An Irish visitors guide to Snowdonia
Balmy tropical breezes, clear blue skies for days, sun kissed beaches, endless amounts of SPF and the tan to go with it… Yes you're right, these are dreamy holiday wishes you won't find regularly in North Wales. But, what the hills of Snowdonia do have to offer make up for it in many ways. This majestic mountain range is the crown jewel of Wales. The immense and dramatic landscape surrounding Snowdon is filled with beautiful lush valleys, tranquil lakes, stunning mountain ridges, jagged peaks, craggy passes and mountains rich in flora and fauna. It could keep any type of mountain dweller occupied for a lifetime.
Balmy tropical breezes at Castel Helen, Angelsey. Colin on the top pitch of Pel VC 4c.
On a clear, crisp day from the Wicklow Hills, us Irish occasionally get a glance across the Irish sea to Snowdonia. From Djouce to Snowdon, it is 145km summit to summit. From Wicklow, our Welsh neighbors are closer than Carrauntoohil, Galtymore, Connemara, and the hills of Donegal. The majority of the travel over to Wales can be done kicking your feet up as you sail across the sea to Holyhead. So before we pack our rucsac, tighten our laces and set sail, let's have a brief look at where we can get our boots muddy, immerse in natural beauty, and find a decent cup of tea afterwards in North Wales.
Hiking
Wales’ highest mountain, Snowdon 1085m, is accompanied by 14 other peaks over 3000ft, and an abundance of smaller hills in the surrounding mountain ranges that sweeps around the country's highest point. Outside of the Snowdon Massif, you have the surrounding mountain ranges of the Carneddau, Glyderau, Rhinoggs, the Moelwyns and the mountains around Cadair Idris. Each range has its own beautiful walks and trails to choose from, and the views are spectacular to say the least. With several routes up Snowdon, you can choose your route from a number of trails on and off the beaten track. For seekers of solitude and remote settings, there are an abundance of lesser traveled routes neighboring snowdon where you can immerse yourself in the beauty each and every one of these hills have to offer.
Hiking in Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia
Carnedd Llywelyn (1064m) is an excellent day's outing with spectacular views over to Snowdon, as is Moel Hebog (783m), just south of Snowdon overlooking the picturesque Welsh village of Beddgelert, where you’ll find a lovely spot for a brew and handmade ice cream afterwards. There are so many walks to choose from it's impossible to say which is best, but one of my favorites is hiking up Glyder Fach (994m) for sunset. Every route up to this summit is dramatic to say the least, and will take you on an enchanting journey through incredible terrain. You can hike, scramble, or multi-pitch your way to the summit, and the ancient rock features of Castell y Gwynt torr on the top are extremely unique and well worth the climb to see. But what makes this hike special at sunset, is the sun setting across the Irish sea to the west, where you can see the silhouette of the Wicklow Hills with the setting sun behind them painting the sky with a magnificent display of oranges, reds and pinks.
Scrambling
Scrambling up Idwal Slab, Ogwen Valley
How good is the scrambling in North Wales? The question should rather be HOW is scrambling this good in North Wales!
Snowdonia has a tremendous amount of high quality scrambling, which is no surprise given the quality and variety of rock in the area. This, accompanied with steep, angular, iconic looking mountains and striking ridges, gives you top quality scrambling and a great day out. You only have to flick through Garry Smith's ‘North Wales scrambles’ guide to get an insight into the quality of routes to choose from. A must do scramble that definitely deserves a mention has to be the Snowdon Horseshoe, which includes the incredible Crib Goch ridge and numerous summits including Snowdon (1085m), and Y Lliwedd (898m). This is a long day out but the reward is high. With 360 views of the entire Snowdon Massif, and knife edge ridges between peaks it’s enough to keep you on your toes throughout. A sheep in a wolf's clothing, keep your wits about you and take care on this dramatic journey. This grade one scramble oozes atmosphere and exposure, and should be on everyone's Welsh bucket list.
Similar scrambles of this quality and grade are Bristly Ridge up Glyder Fach, and the NE Ridge of Tryfan. Both are very aesthetic and inspiring looking ridges and are just an awesome day out. If you're looking for something more technical, the east face of Tryfan offers a wide range of adventurous scrambles up to Grade 3, which some will most definitely require being roped up and the gear to go with it. Idwal slabs offer a number of scrambles too, which can be linked up with ridges like Cneifion Arete and a route on Glyder Fach main face to create an adventurous day out. The scrambling in North Wales is in parallel with venues further afield like in the Alps, and offers fantastic terrain for those preparing for a mountaineering trip to the bigger mountains. Whether I’m running bespoke scrambling experiences or mountaineering workshops here in Snowdonia, the mountains provide endless quality days out regardless of the weather, and always leaves everyone buzzing and hungry for more!
The Cannon stone on the North Ridge of Tryfan. A classic grade 1 scramble in North Wales.
Rock Climbing
Climbing in North Wales needs no introduction. It's famous throughout the world for climbing and justifiably so. Home to the first recorded climb in Britain (1798), it's steeped in climbing history, and you only have to throw your holey hat to be within a short distance of a classic trad route or quality boulder problem that's been put up by some local legend over the years. Climbers have been pushing the standard of climbing here for decades, with some of the hardest grades in the world having their first ascent here over the years, including the world's first E9 by Johnny Dawes: Indian Face on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, and the UK’s first 8a Statement of youth and 8c Liquid Amber, both first ascents of Ben Moon (1984 & 1990). No where else in the UK or Ireland have you such vast quality and quantity of climbing. From trad, sport, multi-pitch, bouldering, and sea cliff climbing, there are several lifetimes of climbing here and climbs of every grade for all types of climber to go nuts at.
JJ on the Wild Rover E15b at Rhoscolyn, Anglesey
Llanberis pass is in the heart of snowdonia, with imposing historical crags such as Dinas Cromlech where legendary lines such as Flying Buttress VD, Cenotaph Corner E1 5c, and Left Wall E2 5c should be on everyone's hit list. A short drive up the pass you’re into the Ogwen Valley, where there are both single and multi-pitch routes to venture onto. With endless amounts of quality climbs, climbers can sink their teeth into a variety of rock types and crags in this beautiful valley. Crags such as the east face of Tryfan offer excellent adventurous multi-pitch routes VD - VS, and you top out on one of the most spectacular peaks in the Valley. Idwal Slabs in the Ogwen valley offers fantastic multi-pitch routes with only a short 20 min walk in, and can be linked up with scrambling routes to make a great day out.
Tremadog is a great roadside venue which is quick drying, offers top quality multi-pitch routes, and grades for every one including those looking to make their first outdoor lead, to those wanting to have a bash at something harder.
The Slate quarries of Llanberis offer gnarly slab and face climbing, on rock you’ll find nowhere else in the world. You’ll certainly blow away the cobwebs here with the bold style of climbing the slate naturally inherits. You can shake off the wobbles from a day's climbing with a pint cup of tea at Pete's Eats Cafe in the village, the go-to place for a climber brew and a greasy monster omelet. Gogarth, 5 mins from Holyhead ferry terminal offers some of the most famous sea cliff routes in trad climbing, with adventurous routes of all grades above the Irish Sea. Its little sister, Holyhead Mountain is a great single pitch venue for learning to climb, or just a pleasant day out on single pitch terrain with a good spread of grades. Rhoscolyn, 20 mins from Holyhead is a sea cliff climbing gem, and much quieter than the above mentioned crags. The list goes on and on.
Pull my Daisy E2 5b, Rainbow Slab, Llanberis Slate quarries
North Wales is a fantastic place to learn to climb, as the venues on offer for learning your first lead, multi-pitch or sea cliff climb are second to none with excellent roadside access, top quality rock, and all-round incredible terrain to climb on. It's so versatile in terms of weather, access, and climbing style whether it's sport, trad and boulder, it will keep any climber happy for quiet a while!
Alisa and Nele brushing up on her Multipitch skills at Tremadog, North Wales.
The majority of my time these days is spent on these mountains and cliffs, whether I’m sharing a scramble with my students, instructing on sea cliffs, guiding hill walks in Snowdonia or just out for a gander in the hills walking or climbing on days off. I’ve recently just moved my business (Mountain Odyssey) to North Wales as these mountains have so much to offer, and every day I spend introducing someone to these hills makes me appreciate the value and the experiences these mountains can give us. So whether you're venturing to hike, scramble, climb or explore scenic countryside, and you haven’t been to North Wales… GO!
Logistics
The best way to travel to North Wales is the Dublin - Holyhead ferry route with Stenaline or Irish ferries. After driving your car off the boat at Holyhead, you’re 5 mins from Gogarth and only 35 mins from Snowdonia. Alternative travel options are flying to Manchester and renting a car, with a 1.5 hours drive to the national park. If you're traveling on foot or by bike, you can avail of sail & rail tickets which is one ticket that will get you from Dublin city center all the way to Bangor by bus, ferry, and train which will leave you a short distance to the village of Llanberis.
Sea Cliff climbing workshop Anglesey.