Boots alone will not get you to the top of Snowdon in winter conditions. That leaves three real options for a winter day:
- Learn the skills: take a two-day winter skills course.
- Go with a leader: ask for a Winter Mountain Leader.
- Stay low: walk a lower path or a low-level route, and let the Park’s report pick the day.
The Park’s Tuesday and Friday ground condition report is the first check, whichever you choose.
Your three options for a winter day
The Park says reaching the summit in winter conditions needs “specialised equipment such as crampons or ice axes”, and “knowing how to use them.”
Learn the skills
The national outdoor centre in Snowdonia, Plas y Brenin, runs a two-day Welsh Winter Skills course.
It covers crampon and ice axe technique, self-arrest, winter navigation and avalanche awareness. If there is no snow the course still runs, and equipment can be hired on site at no extra cost.
The British Mountaineering Council calls a winter skills course one of the best ways to get up to speed.
Go with a leader
If conditions are beyond your ability, Adventure Smart Wales advises a winter skills course or a guided walk.
For a guide, ask for a Winter Mountain Leader. Mountain Training says the qualification is for qualified Mountain Leaders who want to lead groups in winter conditions in the UK and Ireland.
Stay low
On the Llanberis Path, Adventure Smart Wales says the section above Clogwyn Station becomes banked out with snow and hard ice. It calls ice axes, crampons and the skills to use them absolutely essential there.
Without them, turn round at Clogwyn Station at the latest.
Parts of the final section of the Rhyd Ddu Path are narrow and rocky, with steep slopes below. The Park says only experienced walkers with specialised equipment should venture past those parts during icy or winter conditions.
Adventure Smart Wales says the upper parts of the Pyg Track and the Miners’ Track can hold compacted snow and ice.
That can happen when the rest of the mountain is clear, and it says slips and falls are very common there.
Check the report, then the forecast
The Ground Condition Reports go out every Tuesday and Friday on the Yr Wyddfa Live website.
They cover:
- Snow and ice levels
- Any snow flurries
- The condition of any ice underfoot
You can decide before you set off whether to go.
The Park’s winter reporting service has assessed the ground on Yr Wyddfa twice a week, from November until March.
The Park says the weather and ground conditions can be particularly treacherous in late autumn and winter. Read the report closest to the day you go.
Adventure Smart Wales says snow tends to lie on the summit for an average of 30 days a year.
A winter date alone does not say which kind of day you will get.
The best time to climb Snowdon sets out the seasons.
Next comes the Met Office mountain forecast, which the guide to reading Snowdonia’s mountain weather explains.
The Met Office defines the freezing level as the height above which snow is expected to settle or the ground is expected to be frozen.
The summit is 1,085 metres. A freezing level below that means snow or frozen ground is expected at the top, even if the valley is only wet.
The Met Office issues the forecast before 6pm and updates it before 6am, so read the morning update before you leave.
What snow and ice do underfoot
The Park says snow can cover much of the summit during the winter, and that as the snow gets compacted, it becomes extremely slippery.
For the summit paths, the Park names crampons and ice axes.
Microspikes are not crampons, and what they are for is covered separately.
Plan the day back from sunset
Winter gives you fewer daylight hours than summer to fit a walk in.
The Park puts the six routes up Snowdon at 4 to 7 hours round trip, depending on fitness, experience and weather conditions.
Work out how long the walk takes, and when you need to leave, and plan backwards from sunset rather than from a hopeful start time.
Winter kit beyond the usual list
The British Mountaineering Council calls ice axe and crampons the key winter items, typically needed on steep ground when the snow has frozen hard.
A good waterproof jacket and trousers are the main essentials, the BMC says. The accessories that make the difference in winter are:
- Gaiters
- Gloves, with a spare pair or mitts
- A hat
- A headtorch
- An emergency shelter such as a bivi or bothy bag
- A flask of hot drink
The Park’s basics for any walk are a map and compass, thermal layers, waterproof layers and suitable hiking boots.
It also lists a fully charged phone, a first aid kit, and food and drink. It adds a torch and whistle, in case you get caught on a summit after dark.
The guide to what to pack for a day in Snowdonia covers the basics item by item.
Before you set off
The Park says to tell someone about your plans before you set out.
Give them your route and when you expect to be back.
The Park says not to be over-reliant on forecasts, because the weather can change without warning. It says to be prepared to alter your plans or turn back if conditions deteriorate.
Inland, call 999 and ask for police and the mountain rescue team.
It helps to know what goes wrong here, and how mountain rescue works before you need it.
Low-level walks for days the summit is out
The Park lists five accessible winter walks that are “easy to get around without having to climb a mountain.”
They suit anyone looking for “a nice gentle walk without any hills.”
- Bala Town River and Lake Path: begins at the shores of Llyn Tegid, follows the Dyfrdwy riverbanks, and threads through the streets of Y Bala.
- Foel Ispri Path: a short, accessible path above Pen-y-bryn near Dolgellau that the Park says has the best view of the Mawddach estuary in the National Park.
- Mawddach Trail: a nine-mile trail between Dolgellau and Barmouth, which the Park calls one of its most flexible and accessible.
- Dôl Idris Path: an accessible route on the foothills of Cadair Idris, suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- Lôn Gwyrfai: a 4½-mile multi-use path between Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert, with wide surfaces suitable for some powered tramper type vehicles.
The Park warns that woodland paths can often become slippery, so wear sturdy walking shoes with good grip.
For more like these, gentler walks away from the summit covers six more.
We compile and explain public route and safety information. We guide nobody and sell nothing on the hill.
Sources: Eryri National Park Authority, Climbing Yr Wyddfa; Eryri National Park Authority, Yr Wyddfa ground condition reports; Eryri National Park Authority, Winter ground condition reporting service; Eryri National Park Authority, Safety advice; Eryri National Park Authority, Rhyd Ddu Path; Eryri National Park Authority, Accessible winter walks; British Mountaineering Council, Hill walking in winter; Adventure Smart Wales, Adventure Smart Wales; Met Office, Mountain forecast guide; OS Maps, Snowdonia National Park; Plas y Brenin, Welsh Winter Skills; Mountain Training, Winter Mountain Leader.
