This August, I achieved a huge goal of mine: I successfully hiked up Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales! Not only that, but by summiting Snowdon I have now climbed the Three Peaks! The Three Peaks are Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis, and Snowdon. These are the highest mountains of England, Scotland, and Wales (respectively). Doing all of them in 24 hours is a common charity challenge. Snowdon is 1085 meters high, and a very popular mountain to hike. Here’s everything you need to know about my hike up Snowdon!

Where to Start Your Hike

I chose to hike up Snowdon via the Miner’s Track, and down via the Pyg Track. The Miner’s Track was a fantastic walk. I would also say it’s easier going up the Miner’s Track than going up the Pyg Track. There are about 10 routes up Snowdon, which start from various points around the mountain. Make sure to have plenty of water, snacks, warm clothes, waterproof layers, and sturdy hiking boots. You can read my outdoor gear guide here! I use the OS Maps app for nearly all my hikes in the UK nowadays.

One of the most popular is the Llanberis Path, which starts from the town of Llanberis. I did most of the hike up this one in February 2018 before having to turn around about ¾ of the way up due to snow and ice. But this time around I went up a different way.

There is a bus called the “Snowdon Sherpa” in Snowdonia National Park. This bus runs between the various starting points of the hike and different parking areas. It’s easy to walk up one route, then walk down an entirely different way, get a bus back to where you started from and parked your car! We lucked out and managed to get a spot in the Pen-y-Pass car park, which was the most convenient for our hike. This is one of the most popular car parks, and it’s not very big. If you want a spot, you should aim to be here by 8am, maybe even earlier on weekends in the summer. It’s £10 for all-day parking.

UPDATE 2023: Parking at Pen-y-Pass must be booked in advance, and costs £20 per car for all-day parking.

There are also toilets, a small visitor center, and a café on site. Although I’d recommend getting food across the street at the YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass hostel!

Hiking Up Snowdon Via the Miner’s Track

It was overcast for our hike up Snowdon, but the scenery was still stunning! The Miner’s Track is well-signposted from the car park, and is very easy to follow. The first half hour is really just a casual stroll. After about 30 minutes, you’ll reach the first lake (Llyn Llydaw).

Definitely take some time to stop and enjoy the scenery here! The path even takes you on a bridge across part of the lake.

After the first lake, you’ll start the trek in earnest. There are steps on this route that will take you higher and higher up the mountain. After about 1.5 hours from the start of the hike, or after about 30 minutes of hiking up the steps, you’ll see the second lake (Glaslyn).

Not long after that, the Miner’s Track and the Pyg Track intersect. You’ll probably notice an increase in the number of people around you here! There can be some bottlenecks if there’s lots of people, particularly as some parts you might want to use your hands for a bit of a scramble.

We reached the intersection with all the summit paths about 2 hours and 20 minutes after starting our hike. This is where the Llanberis path meets up with the Miner’s/Pyg Track, and the path for Crib Goch. From there it was only another 15 minutes until we were at the summit!

Summiting Snowdon

Snowdon is one of the most popular mountains in Snowdonia National Park and in Wales in general. Unfortunately, we had absolutely no views from the top as everything was covered in clouds!

There was also a long queue of people waiting in line to get to the summit and take a summit photo. It did take a bit away from the experience, but I got my photo at the top which I’m pretty happy about!

The top of Snowdon is actually really busy. Thanks to the Snowdon Mountain Railway, you can actually take a train up to the top of the mountain! The train runs from April-October (although this can change depending on snowfall) and therefore there are lots of facilities on the top of Snowdon. It’s also very easy to tell the people who took the train up and the people who hiked up—based on what they’re wearing and what kind of shoes they have! Not only is there a rail station at the summit, but they have a huge indoor café with a shop. There are also lots of toilets, which was nice! Note that the café can’t refill any water bottles. It was really nice to be inside somewhere and warm to have a rest and eat some snacks though.

Hiking Down Snowdon Via the Pyg Track

We spent about 40 minutes at the summit before heading back down. I was so happy because on the way down, the clouds parted just a bit, revealing some pretty amazing views over Wales!! In a little less than an hour of hiking, we were back at the intersection where the Pyg Track and the Miner’s Track join up. Instead of following the right fork down to the Miner’s Track, we took the left and continued on the Pyg Track.

I loved that the Pyg Track meant we got to see the views over the valley with the A4086 road running down below. This is a gorgeous valley, one of my favorite places in all of Snowdonia, and all of Wales in general. We could even catch a glimpse of Llanberis and the lake from this path! I’m really glad to have done both the Miner’s and the Pyg Track for my hike up Snowdon.

The descent down Pyg Track was steep, and made me happy I didn’t start off the hike hiking up this way! It’s mainly stepped—and it was tough on my knees (but maybe I’m just saying that because I’m old now). I had a final push once I could see the car park and buildings ahead of me—and there was nothing more rewarding than pushing through the gate at the end! I did it!

All in all, I hiked up and down Snowdon in almost exactly 6 hours (I left at 10:07 and got back to the car at 16:05). We stopped at the café across the road at the YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass Hostel for some food (we split three appetizers), which was well deserved!

Planning Your Trip

Snowdon is a real mountain, and you should still take all proper precautions. While the paths are easy to follow, I do always recommend having an OS map of the area whenever you go hiking in the UK. You should also bring proper gear with you: sturdy hiking boots (with ankle support), a rain jacket, waterproof pants, a buff or a hat, gloves (even though I did this in August my hands were freezing at the top and I needed my gloves!!), and plenty of layers to keep warm. I love my hiking poles and can’t remember my life without them! While you can plan on buying something at the café at the top if you’re hiking when it’ll be open, you should still bring plenty of water and snacks with you.

If you’re wanting to do this hike with minimal hassle, YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass would make a great base. You can search for hostels in Snowdonia here, and search for hotels here! You can also sign up to and book accommodation on Airbnb here. There aren’t many train options besides the Snowdon Mountain Railway (for example, Llanberis doesn’t have a train station on the national rail network). But if you’re heading to Snowdonia by rail you can book tickets in advance on Trainline. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

I absolutely loved my hike up Snowdon. This was a great walk, with beautiful views (when the clouds cleared!). It was also great going up and down different paths, and keeping the walk varied and interesting. Now that I’ve done Snowdon though, I definitely want to explore more of Snowdonia National Park, and some of the other beautiful places there!

Have you hiked Snowdon or any of the Three Peaks before?!

You might like my other posts:

Hiking Scafell Pike: England’s Highest Mountain

Hiking Ben Nevis: Britain’s Highest Moutain

How to Spend a Weekend in the Brecon Beacons in Wales

Hiking Cadair Idris Via the Minfford Path: Hiking in South Snowdonia

What to See and Do in Hay-on-Wye, the “Town of Books” in Wales

Should You Bother Going To Wales?

All of my hiking posts!

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