After two years of living in Llanberis at the foot of Mount Snowdon, I finally decided the time had come to get to the top of the mountain and see what all the fuss is about!
Well, let me tell you, it is incredible and climbing Snowdon is well worth doing! This to me is the best of attractions in North Wales and it is not a man made one! The mountain is the highest in Wales at 1,085 metres, the 4th highest in Great Britain. Since climbing Snowdon and making that first trek up, my family and I have walked to the summit of this glorious mountain many times, and we never get bored of the incredible views at every corner no matter which route we have walked. Our favourite is the PYG track, although the Miner’s Path comes a close second!
There are so many routes to take, with something for all abilities and fitness levels – Both these routes are accessed from the Pen Y Pass car park in Nant Peris. Be warned though, do not take the Crib Goch path unless you are an experienced climber – this is a knife edge ridge and not for the inexperienced or the faint hearted – or me!!
You could of course take the ‘easy’ option which is to take the steam train up from Llanberis although you do usually need to have prebooked this. The paths are all clearly marked along the route so as long as you keep your wits about you, check the weather forecast before setting off, leave yourself plenty of time to get up and then back down again, wear appropriate clothing and very importantly, remember to pack a bag of high energy food and drinks to sustain you for the day, you will have a great time! When we visited, we even drank fresh water from the little trickles of water making their way back down to the village – it doesn’t come fresher and colder than that! I would recommend everybody tackles the mountain, so long as you are in good health and allow plenty of time to take frequent rest stops. If not, take the train, but definitely add this to your bucket list!
