If it's convenience, accessibility and value you're after, the mountains of north Wales push all the right buttons, writes JOHN G O'DWYER
WOULD YOU like to discover a land of mountains, stunning scenery and distinctive culture, where English is distinctly a secondary language? Yes – but can’t afford Slovakia or Slovenia just now. But what if you could depart early morning and conceivably be back in Ireland for a nightcap without the spend melting the plastic in your credit card? Certainly, if it’s convenience, accessibility and value you’re after, the mountains of north Wales push all the right buttons.
This is the landscape where climbing pioneer George Mallory honed the skills that in 1924 may have enabled him to conquer Everest. His remains were discovered in 1999, but nobody knows if he summited prior to his final fall. No such doubt exists about the successful 1953 Everest expedition under John Hunt. Its members also came to Snowdon to get fit, test equipment and build the necessary competence to reach the roof of the world.
Despite this gravitational attraction for household-name climbers, Snowdon surprisingly remains not only the highest UK mountain outside Scotland but also the easiest to ascend. In 1896, the Snowdon Mountain Railway, from Llanberis to the summit, was completed. Environmentalists would be quick to scupper such an endeavour if mooted today, but even the greenest of greens will be forced to accept that the facility is now hugely popular with tourists.
True hillwalkers will, of course, eschew such mechanical assistance and instead follow one of several excellent walking routes to the roof of Wales. The shortest of these being the well marked Pyg Track, which starts from the southwest corner of the Pen-y-Pass car park at a welcome altitude of 356m.
Initially, the track toils upwards to Bwlch y Moch where you admire the breathtaking Snowdon Mountain Horseshoe and part company with scramblers heading for Crib Goch, a famous knife-edge ridge which also leads ultimately to the summit. Now the slope eases for a while before dog-legging dramatically upwards again to join the railway for the final summit push.
Soon afterwards you will run out of mountain to climb and be rewarded with the mountain top Welsh folk refer to as Yr Wyddfa after about three hours of not overburdensome effort.
On a clear day there are sublime views to the Wicklow Mountains and the Lake District, but the serenity will also be hijacked by hoards of snap-happy, railway-borne tourists swarming around the new visitor centre like wasps at a jam fest. Titled Hafod Eryri, the visitor centre’s low-slung, elongated shape reminded me on a recent visit of nothing less than a dismasted Viking longship. Nevertheless, the building is a vast improvement on its predecessor – which was once memorably described by Prince Charles as a slum – and is as low profile as you can expect for a mountain top edifice. So on finger-numbing days it is now even easier to ignore the purists – who still wish fervently that Hafod Eryri would sail off to a less obtrusive anchorage – and nip inside for Britain’s highest cuppa.
Thus refreshed, it is now time to eschew the madding crowds and seek mountain solitude. From the summit, follow Snowdon’s southwest ridge until a finger stone indicates a diagonal, steep descent to Bwlch y Saethau. Once safely down, the terrain eases before you begin ascending the awesome-looking west flank of Lliwedd. In reality it’s quite an enjoyable scramble up the first peak, which offers a mercifully tourist-free summit and is a lovely viewing point to tarry awhile and let slow motion time drift idly over you.
Eventually continue by Lliwedd East Peak and Lliwedd Bach until the track descends sharply at a cairn. Here an initially knee-jarring descent leads to the Snowdon Miners’ Track at Llyn Llydaw, from where it’s an easy stroll back to Pen-y-Pass.
Snowdon, Wales
Getting thereStena Line (stenaline.ie) offers fast-ferry sailings from Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead and conventional ferry services from Dublin Port to Holyhead. Irish Ferries (irishferries.com) has similar services to Holyhead from Dublin port.
Where to stayPamper yourself at the Celtic Royal Hotel, (00-44-1286-674477, celtic-royal.co.uk) in historic Caernarfon, with its well-appointed leisure centre offering all you need after a strenuous day's outing. If you want to get right among the mountains, the "olde-worlde" Pen-y-Gwyrd Hotel (00-44-1286-870211, pyg.co.uk) is just the ticket. It was home to the 1953 Everest expedition and now doubles as a virtual museum of climbing history.
Starting pointBegin from Pen-y-Pass car park which lies atop the Llanberis Pass, about 5km southeast of Llanberis village on the A4086.
SuitabilityThe above walk requires good fitness and some scrambling ability but is relatively easy to navigate. Nevertheless, carry a map and compass and be particularly careful on the heavily eroded descent from Snowdon to Bwlch y Saethau.
TimeAllow a minimum of six hours to complete the route.
MapHarvey Superwalker map 1:25,000 – Snowdon and the Moelwynion.