Mount Snowdon Walk via Crib Goch Ridge Route, Snowdonia. The tallest mountain in Wales and my favourite UK ridge walk

What a view! A walker on the Crib Goch ridge. You can just make out the summit of Mount Snowdon where the clouds have cleared a little to the right of the walker, and further to the right is the summit of Garnedd Ugain. The Crib Goch section of the walk is definitely the best and most exhilarating ridge route I've done in the UK to date.

Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), walk via Crib Goch - what a stunning mountain ridge to walk along to the highest mountain in wales

Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales,  is a well-known and popular waking destination. There are many ways to walk to the top, and you can even get the train, but for me, if you have got a head for heights and the weather conditions are favourable - then it has to be the Crib Goch ridge route to the top. It's a superb ridge walk and my favourite in the UK to date. The Snowdon Horseshoe is the classic route - but on the day of this particular walk the temps where high so we returned from the summit of Snowdon via the miners track and a dip in the tarn. Read of to lean more about this walk and what to expect with plenty of photos!

Mount Snowdon via Crib Goch walk overview :

Mount Snowdon walk distance: 7.5 miles (12.1km)

Mount Snowdon walk time: 5 hours

Mount Snowdon walk difficulty: Hard 

Plenty of scrambling along Crib Goch and you need a head for heights

Mount Snowdon via Crib Goch walk map route:

This is the map route of the Snowdon walk we done on this particular hot day. It goess in an anti-clockwise direction starting from the car park, via the Crib Goch ridge and onto the Mount Snowdon summit. We retraced our steps a little to get back on the Miners Track down to Glaslyn tarn for a swim and then it's pretty easy gong after that back to the car park.

Here is the elevation of the route. As you can see there are some steep sections on the way up to Mount Snowdon - and its gentler on the way back.

The classic Snowdon Horseshoe map route via Crib Goch :

Here is the classic The Snowdon Horseshoe walking route, which again is best tackled in an anti-clockwise direction via, Crib Goch first, then Garnedd Ugain, Snowdon and finally Y Lliwedd. It's about 7.5miles in total. We didn't complete the Horseshoe on this walk - instead opting to come down from Snowdon via the easier route of the Miners Track. After one of the hottest July days and catching a lot of sun, the prospect of a swim in the Glaslyn tarn at the foot of snowdon was a lot more appealing than going on to tackle another peak in Y Lliwedd! 

Mount Snowdon walk - car parking:

This is the car park at Pen-Y-Pass. Unfortunately for us it was full when we arrived in the car at 8am on a Saturday morning and I suspect it usually is due to this walk being very popular, so take this into account when planning your trip. We continued down the A4086 road to Llanberis from the car park and were fortunate to get parked in a layby about 2 miles down the hill from Pen-Y-Pass. I'm guessing there were free parking spaces here for about 10 cars. There is also a regular bus (every 20 mins or so) which runs from Llanberis to the Pen-Y-Pass car park, and there was a bus stop at the lay by where we parked. The bus cost £1 and took 5-10 mins or so for us and saved us a 2 mile walk up hill (and conserve precious energy for the proper walk). So my advice if travelling in a car would be that if you can't get parked at Pen-Y-Pass - head to Llanberis - you might get parked in a lay-by - if not then you should get parked in Llanberis where you can get the bus to Pen-Y-Pass. 

Mount Snowdon walk via Crib Goch, photos of what to expect :-)

From the car-park there are a few routes you can take out of it. If you plan to do Crib Goch on the Mount Snowdon walk - and I recommend you do if the weather conditions are right, then it's best to tackle Crib Goch first as it's best to do the initial steep climb of it initially - rather than come down a very steep way at the end. So the route we took out of the car park was the most direct path to start of Crib Goch (the highest peak you can see in the picture above).

The initial path to Crib Goch is quite straightforward and a nice leisurely way to get warmed up!

Looking down the valley towards Llanberris & the lake of Llyn Peris. You can also make out the A4086 road where we are actually parked in the distance somewhere.

As we near Crib Goch the path starts to get a little steeper.

We begin to gain height fairly quickly as we approach Crib Goch and you can see the Pen-Y-Pass car park in the middle of this photo.

Crib Goch looms closer!

We can just see the summit of Snowdon appearing from the clouds

This is where we meet the Pyg Track and where you get chance to consider if you really want to do Crib Goch haha. We met up with a group who considered Crib Goch - but then decided against it. This junction is a good place for a rest and to whack a bit of food and drink into you for the challenge ahead. We where definitely going for Crib Goch - so we didnt take the path above. You do get your first glimpse of Mount Snowdon here and the views are quite breathtaking.

Me and the lads - already got a bit of a sweat on! Its a hot day

You can't really miss the start of the Crib Goch path - although after here it is rather undefined and it's just a case of heading for the top, either following others ahead, or making you own way.

Thi shows the sort of terrain you will scramble up on 

It get's quite steep here so you gain height pretty quickly!

As you can see - there isn't really a path in much of the places - it's just a case of scrambling up. It is pretty straightforward though - you might have to use both hands - but it's not too technical.

It is quite physical the initial climb to Crib Goch - so we stopped at a few places to "admire the views" :-)

In parts on the climb up - you can feel a bit exposed and your mind can play tricks on you by thinking there are sheer drops round every corner - but I felt quite safe to be honest, especially with no wind on this day. It's just a case of mind over matter for those who have doubts. Just concentrate on where you are on a the fairly straightforward climb and don't let your thoughts get the better of you! Just enjoy the exhilerating climb!

What views from up here!

Looking back where we have come from in a relatively short space of time.

Like all the ridges I have climbed in the UK, including Striding Edge & Sharp Edge in the Lake District, I always think that photos make the ridges look worse than how they actually are when you are on them. Some photos give the impression that people are on the cusp of sheer drops all the time, and one mis-palced step and you are a goner! But in reality they are a bit more gradual when there in person, and quite safe. As long as you take your time, and be sure of your footing - you will be fine :-)

Nearing the top of Crib Goch here - again it's just a case of finding your own way - and trying to keep an eye of for the Cairns (piles of stones) which show you where to head. But as long as you head up - you can't go wrong really!

I catch a glimpse of the summit of Mount Snowdon just to the far right of this photo.

It gets less of a climb and no real need to use your hands as you approach the top of Crib Goch. the left hand side of teh ridge is more gradual, whereas the right of the ridge is more sheer - as long as you stay to the left your will feel pretty safe.

At last, the climbing is done and time for a rest-bite! Here we are looking along the Crib Goch ridge to Garnedd Ugain on the Mount Snowdon walk. The Crib Goch section of the walk is definitely the best and most exhilarating ridge walk I've done in the UK to date - if you have done a bit of walking/scrambling before, and have a head for heights - then go for Crib Goch - I can't recommend it highly enough!

Crib Goch is a popular ridge - and no doubt others will be up there too. Some go faster than others - and just be patient if you get stuck behind someone who is just shuffling along! And likewise you might just want to shuffle along ion places :-) The ridge has a gentler gradient on the left side - and most choose to walk just to the left of the ridge in parts and use the top of the ridge as a sort of hand rail for the right hand. I found in some parts you could quite easily just stand up on the ridge and walk (if you have a head for heights) - in other parts I did want to go a bit slower and hold onto a bit of rock! The weather & wind conditions will effect things a lot. 

There will be times when you'll want to use your hands and take your time

Looking back along Crib Goch. 

The 3 pinnacles of Crib Goch:

There are 3 pinnacles (rocky out crops) along the ridge. You can either go straight over the top of all of them, or it's a bit easier if you go to the left of the first 2 - then straight over the easier last one.

We went to the left of the first pinnacle so we could stop of for a rest and some food. In the picture above you can make out the 2nd pinnacle to the right of the photo and the 3rd pinnacle in the centre. In the above shot there is a little boy, aged 7, in the green top, who we chatted too and was walking the ridge with his dad - and they didn't seem to have too much difficulty!

On our rest point to the left of pinnacle 1, looking back along the ridge and where we had come from.

While the pinnacles again are not greatly difficult - you do need a head for heights!

Heading towards the 3rd and last pinnacle - it was quite easy to climb over this and is recommended as the most straightforward way to continue the walk.

The views are incredible from the pinnacles and by now you are really used to the exposure of height - and if you have got this far - nothing else will phase you!

Coming down from the last pinnacle. The most challenging parts of the walk are when coming down from the pinnacles as you have to go backwards. But if you go slow and make sure of your hands and feet its fine. 

The decent of the last pinnacle and looking once again to the next peak - Garned Ugain.

Snowdon has now disappeared from view in the mist and I wonder if we are going to be able to see off the summit

A pic of me on the last pinnacle - bit knackered - but chuffed with myself for tackling Grib Goch! 

A view down towards the Llanberis area & the lake of Llyn Peris.

A good view of Crib Goch and the ridge we have just walked. I guess it looks a bit daunting from this angle - and the other side of it is a more gentler slope.

Snowdon clears a little

Heading up to Garned Ugain - some more scrambling involved again - but fairly easy

Little bit of mist still over Snowdon...

A little bit of another ridge to Garned Ugain - but again fairly easy. By now we were loving the tops of ridges - but there is also a path to the right. 

We take the path to the right of this ridge

A picture a friend took of me - with the full ridge we have walked and Crib Goch in the background

Another look a Crib Goch - it does look more daunting from a distance and hard to imagine we have just walked over it without a care in the world ha

The still distant summit of Mont Snowdon emerges for a short time!

A view of Snowdon from Garned Ugain and a great place to soak in the views.

The views we got were superb - and maybe the views of the fella in the glider were even better! Would love to do this one day!

Looking down towards the Pyg Track & miners Track with Crib Goch to the left (we'll later come back down this way)

Snowdon to the top-right with Y Lliwed in the distance,

You can clearly see the Pyg track here

The summit of Garned Ugain to the left with Crib Goch to the right - and where we have just walked from!

An easier way to get to the top of Mount Snowdon - it's quite bizarre when you start to encounter more elderly people in their sunday best clothes after what we have been through t get here haha

As our path met up with the Pyg Track there were a lot more people about walking about - quite busy in fact as we are very nearly at the summit now.

The summit! Although I'm sure it was a little more challenging for us than those who came up on the train :-)

The cafe summit - not many Mountain tops have a cafe at the top - another great thing about this Mount Snowdon walk. It's a great place to rest, get some food and stock up on refreshments. A good job really as we had got through most of our water on this piping hot day.

A well earned bottle of chilled lager :)

After walking for around 4 hours in the middle of the heatwave to reach the summit of Snowdon - we decided the appeal of a swim in the tarn was better than to continue and do the classic Snowdon Horseshoe walk

Heading down the Pyg Track

Looking back up to Snowdon

A perfect way to round off a cracking walk! Normally a tarn is a bit too cold on a walk - but it was just perfect in 30c heat!

From here on in it was a nice leisurely stroll back to the car car park.

What a day's walking we've had

A mountain rescue helicopter going responding to a call from someone in need. A reminder that you've got to be careful on these sort of walks.

A last look up to Crib Goch

And a last look towards the summit of Mount Snowdon

After about 7 hours walking - with about 2hours of stopping I'm pretty much at the end of the walk here and just about spent up. Ready for a beer :-)

Well I hope that gives you a good idea of what to expect when walking to Mount Snowdon via Crib Goch. Having not been before I tried to do as much research as possible as to what to expect - and I figured that if the weather was dry and non-winter conditions - then everyone in our group would be able to tackle Crib Goch, and that was the case. If you have done a bit of walking before and have a reasonable level of fitness and head for heights - then I really recommend this route, and do think that it's easier than the impression pictures give. If you've got any questions or want to know anything else - feel free to comment on the blog and I'll try and help out. Thanks for reading!

Post by Stuart Hodgson 

'The Hiking Photographer'

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