mount snowdon, any advice welcome!

[mondobongo]

We did it a couple of years ago took a couple of hours to hike the bikes up the Llanberris path we then rode down via the Rangers path absolute quality day out as we were getting ready to ride down you could see people looking at us thinking nutters.

As others have said don't under estimate it we were up there just before the ban came into force so endish of April and it was chilly on the summit, were told by some locals that they have had to rescue women wearing stilleto heels off there before now.

 

[Globalti]

I one saw an elderly, overweight woman in a cotton print frock on top of Ben Nevis, carrying a cardigan in a supermarket bag. On the way down we passed another woman in high-heeled sandals who was crying with pain - the heels hadn't been a problem going up but were causing her some difficulties going down!

The tenacity and stamina of some idiots is amazing.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

maybe the stupid prices charged for the train (we were quoted £70 for 2 adults and 2 kids) have been responsible for some of these "unprepared" walkers, who decide to go on foot rather than pay for the train.

if you've got kids, for £20 you can all go on the train around llanberris lake instead.

 

[levad]

Been up Snowdon many times. The last time was when I lived in Coventry and a group of us were challenged to leave Coventry on a Sunday morning, lunch on top of Snowdon and back in Coventry for the evening service at Church. We made it with minutes to spare. Oh, and this was in October, a crisp clear day and we could see for miles from the top. None of the dust in the atmosphere that you get in the summer.

 

[spandex]

I have not done Snowdon or much hi level walking but I do know with all the riding in the hills I have done. Make a planed route you are going to do, a list of what times you are setting off getting back to the car/train/pub. Then a list of all the things you are taking with you and give it to some one GF, Wife, friend? and tell them you will phone before you set off and when you are down.

Just encase some thing does go wrong they have all the info to give to M Rescue...

 

[fossyant]

I thought he was walking it Fossy. You walking or riding Dangerous?

Sorry missed the 'walking' bit...what's that......

Bikes - totally freak day - not a cloud, so we went up. Total lack of equipment though.

Like has been said, if walking or biking up there, go properly prepared...

 

[domd1979]

The railway (cheating really, unless you need to colour it in on your rail atlas) is open from March, but doesn't go to the summit til May.

http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/news.php

 

[Graham O]

Routes up Snowdon are:

Miners Track from Pen y Pass - starts at 1000' or so, so quite short. Car park tends to fill early so don't arrive at 12'ish. Popular
Llanberis - longest route, but also the easiest. Generally okay until railway above Clogwyn station and then the full force of the weather hits you. Popular
Rhydd Ddu and Snowdon Ranger - quite similar and it is possible to go up one, down the other and walk back to start. Pretty quiet in general. Wouldn't recommend the Rhydd Ddu path unless you like exposure!
Watkin Path - my favourite. Long and quiet. Requires a steep climb at the end and in ice/snow, it is not to be underestimated.

FWIW, I don't think any of the paths are boring. They all show some aspect of the mountain which is worth looking at. The presence of other people may reduce the wilderness, but they can be ignored, except on a bank holiday weekend!

 

[barq]

If you need to eat or stay in LLanberis then Pete's Eats is legendary for decent food and does accommodation.

For a good local B&B/hotel try Plas Coch.

Someone suggested The Heights, but it was up for sale a while back so I don't know what the situation is there.

 

[TVC]

Routes up Snowdon are:

Miners Track from Pen y Pass - starts at 1000' or so, so quite short. Car park tends to fill early so don't arrive at 12'ish. Popular
Llanberis - longest route, but also the easiest. Generally okay until railway above Clogwyn station and then the full force of the weather hits you. Popular
Rhydd Ddu and Snowdon Ranger - quite similar and it is possible to go up one, down the other and walk back to start. Pretty quiet in general. Wouldn't recommend the Rhydd Ddu path unless you like exposure!Watkin Path - my favourite. Long and quiet. Requires a steep climb at the end and in ice/snow, it is not to be underestimated.

FWIW, I don't think any of the paths are boring. They all show some aspect of the mountain which is worth looking at. The presence of other people may reduce the wilderness, but they can be ignored, except on a bank holiday weekend!

My favorite way, it is possible to do Rhydd Ddu without meeting anyone until the last 400m so you need to be confident in your abilities/kit and the weather forecast.

Last time I went up the cloud base was at 300m and just above freezing on top, but there were still kids in full football kit coming up the main path - mental!

 

[dean]

I went up on a stock Mk2 Raleigh Chopper. I took the path from The Youth Hostel at the top of the Llanberris Pass, past the lakes then up the screes. Then down the railway to Llanberris and up the pass to the car. This is not for the faint hearted. It was in the summer and I started off just before the time restriction to make the most of the available light. I was thinking of setting this up as a challenge with a certificate or something. I'm doing it again in July 2009. Any takers?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It's a great day out and if it's not too cloudy or foggy, etc and the view is fantastic -as you climb up the view stretches out mile after mile. Makes you wonder why anyone goes anywhere else in the world when you've got that sort of beautiful coutryside on your doorstep......then it starts tipping down with rain again.........

 

[Bodhbh]

Bring plenty of spare layers for the top assuming you want to hang around a bit an enjoy the view, although I see they've got that cafe now which makes extraction a little less urgent if you're balls are freezing off .

 

[papercorn2000]

Can't stress too much the safety aspect. I used to live in the area and was up and around the massif fairly often.
Been up in midsummer in running shoes and shorts when the place was thronged with day trippers and the visibility was so good that you could see Australia. Equally, I've been up in winter conditions as grim as anything I've seen in the Highlands - on one occasion, the wind actually picked me up and threw me off the path - swift turn-around that day!

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Equally, I've been up in winter conditions as grim as anything I've seen in the Highlands - on one occasion, the wind actually picked me up and threw me off the path - swift turn-around that day!

Was it on the saddle going up the Llanberis path past Cloggie? I've been up in Mid May and the snow was quite deep on the top and visibility was about 20 yards.