Hiking Yr Wyddfa (Miner’s Track) We awoke early and opened the Tentbox doors. Having arrived in the dead of night, we weren’t aware of what we had parked up in front of. Green rolling hills turned into snowcapped, rugged mountains in the backdrop. Dark clouds clung to the summits as the Snowdonia National Park ranges stood quiet and proud. Having had only a few hours sleep, our first stop was coffee before packing down getting ready for a day’s hike. Despite arriving early morning, the carpark at Pen y Pass was full. We drove to the bottom of Llanberis and began our ascent. The cold air brushed our rosy faces as we walked up the miner’s track.
There are multiple routes up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), in this blog post, I take you through walking the Miner’s track route. Whilst considered one of the easier paths up Snowdon, the Miner’s track should not be taken lightly- it is the highest mountain in Wales, after all.
Quick facts
Snowdon is 1065 meters high (3560ft) and is the highest mountain in the Snowdonia range, North Wales. The Snowdonia Mountain ranges were created hundreds of millions of years ago, originating under the seabed. The steep slopes and valleys you see today were formed in the last ice age, as a result of volcanoes and glacial movement carving the landscapes.
The name Snowdon came from the term “Snow Dun” which was Saxon and literally meant “Snow on hill”.
Hiking Route
The miner’s track is one of two paths that begin at Pen y pass, along with the Pyg track.
Whilst the trail is one of the most popular routes up Snowdon, it's not to be taken lightly- the zig zags towards the top can be treacherous, and (from first hand experience) a black spot in icy conditions.
The track starts in the car park at Pen y Pass, through the gates and onto a gravel trail which takes you all the way to Llyn Lydaw (if you're anything like me, this is a great snacking spot). From here, the path veers to the right and eventually begins to incline at a much steeper rate. As you climb the path takes you past a waterfall and eventually to the final lake, Glasyn (another great snacking spot). The path is less clear from here and requires slightly more caution as you begin a mild scramble up the rocks, using your hands and feet to climb. Whilst this does require slightly more care, this is still relatively easy and anyone with a decent fitness level can achieve this. As the path nears the tops, the mountain grows closer and the trail narrows. This is where you will need to take care if the weather is colder. Sheet ice makes the paths slippery and accidents can happen.
As you near the summit, the path joins the Llanberis path to the summit. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Lake District.
The end of the road was icy, thick with fog and wind picking up. I shook as we made our decent, breathing deeply as we carefully slid down the hard ice, placing weight on the few exposed rocks on the path. When we finally passed the snow point, the walk eased. Winding down the trail until the clouds parted and a pink glow crept through the clouds. Arriving back at the carpark wasn't quite the end for us, our tired legs took us down Llanberis back to our car. The cloak of darkness had coated the mountains.
Comments