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Another glorious walking day, and a return to Wales’ highest via the less-trodden western paths.
There are probably no routes up Snowdon without something to recommend them, but the Rhyd-Ddu Path is one of the best – beautifully pathed over what looks otherwise to be pretty damp terrain, and then rising relatively gently through increasingly dramatic surroundings to finish along a short sharp ridge. The views behind to the Nantlle/Hebog range are fabulous, and – midweek - you can get to within a few feet of the café and the crowds without seeing more than a handful of people. The last mile or so is fantastic along the narrowing Llechog and Bwlch Main ridges, almost like a coward’s Crib Goch – ground falling away steeply on both sides, into the deep bowl of Cwm Clogwyn and across to Y Lliwedd, but without (bar a few exposed yards that you might steer away from in a strong wind) too much sense of danger.
- Snowdon from the Highland Railway station
- Llyn Cwellyn between Mynydd Mawr & Moel Eilio
- Nantlle valley
- Mynydd Mawr
- Llyn Coch & Llyn Glas from Llechog
- Snowdon
- Moel Cynghorion over Cwm Clogwyn
- Yr Aran
- Final ascent to Snowdon
- Back along Bwlch Main
- Looking down the Watkin Path to Llyn Llydaw
- Bwlch Main & Llechog
I can’t get upset about the railway station and café on the summit – as long as it stays the only place with these things it almost adds to the character to see the steamer puffing up, and no-one can really hate their first fresh ice-cold beer on a mountaintop! - but they do mean that you’ll probably never get much peace up there. It probably isn’t worth the effort to battle through the crowds sitting with their picnics and accompanying seagulls to actually reach the trig more than once – I did it 25 years ago and may never again – but you haven’t got to step too far down the northern slopes to escape and admire the views over the lake scenery of the classic Horseshoe.
- Y Lliwedd
- Crib y Ddysgl, the Pyg Track looking deceptively precarious...
- Crib Goch
Not far along the railway line before more quiet walking down the Snowdon Ranger Path. This is pretty easy going in descent, good underfoot and zigzagging comfortably enough over the steeper parts, even if it lacks the drama of the way up – it might be quite a dull trudge done the other way, once the lakes of the cwm slip out of view. There is a cross-country way from here back to Rhyd-Ddu (mapped above), but it isn’t really to be recommended – it’s rough going over some very marshy terrain (the only good walking being up and over the spoil-heaps of the old slate-mine) even now, and outside a dry spell several stretches might be completely impassable; head all the way down to the Snowdon Ranger and either catch a train or dodge along the road instead.
- Descending the Snowdon Ranger towards Llyn Peris
- Llechog behind Llyn Coch & Llyn Nadroedd
- Llyn Ffynnon-y-Gwas
- Snowdon & Cwm Clogwyn over Llyn Ffynnon-y-Gwas
- Snowdon Ranger Path below Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
- Starting on the cross-country return, towards Llyn y Gader & Moel Hebog range
- Snowdon
- Moel Eilio & Foel Goch from the old slate-mine
- Llyn Cwellyn
Apart from the finish, a terrific walk though. Bar the Watkin Path upper screes, I’ve trodden all the main routes up and down Snowdon now and this is close to the best – perhaps the supreme day, with some transport help, would be up the Pyg Track (or, with guts and the right weather, Crib Goch instead) early morning before the crowds, and then down the Rhyd-Ddu Path with the views in front. Plenty might disagree though, there are a lot of choices...!