The Pyg Track up Mount Snowdon

You start on the Pyg Track from the Pen-y-Pass car park. As you stand in the car park and face the mountain, the Pyg Track is the route on the right. (The one on the left is the Minor's path).

The Pen-y-pass car park gets full early. It's also quite expensive to park there. However, there's an alternate car park further down the road, which was £5 all day when we parked there (April 17). You will need to bring coins for the parking meter.

A bus runs from this alternate car park (£1 a child; £1.50 an adult). However, this only runs at certain times and only every hour. Alternatively, there are usually taxis available. It cost us £8 to get to Pen-y-pass, only a little more than the bus ticket for all of us, and we didn't have to hang around waiting.

We have walked the Pyg track a few times, and I prefer it to ascend over the Minor's track, as you get to take in some magnificent views as you climb. The Pyg Track is a steady climb all the way. The Miner's track is a more shallow gradient until the end, where you then have a brutal climb to the summit.

Be prepared for the mountain weather. Although this track is well marked, there are some areas that could be difficult to pick through when in a thick cloud, and very slippy when wet (and frozen).

There are many (read MANY) steps cut into the rock on this route. However, some of these steps are quite big. As you get higher up the mountain, the steps disappear, and you have to scramble over some boulders.

If the weather is good, this is a path that families take. You'll see many kids walking this route.

Take it steady, check the mountain forecast, and be prepared.

Our Review

On a glorious sunny day, we climbed up Mount Snowdon on the Pyg Track.

Prepared for the forecast of cold mountain weather in early April, we carried hats and coats up the mountain, only to leave them in our bags and even get sunburnt!

The views were stunning.

Note that parking can be an issue.