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Another personal ascent of this popular peak, this time with my youngest granddaughter, and a friend who was recovering hill walking fitness following an operation. We were in no hurry. We went up by the Miner's Path and descended by the PYG Track, the first time I'd been up for several years by this route (although I usually descend by one or the other).
![web_2473 Snowdon from the Miners track.jpg]()
- Snowdon from the Miners track
![web_2482 y Lliwedd.jpg]()
- Y Lliwedd from the Miners Path
![web_2488 Mine workings.jpg]()
- Mine workings
![web_2491 Snowdon.jpg]()
- Snowdon
We choose to go in this direction as it can be argued that the views of the peaks are best when climbed this way round. As it was, if we hadn't, we wouldn't have got any views as the cloud had dropped down on the summit and stayed there for the rest of the day before we had reached the top of the Zig Zags.
![web_2502 Georgie enjoying her first big walk in the hills.jpg]()
- Georgie enjoying her first big walk in the hills
Clearly some work has been done on the path up the Zig Zags and the PYG Track since I was last here. Most notable being the marker "posts" at the foot of the Zig Zags and at the junction of the PYG Track with the path coming up from the Miners Path. Makes life easier for those doing the route for the first time I suppose.
![web_2497 marker stone at the top of the Zig Zags.jpg]()
- Marker stone on the Zig Zags
I was surprised to see the work that had been done making the way up to the top of the summit cairn into a one-way system by the provision of a second set of steps. It's an improvement. Before, when it got busy, it could get dangerous for those on the outside with people pushing past coming the other way on the inside. Even more astonishing was the queue to get up to the summit cairn!
![web_2505 Covid-19 secure queueing.jpg]()
- Covid-19 secure queuing!
Long gone, it would seem, is the time when you could have the summit to yourself of a late summer's afternoon. (On reflection, it
was a long time ago - more than 40 years ago. I'd come up by way of Moel Cynghorion and Moel Eilio, but I'm sure it's been possible since!)
![web_2517 Pen y Pass from the PYG track.jpg]()
- Pen y Pass from the PYG track
Length: 7.63 miles 12.3 km Ascent: +1165m -1161m Naismith: 4h 24m
It's still an excellent walk, and we had a really good day out, but I shall go somewhere quieter tomorrow.
