Home » Outdoor Articles » Snowdon – The Epitome of a UK Mountain

Snowdon – The Epitome of a UK Mountain

By Dave Roberts   

on May 28, 2016    No ratings yet.

Posted in Blog, Outdoor Articles, WalkingEditorial, snowdonia

Snowdon – The Epitome of a UK Mountain

We love Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, and we think it’s the epitome of what a UK mountain is all about. We know it’s not Everest, or Mt Blanc, but for the UK, it really is what typifies our mountains as well as the whole mountain going experience.

Ridges and Paths. There are so many routes you can use to Walk up Snowdon, you could spend months walking up and down in different combinations. They suit most abilities, from the epic alpine ridge of Crib Goch (well, it’s alpine in winter, make no mistake!) to the drudgery of the Llanberis Path. There are few mountains that can boast so many wildly differing routes to the top. Not only that, but you can climb, scramble, walk, run, mountain bike or even catch a train up.

PSX_20160525_171358
Miner's Track up Snowdon
Miner's Track up Snowdon
wyddfa_sunset (6 of 6)
_Wyddfa_Oct10_960_31
wyddfa_elidir_116_960
wyddfa_elidir_103_960
wydd_glyder_2011_1024_24
Ranger_2012_15_960
Walk up the Snowdon Ranger Path
Walking along the knife edged ridge.
Walking along the knife edged ridge.
Lliwedd Bach from Lliwedd
Lliwedd Bach from Lliwedd
Lliwedd (23 of 23)
Lliwedd (2 of 23)

It’s pointy and looks like a mountain – There’s no doubting it. It’s got to be one of the most picturesque mountains in the UK. While some angles aren’t too mountainous, they’re still spectacular.

Taken from a pool on Moel Berfedd
Taken from a pool on Moel Berfedd
bwlch_mawr_034
wyddfa_sunset (4 of 6)
Wyddfa_Oct10_620_68
Walk up Elidir Fawr From Marchlyn Mawr and Deiniolen
Wyddfa_Evening_33_620

Busy – this is, unfortunately, something that many mountains suffer from. It’s a small country, we’re crowded and we love nothing more than setting out on a weekend to the same mountain as everyone else and fight for our little corner of summit to sit on. Not only that, but there’s a summit building – Hafod Eryri (summer dwelling) as well as a railway to the summit.

Snowdon_and_Eve_2008_620_137
Snowdon_and_Eve_2008_620_139
Wyddfa_Oct10_620_51
Wyddfa_Oct10_620_57.jpg
_Wyddfa_Oct10_960_45
The Rhyd Ddu Path up Snowdon

Lakes nestling in the cymoedd – Almost every cwm (which is welsh for a cirque or corrie) has a beauty of a lake from Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn up along the Miner’s Path to the hidden gems in Cwm Clogwyn. These provide the perfect foil to the busy summit and main footpaths, proving that this mountain has something for everyone.

wyddfa_elidir_66_960
wyddfa_sunset (4 of 6)
The Rhyd Ddu Path up Snowdon
Caption
Caption
glaslyn (18 of 21)
Miner's Track up Snowdon
Miner's Track up Snowdon

Myths, legends and stories aplenty. The mountain has so many that it would take a book to write them all out. From the legend that King Arthur still sleeps in a cave on the mountain, to giant ‘beaver’s that terrorised local villages.

Gribin_lliwedd_76_960
Looking towards Bwlch y Saethau, which according to legend is where King Arthur was shot with an arrow. It translates as Pass of the Arrows.

Please rate this

Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

More Posts By This Author

Comments are closed.