rock, where the 82-year-old prime minister William Gladstone spoke in 1892.
- Rhyd Ddu Path: 5.8 km, about 900 m. One of the easier and quieter routes, with the summit in view from the start; it narrows on the ridge of Bwlch Main before joining the Watkin Path.
- Snowdon Ranger Path: 6.3 km, 935 m from Llyn Cwellyn, thought to be the oldest path to the summit, named after the mountain guide John Morton's inn.
Crib Goch and the Snowdon Horseshoe. The knife-edged ridge of Crib Goch ("red ridge", 923 m) leaves the Pyg Track at Bwlch y Moch, crosses a "bad step" and three rock pinnacles to Bwlch Coch and continues over Garnedd Ugain (1,065 m) to the summit. It is a grade 1 scramble, very exposed, and has killed experienced mountaineers; the park describes it as not for the inexperienced. Combined with a descent over Y Lliwedd to the Miners' Track, it forms the Snowdon Horseshoe, considered one of the finest ridge walks in Britain. In wind, rain or ice it becomes far more serious.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway
The Snowdon Mountain Railway (Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa) is the only public rack-and-pinion railway in the United Kingdom. Built between December 1894 and February 1896, it runs 7.6 km from Llanberis (108 m) to Summit station (1,065 m), with an average gradient of 1 in 7.86 and a steepest gradient of 1 in 5.5, on 800 mm gauge track with the Swiss Abt rack system. Trains take about an hour up and an hour down, with a short stop at the top; diesel locomotives haul most trains and the original Swiss steam engines run the Heritage Steam service. The railway generally operates from March to the end of October, with trains reaching the summit from May; in the shoulder season or in strong wind they terminate at Clogwyn or Rocky Valley. In October 2026, for example, trains ran to Clogwyn from 5 to 16 October, to the summit from 17 to 25 October and to Clogwyn again until 1 November.
The opening day, 6 April 1896, ended in disaster: a descending locomotive lost the rack and fell down the mountain, and a passenger who jumped from a carriage died. After the inquiry the railway fitted "gripper" rails beside the rack, a system used by no other Abt railway, and trains reached the summit again in 1897.
Hafod Eryri, the summit building
Huts selling refreshments stood on the summit from the 1840s. In the 1930s Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect of Portmeirion, designed a station and café, which later decayed so badly that Prince Charles called it "the highest slum in Wales". Its replacement, Hafod Eryri ("upland summer residence of Eryri"), built of granite and oak, opened on 12 June 2009 and won a RIBA award. At 1,065 m it is the highest visitor centre in Wales. A couplet by the national poet Gwyn Thomas on its windows reads: "The summit of Snowdon: you are, here, nearer to heaven". The building is run by the railway company, which sets its opening times; it opens in the season when trains reach the summit.
When to go and weather
Snowdon has one of the wettest climates in Britain: the slopes receive more than 5,100 mm of rain and snow a year on average, and Crib Goch alone about 4,470 mm. It is much colder, wetter and windier at the summit than at the start of the paths, and the weather can change within minutes. The usual walking season is late spring to early autumn; May to September also brings the railway, the café and the buses, but also the crowds, so start early. In winter the upper mountain is often snow-covered and compacted snow becomes extremely slippery: the park warns that it is impossible to reach the summit in winter conditions without crampons, an ice axe and the skills to use them. In winter the park publishes a daily ground conditions report.
Water
There is no drinking water on the paths that you can rely on. Streams cross the lower parts of several routes, but sheep graze everywhere, so treat any water. Hafod Eryri's café sells drinks and snacks in the railway season, but it is closed in winter and on days when trains do not reach the summit. Carry at least 1.5–2 litres per person, more on warm days and on the long Watkin and Llanberis routes. The park and the Yr Wyddfa Partnership are campaigning to make it the first plastic-free mountain, so take your bottles home.
Mobile coverage and internet
Mobile signal is available on much of the mountain, especially high on the open slopes, but it varies by network and can disappear in the cwms and on the southern paths. The park advises charging your phone fully and keeping it for emergencies, and carrying a map and compass: signposts exist only where paths cross. In an emergency call 999 (or 112) and ask for the police and then Mountain Rescue; people with hearing or speech needs can register in advance to contact 999 by text.
Dangers and safety
On average about eight people die on Snowdon every year, and many inexperienced walkers have been killed over the years on the main paths. The commonest causes of trouble are poor footwear, lack of preparation and sudden weather changes; the descent is often harder than the climb. Hazards include the exposed ridges (Crib Goch, Bwlch Main, Y Lliwedd), ice on the Killer Convex above Clogwyn, fog that hides the paths, and lightning: in 2021 two people were struck on the summit. Wear proper boots, carry waterproofs, warm layers, food, a torch and a first-aid kit, and turn back if conditions become too much.
History and name
The English name is first recorded in 1095 as Snawdune, "snow hill", from Old English. The Welsh name Yr Wyddfa appears in a charter of Aberconwy Abbey; gwyddfa means a height and later a burial cairn, linked to the legend of the giant Rhitta, who wore a cloak of men's beards and was killed by King Arthur and buried under the summit cairn. In November 2022 the Snowdonia National Park Authority decided to use only Yr Wyddfa and Eryri in its own communications, and in November 2024 it confirmed the change after two years, saying businesses and media had widely adopted the names; both Welsh and English names still appear in statutory documents.
The first recorded ascent was made by the botanist Thomas Johnson in 1639. The cliff of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu saw the first recorded rock climb in Britain in 1798, by Peter Bailey Williams and William Bingley, who were searching for rare plants. Edmund Hillary's team trained on Snowdon before the first ascent of Everest in 1953.
Interesting facts
- The brass toposcope on the summit pillar (2001) names exactly 100 places visible in ideal conditions; the farthest is Mount Leinster in Ireland, 188 miles (about 300 km) away.
- Llyn Llydaw, on the Miners' Track, is up to 58 m deep and was used by the Cwm Dyli hydroelectric station, opened in 1906; Glaslyn above it was long believed to be bottomless.
- Legend says Arthur died at Bwlch y Saethau, between Snowdon and Y Lliwedd, that Excalibur was thrown into Glaslyn, and that his knights sleep in a cave on Y Lliwedd.
- In 2015, when a helicopter could not reach the summit in 70 mph winds, the railway carried mountain rescuers to save a teenager sheltering there.
- The record for the Snowdon Race from Llanberis to the summit is under 40 minutes.
FAQ
How high is Snowdon? 1,085 m (3,560 ft), the highest mountain in Wales and in the British Isles outside Scotland.
How long does it take to climb Snowdon? The park gives 4–7 hours for the round trip of 11–14.5 km, depending on the path. The Pyg and Miners' Tracks from Pen y Pass are the shortest in height gain (726 m); the Watkin Path is the hardest (1,025 m).
How difficult is it? The main paths are long, rocky hill walks that need good fitness and boots, but no climbing. Crib Goch is an exposed scramble for experienced walkers only. In winter the summit requires crampons and an ice axe.
Is there water on the way? Not reliably. The summit café sells drinks only in the railway season; carry 1.5–2 litres and treat stream water.
Is there mobile phone coverage? On much of the mountain, especially high up, but not everywhere. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the police, then Mountain Rescue.
When is the best time to climb Snowdon? From late spring to early autumn, starting early to avoid the crowds; check the forecast, as the weather changes quickly.
Can I take the train to the top? Yes, from Llanberis, usually from March to October, with trains reaching the summit from May; at other times they stop at Clogwyn. On busy days you may wait hours for a seat, so book ahead.
Is it called Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa? Both. Yr Wyddfa is the older Welsh name, used exclusively by the national park since 2022; Snowdon, "snow hill", has been recorded since 1095.