5 Mount Snowdon

GWYNEDD

GOT YOUR SIGHTS ON SNOWDON but don’t want to pack your compass and crampons? Travel to the top by the Snowdon Mountain Railway* and the only huffing and puffing around will come from the steam locomotive that is taking you there. The train leaves Llanberis three times a day, climbing 1,085 metres past the Ceunant Mawr waterfall and the solitary stone dwellings of past generations. Continuing up through the clouds, you’ll stop off at Halfway Station, where the charcoal cliff face of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu looms to the north, before making the final ascent to the summit. On a clear day, you can see England, Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. A round trip, including a 30-minute stop, takes about two and a half hours (snowdonrailway.co.uk).