Walk Snowdon and Yr Aran via The Watkin Path from Bathania, Nantgwynant
The longest but prettiest route up Snowdon
This 9½ mile, Grade 7 (Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Nantgwynant in Snowdonia & will take you about 8 hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | gw117 | |
| Length: | 9½ miles (14.5km) | |
| Ascent: | 4517 ft (1377m) | |
| Time: | 8 hours | |
| Grade: |  | |
| Walk Type: | High Mountains | |
| Gear Needed: | Full mountain gear including boots, warm layers, waterproofs, food & water, and good weather | |
Route outline for this walk:
Nantgwynant - Bethania - Castell - Gladstone Rock - The Watkin Path - Bwlch Ciliau - Bwlch y Saethau - The Scree Path - Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) - Rydd Ddu Path - Clogwyn Du - Allt Maenderyn - Yr Aran - Clogwyn Birth - Nantgwynant
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
The Watkin Path was started by Sir Edward Watkin, a 19th century railway entrepreneur, to connect his summer house in Nantgwynant to the summit of Snowdon. Prime Minister William Gladstone (aged 82) officially opened the (incomplete) Watkin Path from Gladstone Rock in 1892 and the National Trust finally completed the route in 2002 - some 110 years after it was first started.
The building on the summit of Snowdon (Hafod Eryri - The Snowdon Summit Visitor Centre and Cafe) is thought to be the home of the highest house mice in England and Wales!
Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk:
 2 Welsh Mountains |
 0 Wainwrights |
 2 Welsh Nuttalls |
 0 Welsh Deweys |
 0 Wainwright Outlying Fells |
 2 Welsh Marilyns |
 0 Bridgets |
Peak Bagging Statistics for this walk:
The highest point of this walk is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) at 1085m (3561ft). Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (Highest in Wales, Highest in England & Wales)
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (Highest in Wales, Highest in England & Wales) and a Welsh Marilyn (Highest in Wales, 43rd highest in the UK).
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) means 'The Burial Place' in Welsh and is pronounced 'ur-oo-ith-va'.
The summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is the highest point in the county of Gwynedd, the highest point in Snowdonia National Park and the highest point in England and Wales.
Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Yr Aran at 747m (2452ft). Yr Aran is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (53rd highest in Wales, 124th highest in England & Wales)
Yr Aran is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (65th highest in Wales, 151st highest in England & Wales) and a Welsh Marilyn (24th highest in Wales, 489th highest in the UK).
Yr Aran means 'The Mountain' in Welsh and is pronounced 'ur-a-ran'.
The summit of Yr Aran is marked by a cairn.
Be Adventure Smart
If walking in the Lake District (and anywhere else) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself 5 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR for the day?
- Do I have enough FOOD & DRINK for the day?
- Do I have all the ESSENTIAL ITEMS for the day?
Note that there is no mobile phone or WiFi coverage in many parts of the Lake District
A dedicated GPS Device can be a good navigational aid, but only if you know how to use it properly. See The Myths and Truths about GPS for Walking and Hiking
You can find this walk and other nearby walks on these unique Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
(worth a look if you're new to go4awalk.com & have never seen one of these before.)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (pink/magenta covers):
Some Photos and Pictures from Walk Snowdon and Yr Aran via The Watkin Path from Bathania, Nantgwynant
In no particular order . . .
Llyn Peris, Llanberis and the Snowdon Mountain Railway from Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
This is a pic of my boyfriend mounting the steps to the summit of Snowdon in rather foggy conditions!
My big sister Louise and my brother-in-law Dave at the top of Snowdon last September
. . . load all 147 pictures & photos from this walk
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