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Snowdon (), or italic=unset (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon is designated a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna, and is located within Snowdonia National Park.
The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by in the Ordovician period, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by glaciation, forming the pyramidal peak of Snowdon and the arêtes of Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd. It is part of the larger Snowdon range, which includes Garnedd Ugain, Yr Aran, and Moel Eilio. There are several lakes on the mountain, the largest of which is Llyn Llydaw (), located on the eastern flank at .
The mountain has been described as the "busiest in the United Kingdom", and in 2022 it was climbed by 543,541 walkers. There are six main paths to the summit, the most popular of which begins in the town of Llanberis to the north. The summit can also be reached using the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which carried 98,567 passengers in 2021. The rack railway, which opened in 1896, operates over , from Llanberis to the Summit station. It generally operates from March to the end of October, with trains running to the summit station from May. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, are significant for rock climbing, and the mountain was used by Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest. The mountain, alongside Ben Nevis in Scotland and Scafell Pike in England, is climbed as part of the National Three Peaks Challenge.
The Welsh name of the mountain, italic=yes, is first recorded in Latin as italic=yes1284. This is probably an approximation of italic=yes. The element italic=yes in this context means 'height, promontory', and also appears in the Welsh name for the town of Mold, italic=yes.
italic=yes later developed the meaning "burial cairn", and there is a legend that the giant Rhitta Gawr is buried under the mountain's summit cairn. One legend claims that Rhita was defeated and buried on the mountain by King Arthur, and another states that Rhita was killed by the giant Idris Gawr who lived on the mountain Cadair Idris. The mountain is also linked to other figures from Arthurian legend, a legendary Afanc (water monster) and the Tylwyth Teg (fairies).
The Welsh mountain is sometimes referred to as "Mount Snowdon" or "Mt Snowdon".
In November 2022, national park authority announced they are to refer to the mountain by its Welsh name Yr Wyddfa, not Snowdon. Following a two-year transition period, in November 2024, the authority announced the name would be kept following its success in gaining support and adoption by businesses and media.
The rocks which today make up Snowdon and its neighbouring mountains were formed in the Ordovician Period. At that time, most of modern-day Wales was near the edge of Avalonia, submerged beneath the ancient Iapetus Ocean. In the Soudleyan (former British regional) stage () of the Caradoc (British regional) epoch, a volcano caldera formed, and produced of rhyolite tuff, which formed deposits up to thick. (1992). 9781862390553, Geological Society. ISBN 9781862390553 The current summit is near the northern edge of the ancient caldera; the caldera's full extent is unclear, but it extended as far as the summit of Moel Hebog in the south-west.
Snowdon and its surrounding peaks have been described as "true examples of orography". The summits of Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain are surrounded by Cirque, rounded valleys scooped out by glaciation. Erosion by glaciers in adjacent cwms caused the characteristic arêtes of Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl and Y Lliwedd, and the pyramidal peak of Snowdon itself. Other that can be seen around Snowdon include roches moutonnées, and .
Eurasian otter, European polecat, and have been seen near or on the mountain, although have not been seen for many years. Birds that can be seen include the common raven, red-billed chough, peregrine falcon, osprey, merlin, red kite and moorland birds.
Other lakes include: Llyn Du'r Arddu below Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, at a height of , ; Llyn Teyrn near Pen-y-pass, at a height of , ; and several smaller pools. passim
The mountain itself may also be viewed on takeoff and approach to both Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport on very clear days, and even from Howth Head in Dublin, Ireland.
On 26 June 2018, Sam Laming became the first ever Wingsuit flying pilot to perform a 'Proximity Flight' over a UK mountain, by flying approximately 30 metres over Snowdon's summit, after jumping from a helicopter with fellow wingsuit camera pilot, Mike Hitchcock.
In 2021, John Harold, the director of the Snowdonia Society, reported that the number of visitors ascending Snowdon was exceeding capacity. At popular times walkers queue for upwards of 45 minutes for an opportunity to take a photo at the summit pillar.
Y Lliwedd was also explored by early climbers, and was the subject of a 1909 climbing guide, The Climbs on Lliwedd by J. M. A. Thompson and A. W. Andrews, one of the first in Britain. Snowdon was used by Edmund Hillary and his group during preparations for their successful 1953 expedition to climb Mount Everest.
The six main paths were mapped by the Google Trekker in 2015. The elevations and gradients given here are for the start point on a public road, based on Ordnance Survey mapping. Other definitions are possible so alternative figures can be found (e.g.).
The Llanberis Path is the longest route to the summit. It follows close to the line of the railway, and being the easiest ascent, it is the route used by the annual Snowdon Race, which has a record time of less than 40 minutes recorded from the start to the summit.
The section of the Llanberis Path above Clogwyn station has long been called the "Killer Convex"; in icy conditions, this convex slope can send unwary walkers over the cliffs of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu. Four people died there in February 2009.
The Snowdon Ranger Path () begins at the youth hostel beside Llyn Cwellyn, to the west of the mountain, served by the A4085 and Snowdon Ranger railway station. This was formerly the Saracen's Head Inn, but was renamed under the ownership of the mountain guide John Morton. It is thought to be the oldest path to the summit.
The route begins with through turf, before reaching a flatter area in front of Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas. The path then climbs to Bwlch Cwm Brwynog, and then snakes along the ridge above Clogwyn Du'r Arddu towards the summit. This path meets the railway, the Llanberis Path, the Crib Goch path, and the combined Pyg Track and Miners' Track all within a short distance, just below the summit.
The Rhyd Ddu path, formerly called the Beddgelert Path, leads from the village of Rhyd Ddu, west of Snowdon, gently up on to Llechog, a broad ridge dropping west from the summit. It is considered one of the easier routes to the summit, with the advantage that the summit is visible from the start, but is one of the least used routes. It climbs at a shallow gradient to Bwlch Main, shortly southwest of the summit, from where it climbs more steeply, meeting up with the Watkin Path at a site marked with a large standing stone a few hundred metres from the summit. An alternative start begins at Pitt's Head on the A4085 road.
The Watkin Path is "the most demanding route direct to the summit of Snowdon", since it starts at the lowest elevation of any of the main routes and has the steepest overall gradient. It was first conceived by Sir Edward Watkin, a railway owner who had attempted to build a railway tunnel under the English Channel, and had a summer home in Nant Gwynant near the start of the path. It was originally designed as a donkey track and opened in 1892.
The start of the Watkin Path has been described as "the prettiest beginning" of the routes up Snowdon. It begins at Bethania on the A498 and climbs initially through old broadleaved woodland. After leaving the woods, the path climbs past the waterfalls of the Afon Llan to the glacial cirque of Cwm Llan, crossing a disused Inclined plane from an abandoned slate quarry. It then reaches Plas Cwmllan, formerly the home of the quarry manager for the South Snowdon Slate Works beyond, and later used for target practice by during the Second World War. Near Plas Cwmllan is the large boulder known as Gladstone Rock, which bears a plaque commemorating a speech given in 1892 by William Ewart Gladstone, the then 82-year-old Prime Minister, on the subject of Justice for Wales. The slate workings in Cwm Llan were opened in 1840, but closed in 1882 due to the expense of transporting the slate to the sea at Porthmadog. Various buildings, including barracks and dressing sheds, remain.
From the slate quarries, the Watkin Path veers to the north-east to reach Bwlch Ciliau, the col between Snowdon and Y Lliwedd, which is marked by a large orange-brown cairn. From here, it heads west to meet the Rhyd Ddu Path at a standing stone shortly below the summit of Snowdon.
The route over Y Lliwedd is more frequently used for descent than ascent, and forms the second half of the Snowdon Horseshoe walk, the ascent being over Crib Goch. It is reached from the summit by following the Watkin Path down to Bwlch y Saethau, and then continuing along the ridge to the twin summits of Y Lliwedd. The path then drops down to Cwm Dyli to join the Miners' Track towards Pen-y-Pass.
The Miners' Track () begins at the car park at Pen-y-Pass, at an elevation of around , and has the shallowest overall gradient. It begins by skirting Llyn Teyrn before climbing slightly to cross the causeway over Llyn Llydaw. It follows the lake's shoreline before climbing to Glaslyn, from where it ascends steeply towards Bwlch Glas. It is joined for most of this zigzag ascent by the Pyg Track, and on reaching the summit ridge, is united with the Llanberis Path and Snowdon Ranger Path. Derelict mine buildings are encountered along several parts of the path.
The "Pyg Track" (), or "Pig Track" (both spellings may be encountered), also leads from Pen-y-Pass. The track climbs over Bwlch y Moch on the eastern flanks of Crib Goch, before traversing that ridge's lower slopes. Above Glaslyn, it is joined by the Miners' Track for the zigzag climb to Bwlch Glas between Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain, where it joins the combined Llanberis and Snowdon Ranger paths.
From the website of the Snowdonia National Park Authority,
The traverse of Crib Goch has been described as "one of the finest ridge walks in Britain", and forms part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, a circuit of the peaks surrounding Cwm Dyli. The path follows the Pyg Track before separating off from it at Bwlch y Moch and leading up the East ridge of Crib Goch. After the Crib Goch ridge, it descends slightly to Bwlch Coch, then ascends to the peak of Garnedd Ugain (), before dropping to join the Llanberis path. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are considered mountaineering routes or Scrambling.
During the 1930s, many complaints were received about the state of the facilities at the summit and in 1934/5 a new station building was erected in two phases; the upstairs accommodation was completed in 1937. It was designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis and included rooms for visitors and a cafe. The other operators were bought out and the ramshackle collection of buildings on the summit was cleared. The flat roof was intended to be used as a viewing platform and some photographs show it being used in this way. However, other photographs taken of the cafe show that the roof leaked, which probably explains why the practice was stopped. The Summit was taken over by government agencies during the war and the accommodation was restricted to staff use afterwards. Having become increasingly dilapidated in post-war decades, this building was described by Prince Charles as "the highest slum in Wales". Its state led to a campaign to replace the building. In April 2006, Snowdonia National Park Authority, with the support of the Snowdonia Society, agreed a deal to start work on a new cafe and visitor centre complex. By mid-October 2006 the old building had been largely demolished.
The new RIBA Award-winning £8.4 million visitor centre, Hafod Eryri, designed by Ray Hole Architects in conjunction with Arup and built by Carillion, was officially opened on 12 June 2009 by First Minister Rhodri Morgan. The Welsh National Poet, Gwyn Thomas, composed a new couplet for the new building, displayed at its entrance and on the windows, which reads " Copa'r Wyddfa: yr ydych chwi, yma, Yn nes at y nefoedd / The summit of Snowdon: You are, here, nearer to Heaven". The name Hafod Eryri was chosen from several hundred put forward after a competition was held by the BBC. Hafod is Welsh language for an upland summer residence, while Eryri is the Welsh name for Snowdonia.
The summit pillar was built in 2001, the brass toposcope carrying the date 2000. This plate details exactly 100 locations—mostly other peaks—which can be seen, given ideal visibility. Of the locations mentioned, Mount Leinster (in the Blackstairs Mountains in Ireland) is the furthest, at 188 miles away, with the Wicklow Mountains (also in Ireland) being 100 miles away. Slieve Donard, in Northern Ireland, is 108 miles away. The Lake District is 100 miles away, Penmaen Dewi (St David's Head in Pembrokeshire) is 96 miles away, Kinder Scout (in the Peak District) is 94 miles away, and the Isle of Man is 84 miles away.
Originally Snowdon and its summit were owned by three agricultural estates, Vaynol, Hafod y Llan and the Baron Hill Estate. Today the Vaynol land at the summit is owned by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, Hafod y Llan by the National Trust and the Baron Hill Estate retains its holding. The Baron Hill Estate land consists of the farm of Gwastadannas, which includes the Snowdon Horseshoe, Glaslyn, Llyn Llydaw and the northern end of Nant Gwynant.
In 2021 two people were injured and taken to hospital after being struck by lightning on top of Snowdon.
In May 2021, following the dismissal of the motion, YouGov conducted a poll on Snowdon's name. Sixty per cent of Welsh adults supported the English name Snowdon, compared to 30% wanting the Welsh name Yr Wyddfa. Separating by language, 59% of Welsh speakers preferred the Welsh name, while 37% wanted Snowdon to not be scrapped entirely; 69% of non-Welsh speakers firmly supported Snowdon as the mountain's name.
In November 2022, Snowdonia National Park Authority voted to use Yr Wyddfa and Eryri (rather than Snowdon and Snowdonia) in its usage, though in statutory documents both Welsh and English will still be required by law.
In November 2024, the authority stated that the name change had been a "success" as many businesses and media had followed suit. The authority stated that a summer survey showed "strong support" from locals and visitors for the name change. While some concerns were raised over misconceptions by some that the Welsh names were new and mispronunciations, the authority stated that the change resulted in the park being more associated with a Welsh identity, and more different from other UK national parks. The authority is set to make a pronunciation guide and publish a report on the change.
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