Climbing Snowdon: The Pyg & Miners Route
Around 8 miles round trip combining both tracks, allow 5 to 7 hours including a stop at the summit. This is a sensible route to tackle in most weather conditions, since neither track involves serious exposure or technical scrambling beyond one short section. That said, this is Wales, and the weather can turn fast even when it looks fine at the car park. Bring a proper raincoat regardless of the forecast, water, sunscreen for when it does clear up, snacks for the summit, and proper hiking footwear with decent grip.
If you’re climbing Snowdon and you want a proper sense of achievement without going overboard on difficulty, this is the combination I’d recommend: up the Pyg Track, down the Miners Track. Two different paths for the price of one hike, which means you get fresh scenery the whole way round rather than retracing your steps and watching everyone else climb up at you on the way down.
Getting There and Where to Park
This is the part that catches people out more than the actual walk does.
The main car park is at Pen-y-Pass, right at the start of both tracks. It’s small, only around 70 spaces, and it’s the most expensive parking in the whole national park. You now have to book it in advance through JustPark, and you’ll want to do this well ahead of a summer weekend since slots disappear fast. Pricing runs from around £18 for up to eight hours, £25 for eight to twelve hours, and £40 if you’re up there longer than that.
If that sounds like too much hassle or money, there are better options.
Park further away and bus in. Park at Nant Peris, just down the Llanberis Pass, where there’s a proper Park & Ride. What you’ll want to type into Google Maps is Maes Parcio Car Park, it took me far too long to figure this out. It costs £5 for the day and you pay by cash or contactless. From there, hop on the Snowdon Sherpa bus straight up to Pen-y-Pass. A single costs £2 for an adult, £3 return, or get the hop-on hop-off day ticket for £5 if you think you’ll be using it more than once. Check the timetable before you go since services run less frequently outside peak season, and early morning starts in particular might not be covered.
Bus from your accommodation. Check the bus routes for the Sherpa bus. You might be surprised to find that the bus passes right along your front door or there’s a bus stop not too far out. This saves you the faff of trying to find a car park and paying.
Find a layby and walk in. There’s a layby on the A498, just up from the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, where parking is free and there’s a permissive footpath that takes you up to Pen-y-Pass. It’s a genuinely nice scenic warm-up, around 20 minutes on foot before you’ve even started the official route, and it sets the mood nicely rather than feeling like a chore. There are toilets at Pen-y-Pass itself once you arrive.
Starting on the Pyg Track
The Pyg Track starts from the corner of the Pen-y-Pass car park, clearly signposted. It’s well paved, with a steady run of steps as you climb beneath the cliffs of Crib Goch.
As you approach the lake, Llyn Llydaw, the path splits. If you’re heading up Crib Goch instead, this is where it forks off to the right. Otherwise, stay on the main wide path and continue towards the lake. You’ll get a great view down to the Miners Track running along the causeway below, the path you’ll be coming back on later.
Past the lake, the path climbs again, this time up a noticeable staircase section as it works its way towards the upper part of the mountain. This stretch takes around 2.5 to 3 hours from the car park, covering roughly 3.5 miles one way, and it’s the part where you really feel the elevation building. The summit comes into view properly for the first time partway along this section, which is a good morale boost when your legs are starting to complain.
The Crowds at the Top
Follow everyone else towards the trig point and you’ll find exactly what you’d expect on Britain’s most climbed mountain: a queue. In proper British fashion, everyone lines up at the highest point purely to get their photo taken next to the summit sign, because apparently it doesn’t count otherwise. I found this hilariously amusing watching other foreign hikers’ reactions, queuing for the better part of an hour for a photo that, frankly, isn’t even that scenic, just a stone marker with your back to whatever view happens to be behind you. My take: skip line, take a photo with the beautiful view in the background and call it a day.
There are plenty of people sitting around at the top regardless, picnicking, recovering, taking in the views once they’re done with the photo queue. There’s also a train stop right at the summit, and watching the Snowdon Mountain Railway pull in after climbing all that way on foot yourself is a genuinely funny moment. There’s a cafe up there too, open in season, which is a perfectly good spot for a tea and something to eat before heading back down.
Heading Down the Miners Track
Rather than retracing your steps on the Pyg Track, head down the Miners Track for a proper change of scenery. From the summit, follow the path back towards Bwlch Glas, then take the turn down towards the steeper section that drops you back to the Intersection, where the Miners Track splits off from the Pyg Track.
This descent starts off rugged and a bit scrambly, requiring hands in a couple of places as you work your way down towards Glaslyn. After that, the path levels out properly and you get a long, easy stretch past Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw, crossing the old stone causeway, with the old Britannia copper mine workings visible along the way. The last stretch back to the car park is flat and easy, a welcome change after everything your legs have just done.
Back at Pen-y-Pass car park you’ll also find the YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass right across the road. The food there isn’t anything to write home about, but they do serve drinks, and there’s something properly satisfying about getting a pint in your hand within minutes of finishing the walk.
The Bottom Line
This is the route I’d recommend to most people doing Snowdon for the first time. The Pyg Track gives you the views and the climb, the Miners Track gives you variety and a more scenic and easier finish around the lakes, and doing both means you see considerably more of the mountain than if you just went up and down the same path. Sort your parking out properly before you go, that’s the part most likely to ruin your day, and the rest takes care of itself.
Verdict: RATED
Two different tracks, proper views, and a busy but genuinely satisfying summit. Just book your parking in advance or you’ll be doing this entirely by accident from somewhere miles away.