This is the Yr Aran plus Snowdon page.
2,451ft. (747mtrs.)(map ref. 605515) and 3,560ft. (1085mtrs.)(map ref. 610544) resp.
Maps used
The maps I used are the OS. Landranger sheet 115, and OS. Outdoor Leisure sheet 17.
Other publications
Family Walks from Beddgelert by Gwynedd Crafts Gift shop, Beddgelert.
The Ascent of Snowdon by E. G. Rowland.
North Wales, Red Guide, a Ward Lock publication.
Snowdonia: Forest Park guide by H. M. Stationary Office.
The photograhs. (All © Michael Badger)
All photographs taken by myself (except no. 5 taken by Roger) using a Konica Z-UP 110 35mm. compact and Fuji Superia Reala 100ASA film, sometimes with a pocket tripod (Jessops UKP3.99), most times without.
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Picture 1
Our walk up Snowdon covered the first part of the Watkin Path and the last part of the Rhydd-Ddu Path. We started from the car park at Pont Bethania in Nantgwynant and started up the Watkin Path. Passing through the Afon Cwm Llan valley we saw these waterfalls by the path, then round the next bend we left the path proper and turned left up an old incline.
Picture 2
The old incline took us up to the South Snowdon Slate Works tramway, seen in this picture with Snowdon in the background, and it was here that we could have carried on straight up south-west alongside the stream (as per a recent magazine article), but instead we followed the tramway north-west for 200-300 yds., then turned left up the public Right-of-Way to Bwlch Cwm Llan.
Picture 3
At Bwlch Cwm Llan we turned left and followed the wall and stile up to the summit of Yr Aran (2,451ft.), and this picture shows us on the summit with the ridge we are to follow up the left hand side of the picture to the peak of Snowdon, seen in the background.
Picture 4
So it's back down the way we came up as far as Bwlch Cwm Llan, then straight over the Right-of-Way and start up the ridge, seen here closer- up. Now it's over 1 1/4 rough, steep, uphill miles to go, with no let up until we reach the cafe near the top, where they serve cold draught Guinness.
Picture 5
This is me at the summit of Snowdon (3,560 ft.) after visiting the cafe for my well earned Guinness. On this walk we climbed a total of 4,161 ft. above our starting piont, including the climb to Yr Aran on the way up. So far that's four peaks in three days I climbed since coming to Snowdonia; not bad when all I'd climbed before is the dunes on the beach, and that 40 years ago!
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This is looking back towards the summit, Snowdon Mountain Railway station and cafe, from the Llanberis Path. Notice the railway on the right, which is the only rack railway in Great Britain, curving down straight after leaving the station. This railway has an average gradient of 1:7.8 and was opened in 1896. Notice the well made surface of the path.
Next we turned right off the Llanberis Path on to the P.Y.G. (Pen-y-Gwryd) Track and after a few yards we had to stop to watch a pair of Welsh Mountain goats on a far rock face, as Roger is doing here. Lakes Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw can be seen way below. Now it's on with the climb down, we kept left at the junction with the Miner's Track.
Here we see some of the rocks that coverd a lot of the P.Y.G. Track, yet in other places it was the same as the section of Llanberis Path that we saw in picture 6, but at least it was dropping all the time, taking us down the 2,391 ft. to Pen-y-Pass (1,169 ft. above sea level) where we were to catch our lift home.
Pen-y-Pass at last, what a welcome sight. I chose it as our finish as it is so high above sea level; I couldn't see much point in going down any further, when the whole idea to go up the mountains in the first place is to go up, not down. Well, that's THE END. I hope you've enjoyed our little jaunt around the mountains, and if you have any questions as to the route, or even what boots I wore, then ask.
