This guidebook describes 40 day walks exploring Snowdonia. It showcases some of the best mountain walks in the area, with routes up Snowdon and Tryfan alongside other classic peaks like Y Garn, Cadair Idris and the Glyders. Routes are graded easy to strenuous and include airy and pulse-quickening scrambles such as Crib Goch and Bristly Ridge as well as the Snowdon Horseshoe, the Nantlle Ridge and a 2-day traverse of all 15 of Snowdon's peaks over 3000ft.
Walks range in distance from 4 miles (6km) to 16 miles (26km). Clear route descriptions are accompanied by OS mapping, and for each walk there is key information about distance, grade, ascent, terrain, access and parking. With useful advice on where to stay and when to go, and an English-Welsh glossary, this book is an invaluable guide to discovering both the popular and less well-trodden corners of Snowdonia.
Snowdonia can justifiably lay claim to some of the finest mountain walking in Britain, from the bristling, jagged ridges of Snowdon to the huge grassy mounds of the Carneddau and the stone-girt fortresses of the Glyderau. These are big mountains with big personalities, with glowering crags and deep rocky cwms. Whether you are based in Bala, Beddgelert, Llanberis, Betws-y-Coed, Dolgellau or Capel Curig, you'll find walks in this guidebook to suit you.
CONTENTS
Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Geology
History
Wildlife
Getting there
Getting around
Where to stay
When to go
Equipment
Mountain rescue
Using this guide
Place names
The Carneddau
Walk 1 Tal y Fan
Walk 2 Aber Falls and the Northern Carneddau
Walk 3 Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe
Walk 4 The Southern Carneddau
Walk 5 Cwm Llafar Horseshoe
The Glyderau
Walk 6 Gallt yr Ogof and Y Foel Goch
Walk 7 Glyderau from Pen-y-Gwryd
Walk 8 Tryfan by the North Ridge and Heather Terrace
Walk 9 Tryfan Without Fears
Walk 10 Cwm Bochlwyd and Glyder Fach
Walk 11 Y Garn and the Devil’s Kitchen
Walk 12 Elidir Fawr and Y Garn
Betws-y-Coed
Walk 13 Llyn Crafnant and Llyn Geirionydd
Walk 14 Llyn y Parc and Conwy View
Snowdon
Walk 15 Moel Eilio Horseshoe
Walk 16 Snowdon Horseshoe
Walk 17 Snowdon via Miners’ Track and PyG Track
Walk 18 Lliwedd via Miners’ Track and Y Gribin
Walk 19 Snowdon via the Watkin and the Rhyd Dhu Paths
Walk 20 Yr Aran
Eifionedd
Walk 21 Cwm Pennant and the Moel Hebog Ridge
Walk 22 Mynydd Mawr
Walk 23 Nantlle Ridge
Siabod and the Moelwyns
Walk 24 Moel Siabod
Walk 25 Aberglaslyn Gorge and Llyn Dinas
Walk 26 Cnicht and Cwm Croesor
Walk 27 The Moelwyns
The Rhinogs
Walk 28 Rhinog Fawr by the Roman Steps
Walk 29 Rhinog Fach and Y Llethr
Dolgellau, Cadair Idris and the South
Walk 30 Precipice Walk, Dolgellau
Walk 31 Cadair Idris by the Pony Path
Walk 32 Cadair Idris from Minffordd
Walk 33 The Dolgoch Falls and Tarrenhendre
Bala
Walk 34 Rhobell Fawr
Walk 35 Cwm Cywarch Horseshoe and Aran Fawddwy
Walk 36 Traverse of the Aran Ridge
Walk 37 Arenig Fawr and Moel Llyfnant
Walk 38 Cadair Berwyn and Pistyll Rhaeadr
The Welsh 3000s
Day 1 Snowdon and the Glyderau
Day 2 Carneddau
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Welsh/English glossary
Appendix C Useful contacts
A superb pocket sized publication that is easily followed and will lead to many happy days in these magnificent mountains.
When this new publication from Cicerone Press arrived and I started reading it, it transported me back forty years to the mid 70s when I attended my Mountain Leadership Training and . Evaluation Courses at the Plas y Brenin Outdoor Centre near Capel Curig and also to Scout camps I had organised and led at Bala some forty eight miles further south. Many of the northern areas in the book - the Carneddau, the Glyderau, Snowdon and its satellites, the Eifioneed and the Moelwyns were visited during my Mountain Leadership Training Board weeks in 1975 as training exercises and during the assessment week the following year, whilst the Rhinogs was the area where I took part in the Karrimor Mountain Marathon in 1979. Walks around Bala were completed during the Scout camp there in 1978 with the 9th Airedale Scouts.
The book has been compiled by Terry Fletcher, best known as the former editor of Dalesman and Cumbria magazines, who has been walking and climbing in these parts of Wales for over 50 years. The book is divided into nine sections, with mostly four or five walks in each section (two smaller sections have two walks each whilst the Glyderau has seven walks) with the 40 walks ranging from three miles and 230 feet of climbing up to 12% miles with 3350 feet of climbing.and all distances and ascents in between.
The book concludes with a two day walk over the fifteen Welsh 3000s, covering 31 miles and 13,000 feet of climbing which Terry describes as "one of the most demanding challenges of British walking". Each walk has a detailed map of the route to be undertaken and an excellent route description. At the beginning of the book there are details of the geology, history, transport, accommodation, equipment, mountain rescue, use of the guide and place names, whilst at the end there are appendices of a route summary table, a Welsh/English glossary and a list of useful contacts. The 220 page book is also punctuated with 110 full colour photographs taken on the various routes.
For both newcomers to Welsh mountaineering and also seasoned veterans this is a superb pocket sized publication that is easily followed and will lead to many happy days in these magnificent mountains of Northern Wales.
John Burland
Terry Fletcher has produced a great, compact, little guide in his Mountain Walking in Snowdonia book. Jampacked with 38 routes from the A55 in the north down to Cader Idris in the south and Bala in the East it covers the full rage of the National Park. The guide also covers the famous Welsh 3000ers in my favourite way, over 2 days. It uses OS 1:50000 mapping and the routes are graded Easy, Moderate and Strenuous with any scrambles graded in the UK 1-3 system. So it’s very easy to understand.
The guides covers all the iconic routes the area including the brilliant Tryfan North Ridge and the Snowdon Horseshoe as well as some more out of the way days out in places like The Rhinogs which lie in the rain shadow and feel very remote. So there is something for everyone here, whether you are just starting out or a regular visitor looking for something you haven’t done before (there’s plenty in there).
The guide has a good introduction with all the logistics you need to enjoy your stay in the area, he also offers an insight into the flora, fauna, history and geology of the park. Each route has a detailed description with the distance and total ascent As well as a neat introduction, the route map and one or two photos so plenty of information to help you around the route. That’s not to say you don’t need to take a map and compass with you, no-one should venture out with adequate equipment and the skills to use them. The guide comes with a plastic cover to help protect it from the elements, you have been warned!
Mountain Walking in Snowdonia comes highly recommended and would be especially useful for someone just getting into mountain walking as the guide has a great progression of routes. There are definitely plenty of walks for me to do in places I’ve never been to and I’m sure there will be some for you too.
Dave Sarker, Climbing Gear Reviews
"A good, clear and well-written introduction to hill walking in Snowdonia, complete with the usual reliable OS mapping favoured by Cicerone."
Roly Smith, Outdoor Focus
