Snowdon routes

Yr Wyddfa has six main walking paths to the summit, plus the Crib Goch horseshoe for experienced scramblers. For the National Three Peaks Challenge, keep the route choice simple: the Pyg Track for ascent, or the Llanberis Path if you need the most straightforward descent.

The cards below cover the main options people ask about most. Underneath them you can see all of the summit lines together on one OS map, with a linked legend so it is easy to tell which route is which.

Three Peaks route

Pyg Track

Distance 11km return
Ascent 895m
Time About 6 hours

The usual National Three Peaks ascent. Shorter than Llanberis, but rougher and steeper underfoot.

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Three Peaks descent

Llanberis Path

Distance 14.5km return
Ascent 975m
Time About 7 hours

The longest but most gradual main path. Common for descent when support meets groups in Llanberis.

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Main walking route

Miners Track

Distance 13km return
Ascent 723m
Time About 6 hours

A gentler start past the lakes from Pen-y-Pass, followed by a sharp final pull to the summit ridge.

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Hardest main path

Watkin Path

Distance 13km return
Ascent 1,015m
Time About 6 hours

A beautiful southern approach with a hard finish. The upper section is loose, steep and slower than it looks on paper.

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Quieter option

Snowdon Ranger

Distance 13km return
Ascent 936m
Time About 6 hours

A quieter western line with steady climbing and a more open feel than the Pen-y-Pass routes.

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Quieter option

Rhyd Ddu Path

Distance 12km return
Ascent About 895m
Time About 6 hours

Another quieter line, with a narrow exposed feel on the upper ridge but less traffic than the classic northern paths.

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Scrambling route

Crib Goch horseshoe

Distance 12.3km circuit
Ascent 1,260m
Time Allow a full day

A serious scrambling horseshoe over Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain, Yr Wyddfa and Y Lliwedd. This is not a Three Peaks route.

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OS map of all Snowdon summit routes

This map overlays the main paths people use to reach the summit. The legend links through to the dedicated route pages, so you can compare the usual Three Peaks lines against the quieter western and southern approaches.

Crib Goch and the National Three Peaks Challenge

Crib Goch is not a walking path. It is a grade 1 scramble on a narrow ridge, with real exposure and no quick way off once you are committed. In winter it becomes a much more serious mountaineering problem, and even in dry summer conditions it is the wrong choice for a timed Three Peaks round.

If your aim is to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge, leave Crib Goch for another day and use one of the main summit paths instead.

Which Snowdon route suits a Three Peaks team?

For most self-organised teams, the Pyg Track gives the best balance of distance and time. It starts high at Pen-y-Pass and gets you onto the mountain quickly. The trade-off is that it is rough, rocky and a little awkward near the top, so it still demands care when people are tired.

Llanberis is the safer call if you want the clearest line underfoot or if transport is meeting you in the village. It is longer and gains more height, but the path is obvious, the gradient is steadier and descent tends to be less fiddly in poor visibility.

Miners, Watkin, Snowdon Ranger and Rhyd Ddu all make good mountain days in their own right. They are just less practical in the context of a 24-hour driving and walking challenge, where route-finding, turnaround time and transport logistics matter as much as scenery.

Route lengths and ascent figures on this page are based on the current Eryri route guides for the six main walking paths, plus a recorded StravaGPX trace for the Crib Goch horseshoe.

Snowdon maps