We see if we can scale Snowdon – the UK’s second-highest peak – in an evening
With long, tough climbs, challenging technical descents and truly spectacular views, Wales’s highest peak lives up to its reputation
Being the highest mountain in Wales, at 1,085m (3,560 ft), this challenging but achievable peak is on many people’s bucket list. With three different bridleways heading to the summit, it’s also accessible to cyclists, letting you put a real mountain into your mountain biking. However, with an estimated 700,000 walkers climbing Snowdon each year, it’s the busiest peak in the UK. A voluntary ban was agreed between Snowdonia National Park, Gwynedd Council, the CTC (now Cycling UK) and the Welsh Cycling Union, asking cyclists not to ride on the mountain’s bridleways between 1 May and 30 September, from 10am to 5pm. This may sound like an inconvenience, but in reality it’s no great sacrifice, because it’s so busy with walkers (literally queuing along some tracks) and wouldn’t be any fun to ride during these hectic times. It can also be a whole lot more special to go for an early morning ride to see the sunrise, or an evening ride to watch the sunset, which is what we’ve got planned.
Gimme fuel
Joining Russell and me today is Steph Duits – the other half of Tom Hutton MTB Guiding, who’s literally ridden all over the country. Steph actually enjoys the climbs as much as the descents, whereas most people just endure them. She’s in for a treat then, because the climb up the Llanberis
AS WE START OUR DESCENT, THE LIGHT SUDDENLY CHANGES. RAYS OF SUN SKIM ACROSS THE HORIZON, CREATING THE MOST AMAZING GOLDEN GLOW ACROSS THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN SIDE
track is a big one. Living here, and having led countless guided rides up Snowdon, she certainly knows how to ride this mountain.
With the misfortune I’ve had this morning – my van not starting, getting stuck for hours behind a convoy of wind turbines, and now discovering my new shoes and pedals don’t work together – I feel like I should just sit this one out. However, Steph’s still super-enthusiastic and has bunked off work early to come and join us for the evening, so I’m duty-bound. I feel chirpier when I remember that any trip up Snowdon calls for a mandatory visit to Pete’s Eats and it’s time to get that box ticked now. This excellent, long-standing cafe has been fuelling outdoor enthusiasts for years. It also provides the ideal setting for our chat over today’s route.
Plan of attack
Whether you opt for an evening ride, like us, or an early-morning assault (assuming the voluntary ban is in place), try to go mid-week if you can, as it’s much quieter than the weekends. I’d be oversimplifying it if I said the three bridleway descents could effectively be graded blue (Llanberis), red (‘Ranger’s’) and black (Rhyd Ddu), but it’s a good start. These are estimates for riding down a mountain in Wales though, not a waymarked track in the south of England. So don’t expect a smooth, simple blue route – this is real mountain biking.
The simplest, easiest way down the mountain is the Llanberis Path, which has the added advantage of you knowing what’s in store, having just ridden up it. There’s more variation on the Snowdon Ranger Path, with some fast sections and technical, rocky parts. The Rhyd Ddu Path is a step up again, requiring low wind-speeds, because the very exposed start is narrow with steep drops along a ridgetop. It’s followed by some very technical rocky sections, which are best looked over and ‘sessioned’. Ranger’s is probably the most popular descent – offering a good challenge, but ridable flow – and is our choice for today. I’d advise not starting at the bottom of Ranger’s because the newly-resurfaced track consists of loose stones, making it no fun to ride either up or down.
Ain’t no mountain high enough
After fuelling up, we mount up. Russell’s on his new Specialized Turbo Levo, Steph’s on her shiny Cannondale Habit and I’m riding my Whyte S-150 – all proven mountain-taming machines. Leaving Llanberis, we’re straight onto a steep road, which warms the legs up as we see a steady stream of walkers heading back down the mountain. Naively, I offer cheery greetings, some of which are met with, “I can’t believe you’re going to ride up there” and a bunch of questions. I learn to keep quiet so we can progress, and soon we’ve passed through the gate and onto the rough, stony climb.
There are times when it’s best to ride with your rear suspension lockout on, but this isn’t one of them. The lumpy, rocky track is hard going, but this only serves to make the climb more interesting. What’s more, this added challenge distracts your
REACHING THE MORE TECHNICAL TRAIL, WITH A WONDERFUL VIEW OF THE LAKE BELOW, WE’ RE ENTICED INTO LOOKING AWAY FROM THE PATH
eyes and mind from the significant distance ahead. We’re cheered on by the remaining walkers, all of whom are friendly and encouraging. Thankfully, it’s not very busy – by the time we make it to the halfway house, the trail above and below is empty and we have the mountain to ourselves.
Peak descending
Much of the Llanberis trail is climbable, but there are still some hike-a-bike sections. I’m glad to have packed my PeakRider bike-carrying pole, which allows me to transport my bike on my back, hands-free. Thankfully, the sky’s clearing, no doubt helped by the strong wind on this exposed section of the route. With the sun now rapidly descending, the cold wind means we’re suddenly struggling to stay warm, even with all this exertion. We wrestle the warmer clothes and coats out of our bags and layer up. What had started off as a pleasant, laid-back evening ride is now evolving into a proper adventure. And with our extremities starting to freeze, we know we need to head back down right now – before the top, and before we get any colder.
As we start our descent, the light suddenly changes. Rays of sun skim across the horizon, creating the most amazing golden glow across the whole mountainside. It’s a good, technical track down to the railway line, where we bear left to descend the Ranger’s path. This wide track allows us to pick our own lines. We have a blast charging down, weaving between the larger rocks and leaping or clattering over the rest, before pulling on our brake levers with half-frozen fingers. Reaching the narrower, more technical trail, with tight bends and a wonderful view of the lake (Llyn Ffynnon-ygwas) below, we’re enticed into drawing our eyes away from the path. Thankfully, Russell wants some pictures from a different few angles here and we’re more than happy to oblige. Not only do we get the chance to ride it a few more times, but we also get to properly take in the view without dying.
After a zig-zag section, the trail becomes a flat-out blast. The sun’s in our eyes but quickly dips behind the mountain range ahead, until suddenly, it’s gone. As everywhere around us suddenly loses its colour, becoming various shades of grey, and the temperature plummets, it feels like a power cut. We’re so glad we got down to this point before losing the light and heat, and it’s also served to make the descent seem all that more special and different from the world back down here.
Joining the Telegraph trail, which hugs the cold, shadow-shrouded hillside, the good news is that it’s too dark for pictures, so we can stay warm by just thrashing along and enjoying the fast, flowing singletrack uninterrupted. An added advantage is that there’s absolutely no one about anymore, so we can tear along as fast as our legs will allow as we chase each other down the valley. Eventually, it comes to an end and we drop back down into Llanberis, where the streets are pretty empty now, with everyone settling down indoors.
It always feels good to do something properly different, and more so without the crowds, which is why I’m an advocate of early-morning dawn rides. They rarely fail to provide an uplifting, positive way to start off a day. However, after this evening’s adventure, and with such a horrible start to my day today, I’m thinking I might just have to start riding into the sunset more often…