SNOWDON HORSESHOE
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 9.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,819 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,819 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,571 ft
- TrailRank
- 39
- Min elevation
- 896 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 5 hours 18 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2102
- Uploaded
- September 5, 2014
- Recorded
- September 2014
near Nant Gwynant, Wales (United Kingdom)
Viewed 2374 times, downloaded 48 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The usual Snowdon Horseshoe route (albeit with a start/finish down at the Pen y Gwryd laybys to avoid extortionate parking fees at Pen y Pass!!) Quite possibly the finest ridge walk south of Scotland, with plenty of easy scrambling, exposure and jaw dropping views. A proper mountain route over a proper mountain.
This route eschews the traditional start over The Horns ridge and omits the final wander over to the summit of Gallt y Wenallt. Pleasant though these bits are, they do add a fair bit of time and distance to an already grand route. The best bits are Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl and Y Lliwedd. Anything else is just there to join these bits up!
Some Grade 1 scrambling ability is necessary to complete the route, as is a good head for heights (the traverse of Crib Goch is exposed). Not too bad in the wet but avoid if windy!
This route eschews the traditional start over The Horns ridge and omits the final wander over to the summit of Gallt y Wenallt. Pleasant though these bits are, they do add a fair bit of time and distance to an already grand route. The best bits are Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl and Y Lliwedd. Anything else is just there to join these bits up!
Some Grade 1 scrambling ability is necessary to complete the route, as is a good head for heights (the traverse of Crib Goch is exposed). Not too bad in the wet but avoid if windy!
Comments (2)
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Hi
Have done this with my 7 year old (few years ago) who has no fear of heights unlike me or probably I treat the mountains with more respect, seen to many stupid accidents . When we did it we started at the lay-by on Pen-Y-Pass about a mile west of car park near a big rock on the right hand side as you head towards Llanberis. Dont you have to pay and display near the junction you parked at now? Have been told the North Ridge is a good scramble but haven't got round to doing it yet.
Hi
Yes, the Pen y Gwryd laybys are pay & display (£4), or there are free laybys to the north/east of the P-y-G hotel, just over the border in Conwy. It's 10 quid to park at Pen-y-Pass nowadays!!
The north ridge is a nice way up and usually very quiet. Barely warrants being called a scramble (there is a short step to clamber up near the top) but it is still an exhilarating walk, with great views. Particularly good if the north ridge is accessed from the usual east ridge approach path via the precipitous (and semi-secret!) Foxes Path.