Yr Wyddfa, still better known to many as Snowdon, has half a dozen main routes to the summit. For a first ascent I like this combination: the Pyg Track for the climb, because it keeps the views coming, and the Miners' Track for the descent, because it is kinder on the knees.
The walk
From Pen-y-Pass the Pyg Track climbs straight away on a rough, pitched path to the gap at Bwlch y Moch, where the whole horseshoe opens up: the knife-edge of Crib Goch above, Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn below. The path splits here, so make sure you stay on the Pyg Track as it traverses the side of the valley, rather than following the path that heads straight up onto Crib Goch.
The traverse is rocky but clear, and it ends at the final zigzags up to the ridge. In April there were still patches of old snow beside the path and the summit was in cloud, so I took it slowly. A tall standing stone at the top of the zigzags marks where you meet the Llanberis Path and the railway for the last few minutes to the top.
On the way down, retrace your steps to below the zigzags and take the Miners' Track, a steep descent to the shore of Glaslyn. From there it becomes a broad, easy track past the ruins of the old copper mine buildings and across the causeway over Llyn Llydaw, all the way back to Pen-y-Pass.
Good to know
- The car park at Pen-y-Pass is small and usually needs booking ahead. The Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus is the easy alternative.
- In winter and early spring the zigzags can be covered in snow and ice. In those conditions this is a mountaineering route: without an ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them, turn back.
- The summit is often in cloud and much colder than the car park. Bring a hat and gloves outside high summer.
- The summit café only opens when the mountain railway is running, so carry your own lunch.