Snowden Mountain climb and stay

[MaryKateT]

I really want to walk up Mount Snowdon this summer. Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay nearby and advise on how easy this would be / where to start / what to bring etc?
For a beginner…! 🙈

There a wonderful family friendly hostel called base camp nearby, they also arrange guided hikes. We did this in July 2022 and absolutely loved it. Two brothers run the place and originate from Kent, bought the place in lockdown and quietly worked hard to renovate it and build a business.

A group of us did it a couple of years ago. The initial walk is extremely steep probably the worst part. We did the main path lamberis. I would say I'm fairly fit so I didn't find it too bad. However do not be fooled we had to walk one of our party off the mountain as she hadn't prepared and it was rough. You do obviously have the option of taking the train too should you struggle. In hindsight we should have insisted she did. The last part is tricky too. The weather also got quite rough on the last section. You need layers, good shoes that you have broken in. Snacks, I take boiled eggs, chicken breast, jelly babies, bananas. Water. You need full waterproofs as the weather can just turn. Ruck sack. I took foil blankets. People underestimate these walks as so many people do them and 99% of the time it's fine however things can turn pretty quickly. Just look for accomodation in lamberis we did an air BnB. I enjoyed it and would do it again. Also be prepared to wild wee!

Thanks so much!

If you intend to go to the top and down again without using the railway at all you need to start out really early, especially as inexperienced at it. Otherwise please be prepared to decide to turn back before you get to the top. Be prepared for that anyway. It's not a walk in the park! Chances are you'll be fine but it's not wise to push on to the end if it's getting late in the day on the grounds that getting down again is easier and quicker. I think that assumption causes a lot of people to end up either stuck or exhausted and still descending in the dark!
Enjoy!

Remember its a mountain and the weather can change very quickly, take waterproofs, food and drink fully charged mobile etc, I may sound over dramatic but our son had done it many times and seen people being rescued early every time.

We stayed in Beddgelert at a hotel called The Royal Goat , and went up ( and down ) The Rangers route , which is one of the quieter routes , quite challenging ( we’re in our 60s ) but we managed with a few stops to eat jelly babies and look at the view

We did it with the kids in Feb. There’s several routes up. We did Miners but only because husband and oldest child did Llanberis a few years back. Take lots snacks and drinks (lots and lots of drinks), plenty of layers, and invest in good socks and boots! Another tip (which I was only told about after) is to take a spare pair of socks. Apparently changing your socks half way through really helps with sore feet. I’m not massively fit and I managed it but I did have sore legs the day after so definitely plan in a day to recover. We stayed for a few days afterwards to explore the area as it is really pretty. Start early and pace yourself.

We did it with the kids in Feb. There’s several routes up. We did Miners but only because husband and oldest child did Llanberis a few years back. Take lots snacks and drinks (lots and lots of drinks), plenty of layers, and invest in good socks and boots! Another tip (which I was only told about after) is to take a spare pair of socks. Apparently changing your socks half way through really helps with sore feet. I’m not massively fit and I managed it but I did have sore legs the day after so definitely plan in a day to recover. We stayed for a few days afterwards to explore the area as it is really pretty. Start early and pace yourself.

It's a great walk! We did it when DS was 7 no problem, but he was used to walking. We camped at the site near the YHA hostel just outside Llanberis. You can start the walk straight from there so it was absolutely ideal. Wear hiking shoes is my tip, you won't need a change of socks then because you won't be wearing boots that are almost guaranteed to rub you!

The longest but easiest technically takes approximately 8 hours including stopping for lunch at the top (there’s a cafe and toilets) start at Llanberis. My then 9 year old did the walk just fine despite horizontal rainthough she has decent boots,jacket and trousers plus crucially was used to being dragged around Derbyshire. There’s shorter paths but I haven’t personally walked them

https://eryri.gov.wales/

this is worth a look

Whatever route you take start really early.

The best one I've done we left the accommodation in the dark and got to the top at dawn.

You don't have to do the same but the later you start the bigger the queue will be at the top for the trig point photo.

It's mega busy this time of year. To be honest I would pick a different mountain. There will be crowds of people along the route, at the top you won't have any nice views to yourself.

Eryri is beautiful and diverse, no need to go to the same place that everyone else does.

Thanks all.
I did the walk as a child so would really like to go back again with my own teens.
Great advice and ideas - much appreciated. ☺️

We stayed in Llanberis. If you're going to stay longer it's a great base for other activities. The foot of Snowdon is in Llanberis which is tiny, so it's very convenient. If we go again we will do another track but would probably still stay in Llanberis and travel.

I doubt you can rely on ‘the option of the train’ unless you’ve booked it.

but the main path is a long walk up a steep path not a ‘climb’. If you don’t do any hill walking it’s probably a good idea to try to do some beforehand - tight calves/achilles tendons can be a pain IME.

It's a great hill for a first timer. Lots of others around, straightforward navigation (follow the huge path!) and not that challenging as hills go.
Enjoy.