Walking & hill-walking in Eryri
Know the mountain before you go.
Honest route guides, kit advice, and mountain-weather sense for walking in Snowdonia. From your first climb of Snowdon to the quieter hills.
- 30 route, kit and safety guides
- 7 summits with a guide of their own
- 6 paths up Yr Wyddfa compared
The hills, to scale
Pick a summit
Every mountain with a guide on this site, drawn at its real height. Point at one, or tap it on a phone, to see what the day asks of you.
- Yr Wyddfa 1,085 m
- Glyder Fawr 1,001 m
- Crib Goch 923 m
- Tryfan 918 m
- Cadair Idris 893 m
- Moel Siabod 872 m
- Cnicht 689 m
Climbing Cadair Idris: Pony Path or Minffordd Path?
Cadair Idris is Snowdonia’s other big mountain day, quieter than Snowdon and just as serious. This guide compares the two main routes, the Minffordd Path and the Pony Path from Tŷ Nant, using the National Park’s own figures for distance, ascent and time. Both are graded Hard, so the choice is about which kind of hard walking suits you.
Read the guideCnicht: Is the Welsh Matterhorn Really an Easy Mountain?
From the coast road Cnicht is a pyramid. From the top it is the end of a long ridge. What the Croesor route actually asks of you, where the two short scrambles are, and why the hard navigation comes after the summit.
Read the guideMoel Siabod, the Mountain Where You Pick Your Own Difficulty
Ordnance Survey publishes three route guides to Moel Siabod and grades the same mountain Hard on one and Medium on the others. The reason is the Daear Ddu ridge, where the line you take is your own choice.
Read the guideCrib Goch: How Hard Is It Really?
Crib Goch is the ridge some walkers reach by accident from the Pyg Track, and the Eryri National Park Authority calls it extremely dangerous. This article explains what the ridge actually demands, what experienced mountain walker means in practice, and who should choose a different route instead.
Read the guideWhich Path Up Snowdon Is Right for You?
Six walking routes lead to the summit of Snowdon, and the one you choose matters more than how fit you are. A plain guide to the paths, who each one suits, and how to start your day right.
Read the guideCan You Walk Up Glyder Fawr, or Is It a Scramble?
The path past the Devil’s Kitchen is the walkers’ way onto the Glyderau, and the two guides that describe it use two different words for the same climb. What the ground is actually like, and where the day stops being a walk.
Read the guideTryfan, the mountain you cannot walk up
Tryfan has no walking route to its summit. Every line up needs your hands. An honest look at the North Ridge, what a Grade 1 scramble really asks, and when to turn back.
Read the guideStart here
What kind of day are you planning?
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Hiking Which Path Up Snowdon Is Right for You? Six walking routes lead to the summit of Snowdon, and the one you choose matters more than how fit you are. A plain guide to the paths, who each one suits, and how to start your day right. June 21, 2026 -
Hiking How Long Does It Take to Climb Snowdon? The Eryri National Park Authority gives six hours for five of Snowdon’s six paths, and seven for the Llanberis Path. The number that decides your day is not the walking time on the route page. It is what time you have to leave the car park. August 3, 2026 -
Hiking Walking Boots or Trainers for Snowdon? Every Snowdon path is graded Hard or Strenuous. The National Park says full hill walking gear is essential. Here is what to put on your feet, and when trainers are still an honest answer. August 28, 2026
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Hiking Climbing Snowdon with Kids: Which Route, How Long It Takes, and When to Turn Back Honest, path by path guidance on climbing Snowdon with children. Which route suits families, realistic timings with kids in the group, and why turning back partway is often the best outcome of the day. July 30, 2026 -
Walking Beginner-Friendly Walks in Snowdonia (Beyond Snowdon) Snowdonia has far more to offer than Snowdon itself. Here are five genuinely accessible walks with real character for visitors who want scenery, fresh air, and a manageable day. June 21, 2026 -
Hiking Can You Walk Up Snowdon and Get the Train Down? The Snowdon Mountain Railway does not sell a seat you can book for the way down. What it does sell, why the walk-up return is refused, and how to plan a descent you can rely on. September 15, 2026
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Hiking Tryfan, the mountain you cannot walk up Tryfan has no walking route to its summit. Every line up needs your hands. An honest look at the North Ridge, what a Grade 1 scramble really asks, and when to turn back. September 9, 2026 -
Hiking Crib Goch: How Hard Is It Really? Crib Goch is the ridge some walkers reach by accident from the Pyg Track, and the Eryri National Park Authority calls it extremely dangerous. This article explains what the ridge actually demands, what experienced mountain walker means in practice, and who should choose a different route instead. August 28, 2026 -
Hiking Can You Walk Up Glyder Fawr, or Is It a Scramble? The path past the Devil’s Kitchen is the walkers’ way onto the Glyderau, and the two guides that describe it use two different words for the same climb. What the ground is actually like, and where the day stops being a walk. September 17, 2026
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Hiking Cnicht: Is the Welsh Matterhorn Really an Easy Mountain? From the coast road Cnicht is a pyramid. From the top it is the end of a long ridge. What the Croesor route actually asks of you, where the two short scrambles are, and why the hard navigation comes after the summit. September 17, 2026 -
Hiking Moel Siabod, the Mountain Where You Pick Your Own Difficulty Ordnance Survey publishes three route guides to Moel Siabod and grades the same mountain Hard on one and Medium on the others. The reason is the Daear Ddu ridge, where the line you take is your own choice. September 15, 2026 -
Hiking Climbing Cadair Idris: Pony Path or Minffordd Path? Cadair Idris is Snowdonia’s other big mountain day, quieter than Snowdon and just as serious. This guide compares the two main routes, the Minffordd Path and the Pony Path from Tŷ Nant, using the National Park’s own figures for distance, ascent and time. Both are graded Hard, so the choice is about which kind of hard walking suits you. August 28, 2026
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Hiking How to Read Snowdonia’s Mountain Weather Before You Go The valley forecast and the summit forecast are not the same thing. Here is how to check the right one, understand what it means, and decide whether the hill is in good enough condition to go. June 21, 2026 -
Hiking Why Walkers Need Rescuing in Snowdonia (and How Not to Be One) The volunteer mountain rescue teams here are among the busiest in Britain, and most of what they are called to is avoidable. Here is what actually goes wrong on the hill, and the simple things that keep you off the call-out list. June 21, 2026 -
Hiking Walking Snowdon in Winter: What Actually Changes In summer the six paths up Snowdon are walks. In winter the National Park says plainly that reaching the top needs crampons, an ice axe, and knowing how to use them. Here is what actually changes, how to tell which state the mountain is in, and where a genuinely good winter day still is. August 3, 2026
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Hiking What to Pack for a Day Walking in Snowdonia You do not need a fortune in gear for a day in the Welsh hills, but a few things genuinely matter when the weather turns. A no-upsell packing guide for Snowdonia. June 21, 2026 -
Hiking Waterproof Jackets for Snowdonia and What Actually Keeps You Dry Three waterproof jackets compared on the figures their makers publish. What each rating means on a Welsh mountain, and how to tell whether the jacket you own is finished or just needs reproofing. September 9, 2026 -
Hiking Walking Poles for Snowdonia: The Pair That Helps Most on the Way Down Three pairs of walking poles compared on the locks, lengths and weights their makers publish. Why the makers do not weigh them on the same basis, and what that means when you are reading the numbers. September 14, 2026
Choose your day on the hill
The big one Climbing Snowdon Six paths lead to the summit, and the one you choose matters more than how fit you are. Compare them all and pick the right route for your group. Hill Walking Routes, kit & safety Preparation, the mountain forecast, and what to carry for a proper day in the hills. Walking Gentler days out Beginner-friendly walks and easing back into it, away from the summit crowds. New from the hills
All route guides →-
Hiking What Are the Welsh 3000s, and Could You Walk Them? Every Welsh summit over 3,000 feet, in one day on foot: about 24 miles and 3,100 metres of climbing. Which peaks count, who sets the rules, and the three places where attempts usually go wrong. September 25, 2026 -
Hiking Can You Wild Camp in Snowdonia? Only with the landowner’s permission, and never in a car park or on a verge. What the National Park and the access law actually say, why Scotland is different, and where to sleep instead. September 25, 2026 -
Hiking Best Walking Gaiters for Snowdonia Hill Paths Five pairs of walking gaiters for Eryri, split by the kind of day they suit. What each maker publishes, what almost none of them publishes, and why the under-boot strap decides more than the fabric does. September 18, 2026
“The mountains don't care how fit you are, only how prepared. Come ready, and Snowdonia will give you a day worth remembering.”