Walk The Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Horseshoe from Pen-y-Pass
A classic - but Crib Goch is not for the faint hearted!
This 7½ mile, Grade 7 (Hard), easy-to-follow, hand-crafted walk, complete with GPS Waypoints, starts at Pen-y-Pass in Snowdonia & will take you about 6½ hrs to complete.
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Detailed walk route map PDF | |
Vital Statistics: | ||
| Walk No.: | gw136 | |
| Length: | 7½ miles (12km) | |
| Ascent: | 4100 ft (1250m) | |
| Time: | 6½ 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:
Pen-y-Pass - Pyg Track - Bwlch y Moch - Craig Fach - Crib Goch - Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) - Snowdon Mountain Railway - Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) - The Scree Path - Bwlch y Saethau - Bwlch Ciliau - Y Lliwedd - Y Lliwedd (East Top) - Lliwedd Bach - Gallt y Wenallt - Afon Glaslyn - Miners' Track - Pen-y-Pass
Points of Interest/Notes on this walk:
The final push onto the summit ridge is very steep and often has a large snow cornice quite late into Spring. It can be extremely dangerous for the ill equipped.
The Crib Goch ridge is not for the faint hearted. It is very exposed and airy in places and can be extremely dangerous - particularly in adverse weather conditions.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is the only rack railway in Great Britain. It was opened in April 1896 and has been ferrying people to the summit of Snowdon ever since. To date, the Snowdon Mountain Railway has suffered only one fatality.On the day it opened one of the engines briefly lost control near the summit, tempting a passenger to leap from the train. He died from injuries.
Note: The descent from Gallt y Wenallt to Afon Glaslyn is down very steep grass and can be dangerous. In wet weather descend N from point 6 to join and follow the Miners' Track back to Pen y Pass (see walk gw198 for route details).
There is a Snowdon Sherpa bus service that links all the main car parks and starting points for the main routes up Snowdon - including Pen-y-Pass - and the fare is cheaper than parking for the day at Pen-y-Pass- if you can find a space that is. You can buy tickets from the driver (Pen-y-Pass is pronounced 'Pen-uh-pass'). See The Snowdon Sherpa for details.
'Pyg' (as in Pyg Track) is and abbreviation for Pen-y-Gwryd - the hotel at the bottom of the pass.
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:
 4 Welsh Mountains |
 0 Wainwrights |
 7 Welsh Nuttalls |
 1 Welsh Dewey |
 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 Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) at 1066m (3499ft). Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (2nd highest in Wales, 2nd highest in England & Wales)
Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (2nd highest in Wales, 2nd highest in England & Wales). Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) means 'Dish Ridge' in Welsh and is pronounced 'kreeb ee thysgl'.
The summit of Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
You will also reach the summit of Crib Goch at 923m (3029ft). Crib Goch is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (14th highest in Wales, 20th highest in England & Wales)
Crib Goch is also known as a Welsh Nuttall (15th highest in Wales, 23rd highest in England & Wales). Crib Goch means 'Red Ridge' in Welsh and is pronounced 'kreeb g-och'.
The summit of Crib Goch is marked by a rocky outcrop.
Along the way you will also bag and tick-off:
- Y Lliwedd at 898m (2947ft). Y Lliwedd is classified as a Welsh Mountain (Hewitt) (17th Wales, 26th Eng & Wal), a Welsh Nuttall (18th highest in Wales, 29th highest in England & Wales) and a Welsh Marilyn (8th Wales, 240th highest in the UK). Y Lliwedd means 'The Hue' in Welsh and is pronounced 'uh-thl-ee-weth'.
The summit of Y Lliwedd is marked by a cairn.
- Y Lliwedd (East Top) at 893m (2931ft). Y Lliwedd (East Top) is known as a Welsh Nuttall (19th highest in Wales, 31st highest in England & Wales). Y Lliwedd (East Top) means 'The Hue' in Welsh and is pronounced 'uh-thl-ee-weth'.
The summit of Y Lliwedd (East Top) is marked by a cairn.
- Lliwedd Bach at 818m (2685ft). Lliwedd Bach is known as a Welsh Nuttall (37th highest in Wales, 78th highest in England & Wales).
- Gallt y Wenallt at 619m (2032ft). Gallt y Wenallt is known as a Welsh Nuttall (173rd highest in Wales, 408th highest in England & Wales).
- Craig Fach at 609m (1999ft). Craig Fach is classified as a Welsh Dewey (2nd highest in Wales, 3rd highest in England & Wales). Craig Fach means 'Small Crag' in Welsh and is pronounced 'cry-g vacht'.
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 The Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Horseshoe from Pen-y-Pass
In no particular order . . .
A RAF Helicopter above Y Lliwedd and the Watkin Path from Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Bwlch Ciliau, Y Lliwedd Bach and Y Lliwedd from the Finger Post at top of Scree Path near the summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
. . . load all 241 pictures & photos from this walk
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