Snowdon Horseshoe, Snowdonia
Think you know Snowdon? Come with us to a place so familiar, yet so far removed from all hurly-burly on the world’s busiest mountain.
There’s a lifetime’s worth of adventures to be had on this, the best peak in all of England and Wales. It’s odd to start from Llanberis – probably the most popular starting point for Snowdon – and yet almost immediately be in quiet mountains, though still on the way to the snowy Don. But that’s the reality of the situation.
Starting in the town at map point 1 (SH578601), a short walk through the back streets, westwards, brings rich rewards very quickly. Moel Elio is the first of the peaks this stroll through the mountains takes in on an alternative Snowdon Horseshoe. It’ll also include Foel Goch, Moel Cynghorion and Snowdon, before swinging back around towards Llanberis, staying loftily above the ‘tourist’ path, staying true to a dramatic ridge normally ignored and even summiting another Tryfan. All before trotting back to join the masses for the last bit.
As soon as you’re out of town, the northern spur of Moel Elio is the forward skyline. Leaving the small road at map point 2 (SH570598), a thin path leads to the obvious base of the broad ridge. With the height that’s soon gained on this path, check out the disused quarries to the north, then take a moment to
look east at the huge missing chunk of mountain that is the quarry on Elidir Fawr. The path curves around to the south as it gallops over the easing in the contours that is Bryn Mawr. Remarkably quickly, Moel Elio’s summit ridge is reached. Cwm Dwythwch below the steep crags to your east is quite a spot. I remember a pleasant wild camp by the Llyn – in the morning there were ponies drinking from the edge of the llyn, heather was in flower behind and all was mirrored in the water’s surface. The short grassy terrain is easy-going, the summit at map point
3 (SH555577) has a large stone cairn/ shelter. Time for a coffee perhaps, but don’t linger too long, there are perfect walking ridges with hardly anyone on them to be trampled, so let’s get going…
Route-finding on the next 2km of ridge is pretty easy if it’s clear, you can handrail the fence from Moel Elio to the spot height of 629m if you need to. While on this prominent stretch of our earth, look south-south-west to see Mynydd Mawr and a rather end-on view of the Nantlle ridge, Moel Hebog being further away, but due south at this point. Foel Gron and Goch need the true high points searching out as you pass over these summits. I always think this is worth doing. Foel Goch has,what looks like a fine walkable ridge leading off to the north. It’s things like this that the ambitious walker should always be visually checking out when the opportunity arises. Foel Goch leads to Bwlch Maesgwm at map point 4, (SH572558). At this point you’re directly above the Snowdon Ranger Youth Hostel.
The route runs north-east for 1.5km, climbing steadily. It’s a kink in our horseshoe, that’s for sure. At Moel Cynghorion’s summit (map point 5, SH586564), you can look two ways to see things you’ll remember ’til your end of days. Look west to see those crags below the ridge from Moel Elio. Look south-east to see along the face of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu. This is the more dramatic of the two and in 1798 the site of the first-ever recorded rock climb in Britain when two chaps scaled it while botanising (looking for interesting plants). It’s known by climbers as ‘Cloggy’. Still looking to east-south-east the ridge above ‘Cloggy’, end-on to us, is our next line of attack as we join the Snowdon Ranger Path.
At Bwlch Cwm Brwynog you can either follow the path up, or as I do and stick closer to the fence line and the true crest of the ridge. Now on the ridge of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu, it’s Snowdon that is finally being climbed. Who’d have thought there’d be lonely valleys this close to this giant of Wales, but looking north reveals Cwm Brwynog, with Llyn Du’r Arddu flowing into it from the east. On the higher sections of the line of travel, as it joins the main north/south summit ridge, there is no shelter from the heat of the sun or from winds from the south through to the north. It’s one hell of a barren, high place. Nothing distracts from the howl of those winds or the cry of a raven. Nothing, that is, other than people, aggressive herring gulls, and let’s not forget the train as it puffs its way past.
Bwlch Glas (map point 6, SH608549) and it’s like Piccadilly Circus as the Llanberis path, the train tracks, the Snowdon Ranger Path, the path from Garnedd Ugain and of course the Pyg Track all converge for one convivial summit attempt. I like it really, it’s one super-powerful coming together of people, a happy place, everyone wild with ‘summit fever’. After this momentous happening, it’s a case of following the well worn, well made summit ridge path
to the actual summit at map point 7
(SH609544). You have to work hard if you want this place to yourself. If the weather’s half decent, then it’s going to be busy from dawn ’til dusk. But, among the frenetic comings and goings of a Saturday morning High Street, take a moment to imagine the mountain without those distractions. Snowdon/ Yr Wyddfa is a Paleolithic hand-axe of a mountain, sheer faces rising to that towering steeple of a point. Snowdon, I want to hate you, but I can’t help but love you. As I said at the start, it is (in my opinion) the finest mountain in England and Wales, and it holds its own even in Scotland. The café on the other hand… But check this out; there has been some kind of building up here since at least the 1820s. A small collection of wooden sheds selling refreshments proliferated until the 1930s when Clough Williams-Ellis designed the summit station/café that most of us remember. I’ve seen some early photos of it and I have to say it looked pretty good in its day, I only remember the run-down, weather ravaged shadow of itself that it became. I personally really like the modern building. If there has to be one up here, then this ‘bunker’ of a building is fit for purpose in my eyes.
So you’ve rested and eaten, that only leaves one thing to do – go. Yes, it’s back the way we came, until we’re back at ‘the magic roundabout’ (map point 6,
SH608549). Here’s where I recommend detouring from the Llanberis path, instead taking the one to the summit of Garnedd Ugain. It’s a cracking summit and not much more effort is needed to climb it. It’s worth pointing out that you could of course miss out the summit of Snowdon, as the route without it is in itself a cracking mountain day. For most of us, missing out the highest peak of the day, just isn’t cricket. Luckily I don’t play cricket…
The northern arm of the horseshoe is a downhill ridge walk with views that’ll keep the mind fed all the way back to Llanberis. Stay with the path until
map point 8 (SH608560), just before the ‘Cloggy’ station. At this point the aim is to keep with the true crest of the ridge all the way to Derlwyn, initially being mindful of the close proximity of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. The pointy bit on the ridge called Llechog
(map point 9, SH606568) simply must be reached. Here, looking back to Snowdon and particularly ‘Cloggy’ is like the mirror view we had from Moel Cynghorion; huge, scene setting and satisfying. Look north-north-west in the direction of travel along the ridge and it’s Elidir Fawr that hogs the eye, being ugly/beautiful all at the same time. The drops to the steep side of the ridge, down towards Nant Peris, are enough to concentrate the mind.
The ridge ambles down, a thin path can be followed, over the ‘other’ Tryfan, then over Clogwyn Mawr, following a fence line to Derlwyn at map point 10
(SH588587), north of some sheepfolds. From here, take a line west down an easy slope to rejoin the last section of the main Llanberis path, somewhere near map point 11 (SH584586).
Lanes soon take you back to town, and Pete’s Eats is the place to go for a cuppa to match the size of the day – enormous. Snowdon is a special mountain, this walk has plenty of the expected highlights, but more of the unexpected, which just goes to show, if you can keep discovering things somewhere as well known as Snowdon, then just think what else there is out there, in those less travelled places…
“SNOWDON, I WANT TO HATE YOU BUT I CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE YOU”