The Snowdonia Way

Map key

Transport map

Overview map

Route summary table

Introduction

The Snowdonia Way

Landscape

Plants and wildlife

Geology

History

Understanding Welsh

When to go

Getting there

Accommodation

Planning your itinerary

Route difficulty

What to take

Maps and GPS

Safety

Using this guide

The Snowdonia Way

Stage 1 Machynlleth to Dolgellau

Stage 1A Machynlleth to Abergynolwyn (mountain route)

Stage 1B Abergynolwyn to Dolgellau (mountain route)

Stage 2 Dolgellau to Trawsfynydd

Stage 2A Dolgellau to Trawsfynydd (mountain route)

Stage 3 Trawsfynydd to Beddgelert

Stage 3A Trawsfynydd to Penrhyndeudraeth (mountain route)

Stage 3B Penrhyndeudraeth to Beddgelert (mountain route)

Stage 4 Beddgelert to Dolwyddelan

Stage 4A Beddgelert to Pen-y-Pass (mountain route)

Stage 4B Pen-y-Pass to Capel Curig (mountain route)

Stage 5 Dolwyddelan to Bethesda

Stage 5A Capel Curig to Bethesda (mountain route)

Stage 6 Bethesda to Conwy

Stage 6A Bethesda to Conwy (mountain route)

Appendix A Accommodation

Appendix B Facilities tables

Appendix C Useful contacts

Appendix D Further reading

The maps in this book are extracts from OS® 1:50,000 maps. Consider supplementing these with the 1:25,000 OS® maps, which have greater detail and, crucially, show boundaries such as walls and fences. The maps that cover the whole route are:

OS Explorer® OL23 Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid OS Explorer® OL18 Harlech, Porthmadog & Y Bala OS Explorer® OL17 Snowdon

For a wider perspective, the OS 1:50,000 maps that cover the route are:

OS Landranger® 135 Aberystwyth & Machynlleth OS Landranger® 124 Porthmadog & Dolgellau OS Landranger® 115 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa

Anyone walking any of the route stages described in this book should have a map and compass and know how to use them, or be with someone who can. A GPS is a useful addition to navigation, but should only come after map and compass proficiency. To this end the GPX files for the whole route are available as free downloads from www.cicerone.co.uk/856/GPX. They are useful for reassurance – especially over featureless terrain – but the whole route can be walked without ever needing a GPS.

Please take note that there are no waymarkers indicating the Snowdonia Way on the ground.

November 2019

Route updates included in 2020 reprint

October 2019

Route corrections and Updates

Crisp text, graphic images and a catalogue of facts

Contained within the tried, tested and popular framework of a Cicerone user guide comes Walking the Snowdonia Way, a captivating south-north route through the National Park from Machynlleth to Conway. The route is presented in two forms, a 94-mile low-level version (main) and a 122-mile high-level approach (mountain). The low level route includes the Ogwen Valley and takes in hillside paths, forested slopes and Roman roads. The mountain route intersects with the main route but also includes Snowdon, Cadair ldris, Cnicht and the Glyders, as well as some less well-known peaks.

The usual Cicerone formatting provides information, advice and sets the scene in leading up to the bulk of this publication, which is justifiably dedicated to the route description. Photographs are in abundance and provide constant, mouthwatering insights of the journey, while the strip maps amply support the text and make for a committed and reassuring literary guide, whether attempting the route in its entirety, over sections, or simply using the book to sample parts of the area.

There are six stages, some split into (a) and (b), each one opening up with all the essential, basic details, such as start, end, distance, ascent, terrain, availability of supplies and a brief outline of the route, before describing the walk. This route hardly requires it, as inspiration comes naturally, but the quality and brightness of the Cicerone publication only enhance a walk of this magnitude, backing up the basic concept with crisp text, graphic images and a catalogue of facts, while the classic size of the book, in Alfred Wainwright tradition, is compact, light and pocket size, but still able to open effectively when put in a map case.

Tim Glenn, Strider magazine

"An essential guide for anyone contemplating this north Wales challenge"

Trail magazine

With Cicerone you’re always guaranteed the kind of detailed walking guide that brings fresh life to a trail, and this new Snowdonia Way handbook is no exception. Following a spectacular route through the national park from Machynlleth to Conwy, the 176-page guide will appeal to all Eryri-lovers.

YHA Magazine

The descriptions and depictions by the author Alex Kendall are tantamount to experiencing the highs of hiking across the Welsh Wonders of Snowdonia. As you are guided through the eyes of expert mountaineers, the realistic perspective of what to expect with detailed trails means that a large part of the planning has been done for you. Now the time has come to embrace Snowdonia’s scenic sights.

B-C-Ing U Magazine

Inside Walking the Snowdonia Way you'll find all of the necessary information to get you prepared for the walk, while it also provides detail on the mountain route, a 122-mile walk that takes in the likes of Cadair Idris, Snowdon and The Glyders.

Adventure Travel Magazine