Llanberis, Snowdon, Pyg or Miners

Q. Myself and my 14 year old son are looking at walking Snowdon in the next 2 or 3 months. we are reasonably experienced walkers with most of it done in the Peak District/Dartmoor usually doing 10/12 miles. Which of the above routes would you recommend for a first time walk up Snowdon?

From what i've read Llanberis is a bit boring albeit a well defined path all the way and Miners/PYG Track shorter but more interesting and a more dramatic walk scenery wise. Miners/PYG Track seems to be the favourite so far . . . Am i right in saying that these are both reasonably well defined paths?

I've heard horror stories about certain routes with some nasty cliff faces close to the route which i would rather avoid!! thanks and look forward to the reply.

Rob Davis, Torquay

A. I would be interested to know how you get on. A few of us will walk it at the end of October. I did it a few years ago with my partner who was a good mountaineer and it was my first mountain so I found it quite tough as I wasn't as fit as I am now. We went up the miners' track and down the Llanberis path. Mainly because we were staying there so got a bus to the start [at Pen-y-pass]. My legs had completely gone at the end. But Pete was fine :) the Miners' track was fairly gentle to start. It gave me a few problems with uneven surfaces as it began to climb. The steep part was difficult as I am only 5ft and we hit snow so I was knee deep. And the last ascent I found difficult as i have a fear of heights. But I really felt I'd climbed a mountain and most of the kids walking overtook me. I was glad of an easy decent on my knees down the LLanberis though.

This time we will either go up the PYG Track and down the Miners' or visa versa, so please post again when you've been to let me know how you faired. And have a great day with your son, I am sure it is a memory and experience you will both treasure. I know I do, as sadly My partner passed away in November, but has left a lasting impression of mountains and a day on Snowdon that was one of the best days of my life.

Pauline Styles, Abbots Langley

A. Thanks for all the answers. Decided on up the PYG Track down the Miners' Track. Hopefully weather on 4th of August will be OK!

Rob Davis, Torquay

A. Hi Rob. None of the paths you mentioned should, in decent weather, present any problem for the experienced walker with a good level of fitness.

If you're in Snowdonia for long enough, why not try all three, starting with the Llanberis path, first.

Rhyd Ddu *is* another option, (walk gw140 Snowdon via The Rhyd Ddu Path) but there is a brief exposed section near the end, although you should be fine in good conditions, if you take your time. However, it's not so easy to reach, if you are using public transport.

Blessings :)

Carlito , Letterkenny, Ireland

A. Hi, having done Snowdon many many times I would say the best and most interesting/scenic route, if you were wanting to avoid Crib Goch (by far the best route but a ridge with rather sheer drops so not for the inexperienced or fainthearted - see walk gw136 The Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Horseshoe from Pen y Pass) is the Rhyd Ddu route - walk gw140 Snowdon via The Rhyd Ddu Path.

It starts from the Rhyd Ddu car park on the Welsh Highland Railway, in the Caernafon to Beddgelert valley, and the path is pretty well defined, slowly working its way up the mountainside.

It is a lovely ridge walk. Is not too exposed but gives lovely views.

The PYG and Miners' tracks are OK for a descent but not great for ascent as it may begin nice a gentle but there is one heck of a trek up the gradient of the head of the cwm onto the Llanberis ridge - see walk gw100 Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from Pen y Pass and walk gw134 Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from Pen y Pass.

It is awful with the sun beaming down on you and the breeze hidden by the ridge.

The Watkin Path is also rather nice - see walk gw105 Snowdon via The Watkin Path from Nantgwynant. It is secluded and sheltered by the hillside for most of the route although not enough to hide the breeze. It does end in a good scramble up a shale slope though onto the summit.

Claire Cookson, Northampton

A. I've climbed Snowdon 3 times this year. On all 3 occasions I went up the PYG track, descending this way once and the Miners' track twice.

The first time down the Miners' track was for comparison purposes, the second time was to make it easier for 2 fellow walkers who were finding descents painful (it was our third mountain in 24 hours!).

The PYG track would be my preferred route in both directions (see Walk gw100 Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from Pen y Pass), but if you have time (the Miners will add half an hour each way), and/or you want variety of photographs, I'd recommend up the PYG and down the Miners' track (see Walk gw134 Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) avoiding Crib Goch from Pen y Pass).

A lot of people seem to like going up the Miners' track, but it leaves you with all of the steep climbing at the end and you've only done half of it when you reach the PYG track. I find the variety of climb, fairly level, climb easier to cope with.

Both the pyg and the miners tracks are well defined, although there are a couple of places where you scramble across large flat rocks which aren't obviously the path. The general rule here is to take the higher route (it's much easier to see on the way down).

The only nasty cliff faces occur after you join the Llanberis path by the railway line (see Walk gw126 Snowdon via The Llanberis Path), but you need to walk a few yards away from the obvious path to get to them. On a clear day, it's worth going that way a bit for the views of the route you just walked up.

Steve Worrall, Bolton

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