Once Upon a Smile Climb Snowdon Solstice

Question 1

HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE?

Accepted Answer

If you’re hoping to climb Wales’ highest peak comfortably (and be able to walk the next day), then you will need a reasonable level of general fitness. There will be steep and uneven terrain with exposed areas, be sure to do some research on the route you plan to take so you’ll know what to expect. We guide people of all ages up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), but unless you exercise regularly, your muscles may feel a bit sore over the two days following your event.

You will also find breathing more challenging on the steeper sections, if you’re not used to exercising aerobically. We plan to ascend at a comfortable pace at all times, but we expect walkers to arrive physically ready and prepared for a long, walking day out.

When you book, we will ask you for any medical conditions and it’s very important that you answer honestly and in detail. If we have any concerns about your medical information then we may contact you directly to clear up any uncertainties and to ensure that we can prepare our Mountain Leaders to offer you any extra special care should it be required.

In the month before your Climb Snowdon day, we recommend you aim to have completed at least a few 5 mile walks, ideally over mixed terrain and in various weathers too. If you can complete one longer day walk, with a backpack, over hilly terrain – this will give you confidence that you have the stamina to start your walk on Yr Wyddfa. Multiple walks will help you to wear in and get to know your equipment as well.

Look out for our downloadable Climb Snowdon training plan in your confirmation email.

Question 2

WILL I NEED WALKING POLES?

Accepted Answer

Walking poles are not essential but they a good idea for anyone who may suffer from any stiffness or pain in the back, knees or hips. They can help you feel more secure on uneven ground, especially in descent.

Poles that can be shortened easily are recommended so you can fold them up and strap them to your backpack for any sections where you might prefer not to use them. For novice users, we suggest using one pole on the way up and two on the way down, depending on your route. If you can, practice walking with them before your event to get used to them.

Question 3

DO I REALLY NEED WALKING BOOTS?

Accepted Answer

Whilst walking boots are definitely preferred and advised, they are not absolutely essential. Ideally you will have sturdy, comfortable footwear which supports your ankles and, if possible, are waterproof to maintain comfort, warmth and to help avoid blisters. Thick soles are essential with good grip for slippery surfaces. This might be a ‘walking trainer’ with a rugged sole (sometimes called ‘approach shoes’ also), but slightly less heavy than a full, leather walking boot.

If you do decide to buy new footwear then make sure you wear them in well before your big mountain day. This will help to avoid blisters on your day and improve confidence and comfort.

If you are concerned, then you can always pop some plasters on areas that may be prone to rubbing on the morning of your walk, and take some large plasters with you, in case of any ‘hot spots’ forming during your walk.

Question 4

HOW BIG SHOULD MY RUCKSACK BE?

Accepted Answer

Your rucksack should be at least 25 litres in size with two shoulder straps and ideally a chest and/or waist strap too. Please do not bring satchels or shopping bags, they are uncomfortable to wear for a long period of time.

To waterproof your possessions, we recommend that you line your rucksack with a bin bag or put your items into separate plastic shopping bags. Re-usable ‘Zip-lock’ bags are good for smaller items or mobile phones. Don’t limit your Kit List packing because you can’t fit it in your bag; find a bigger bag!

Question 5

WILL THE CAFÉ BE OPEN?

Accepted Answer

The summit visitor centre and café will only be open if the Snowdon Mountain Railway is running. Snowdon Mountain Railway usually operates every day from April to October (Easter Holidays until October Half Term generally) unless the wind speed is too high/track is snow covered and the train can’t get to the summit.

You can check service reports on the Snowdon Mountain Railway website. If the summit café is open, it can get extremely busy during the middle of the day, with long queues for food/drink and toilets. We highly recommend you take enough food and drink up with you to be self sufficient, and not rely on the café being open for your lunch or drinks. Look upon the café as a bonus!

Question 6

CAN I GET THE TRAIN BACK DOWN?

Accepted Answer

According to the Snowdon Mountain Railway website, “Single tickets down are only available on a standby basis at the destination station of the day (Summit or Clogwyn) and walkers should be aware that there is no guarantee of there being trains with available seats on the mountain at any given time. Therefore, if you walk up, you should be prepared to walk down as well.”

In agreement with Snowdon Mountain Railway, we also encourage walkers that if you want to reach the summit by foot then you will need to accept that you’ll be walking back down too. Our events are set up for walkers wanting to walk up and down the mountain.

Question 7

WHAT FOOD SHOULD I TAKE?

Accepted Answer

Ensure you take on a filling breakfast with complex carbohydrate and protein to fill you up for the morning, e.g. porridge with peanut butter and banana. Take at least 2 litres of water with you in a reusable water bottle and pack a variety of foods –both savoury and sweet that will sustain you during the day. Try to choose complex carbohydrates and whole foods, rather than overly sweet foods and chocolate. Foods like malt loaf, mixed fruit and nuts, cheese and ham/salami, oat cakes, raw fruit bars, dark chocolate, filled wraps, mini pork pies or sausage rolls will last well on the hill and sustain you over several hours. Cold pizza is a particular favourite for some of our staff!

Remember to never leave any wrappings or fruit peel on the hill and take all litter back home with you.

Question 8

WILL THERE BE TOILET STOPS?

Accepted Answer

By booking on to a Climb Snowdon day you are participating in an outdoor activity where public toilets are not ‘the norm’. There are toilets where we usually start our walks, and if the summit visitor centre is open, then toilets are accessible, though there may be a queue! However, the summit visitor centre and café cannot be relied on as it’s liable to close at short notice in poor weather.

If you suffer from any medical conditions which mean you will need access to a toilet more often, then please do get in touch as we hope to make our events as accessible to as many people as we can.

Going to the toilet ‘in the outdoors’ just needs some privacy, some sense of humour and some toilet tissue/rubbish bag, if applicable. This is so you can put any solids including toilet tissue in a rubbish bag and put this back in your rucksack, rather than leaving toilet tissue or baby wipes discarded on the mountain – please don’t!

Question 9

WHICH PATH WILL WE TAKE?

Accepted Answer

There are 6 main walking routes on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) – described on Climb Snowdon – Summit Routes. We always aim to use two different routes on our Climb Snowdon days to enable walkers to experience a diverse view of Yr Wyddfa’s surrounding area.

For smaller and some bespoke groups, we plan to take the public bus from our meeting point in Llanberis up to Pen Y Pass to join the PYG Track. However, for most of our groups, we use the lesser known, newly improved path from the village of Llanberis through Bwlch Maesgwm to join the top half of the Ranger Path. We always aim to return via the Llanberis Path which will bring you back to the village where you started the day.

There is always a chance that route choices may change on the day, depending on the weather and the judgement of your Mountain Leader, who will always put the group’s safety as a top priority.

If you are booking on to a bespoke event, either RAW Adventures or your event organiser will be in touch 4 weeks and 1 week before your event with the confirmed route choice.

Question 10

WHAT IF I WANT TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE?

Accepted Answer

On our Climb Snowdon days, we predominantly use either the PYG track or the Maesgwm/Ranger Path route to ascend and the Llanberis path to descend. If you wanted to try a different route, then get in touch and we can look at booking you on a bespoke private day with your own Mountain Leader who can take you up a different route or even up a different mountain.

Question 11

DO I NEED INSURANCE?

Accepted Answer

As a business, we have adequate liability insurance for the activities we offer. Once you have booked onto your Climb Snowdon day then we recommend you take out travel and trip insurance which will cover any unavoidable cancellations or accidents, especially if you are using public transport or planning on booking accommodation. Check for ‘Trip Cancellation’ cover on your policy.

Question 12

WILL I REQUIRE ANY MAP READING SKILLS?

Accepted Answer

No, our fully qualified Mountain Leader will take this responsibility off your hands. However, if you would like to learn, then do ask our friendly leaders. We also run Mountain Skills Courses which are aimed at people wanting to learn the basics of map reading in the mountains.

Question 13

CAN I BRING MY DOG?

Accepted Answer

If your dog is well behaved, kept on a lead at all times and is cleared up after; then they are welcome to join us. 

Livestock are kept in fields and mountains in Eryri (Snowdonia) and the surrounding areas, as well as many hidden holes and cliffs which can be extremely dangerous to a dog focused on chasing other animals (rabbits, birds, sheep, other dogs etc). Please keep your dog on a lead for this reason, especially on busy Yr Wyddfa paths. Please also bring dog poo bags to clean up after your dog (and take them off the hill with you securely – and not left by the side of a path).

Some of our larger events use local venues before and after the walk, these aren't always dog friendly so check with the event organiser if you're booking onto one of these events.

Question 14

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

Accepted Answer

A typical day up Yr Wyddfa can take up to 8 hours – always allow a full day for your activity. Group fitness, experience and weather can affect timings. Expect to be walking for at least 3 hrs up, sometimes more. And it is not always quicker on the way down – this also depends on how the group cope with steeper sections in descent.

If the summit visitor centre café is open and you choose to enter, you may also spend valuable time queuing! We allow suitable time for breaks while walking up and down, as well as a stop at the summit area. Remember time needed for taking photos and enjoying the views, too! We don’t operate a ‘quick route march’ up and down. We take our time to make the most of the day.

Question 15

WHAT IF THE WEATHER IS REALLY BAD?

Accepted Answer

Everyone who signs up to one of our events should be ready for various weathers on their walk. This includes extreme heat as well as wind, rain, low cloud and even snow showers sometimes! As an experienced mountain activity provider, if we deem the incoming weather to be a danger to our walking groups and/or Mountain Leader staff, then we may make alternative arrangements in terms of route planning. This could include walking up as far as we can before turning back, taking an alternative route, i.e. a traverse instead of an ascent, we may even take a group up a smaller neighbouring mountain with views of Yr Wyddfa.

In the extremely unlikely event that we have to cancel a walk completely, then all information can be found on our Terms and Conditions at the bottom of our website. This is a rare occasion – we’re happy to walk in rain and low cloud, as long as everyone has the required kit to stay dry, warm and happy.

Question 16

WHERE CAN I PARK?

Accepted Answer

Our Climb Snowdon walking routes sometimes use the PYG Track from Pen y Pass. But, the car park at Pen Y Pass is now booking only and is usually full by 0600. For this reason, we meet our groups in Llanberis at the Dolbadarn Castle Parc Padarn Car Park and then either catch the local 0905 bus to Pen y Pass, or just use our quieter route up Maesgwm and the Ranger Path. The cost of the bus is payable by you to the driver. We will confirm expected costs in our event details to you.

Since we meet in a car park, you can leave your car there, alternatively here is plenty of other pay and display parking available in Llanberis village: opposite the Snowdon Mountain Railway station, you can find ‘Parking For Snowdon’. The National Slate Museum and Electric Mountain both have large public car parks. There is a small car park behind the Snowdon Mountain Railway, too. Please park responsibly, using public car parks and show consideration to residents.

Question 17

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Accepted Answer

By Train
Unfortunately Llanberis’ only train stations are for the Lake Railway and the Snowdon Mountain Railway! However, our closest train stations are at Bangor - Gwynedd (BNG) and Betws-y-Coed (BYC) which can both bring you to Llanberis via bus (see below) or taxi (we recommend Snowdonia Taxi). Both stations are situated on main train lines accessed from all over the UK, changing at Chester or Crewe most usually.

By Car
The M56/A55 will bring you to North Wales along dual carriageways and the M54/A5 will take you through the beautiful scenic mountains and passes often featured in world class TV and films. If you are driving up the Welsh coast from South Wales, then follow the A470 and then A487 to Caernarfon.

By Coach
National Express services run to Llandudno, Conwy, Bangor, and Holyhead from London, Chester and Manchester. Arriva Buses Wales operate services to Caernarfon, Bangor and Porthmadog, see below for onward travel.

Local Buses to Llanberis
85 from Bangor (apx every 2 hours and 3 hours on Sundays)
88 from Caernarfon (apx every hour and every 2 hours on Sundays)
S1 Snowdon Sherpa from Pen y Pass weekends and Bank Holidays (apx every half hour)
S2 from Betws y Coed (apx every hour)
S97 from Porthmadog, change to S4 in Beddgelert and then change again to the S1 at Pen Y Pass

Bus timetables are subject to change. You can check all bus details on the Gwynedd Council website.

By Bike
If you enjoy cycling why not use pedal power to come to the beautiful, bike-friendly Snowdonia Mountains and Coast by following the National Cycle Network. Quiet, traffic-calmed and traffic-free routes create easy access from the surrounding area and further afield.

By Air
Transfers from the international gateways of Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham take less than two hours. A new air route between Cardiff International Airport and Anglesey Airport takes just under an hour.

By Sea
Irish Ferries and Stena Line operate regular and high-speed services to Holyhead from Dublin and Dun Laoghaire. For southern Snowdonia, ferry services into Fishguard and Pembroke Dock are a handy alternative.

Question 18

WILL I NEED ROPES AND A HARNESS?

Accepted Answer

While we call ourselves Climb Snowdon, we do not actually climb with ropes and harnesses. We can provide rock climbing taster days and activity days so please do contact us if you would like more information.

Our Climb Snowdon days are walk-only, so don’t be put off by our name! If you are interested in ‘running’, we can organise guided running days on Snowdon or other mountains. A ‘walk’ on Crib Goch involves some hand-to-rock scrambling techniques and experience, and we run walks on Crib Goch as bespoke, guided events or as part of our Welsh 3000s Challenge.

Question 19

WHAT CLOTHES SHOULD I WEAR?

Accepted Answer

You can download a full Kit List on our website. Your Climb Snowdon office team are extremely experienced and qualified, and some of us are volunteers on the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, so we love to talk mountains! There may seem like a lot of equipment on the list, but you will be wearing most of it and your food and water will only get lighter as the day goes on.

One of the reasons many people might not enjoy their day (or reach the summit) is due to a lack of advised equipment. There is no need to spend a fortune on new items, ask around friends and family to borrow clothes or try your local charity shops if needed. However, please make sure that you do not wear jeans or any cotton items. When these materials get wet, they stay wet and leave water close to your skin. You’ll get cold up to 25 times quicker in wet clothes compared to dry! Synthetic materials are ideal as they dry much quicker.

Getting cold and wet, not eating enough and not doing anything about these issues, is the main cause of early hypothermia. We can even experience these conditions on a day in August, for example! Our experienced Mountain Leaders will always be managing the well-being and safety of our groups.

We recommend wearing layers of thinner, synthetic or wool fabrics, with the ability to layer over them with a warm fleece and jacket. There’s no point packing ‘extra’ t-shirts or base layers to put on if you get cold, because you won’t want to undress to layer up if you’re feeling chilly. Think about being able to put layers on OVER what you’re already wearing to keep warm.

Question 20

HOW LONG IS THE QUEUE AT THE SUMMIT?

Accepted Answer

Yr Wyddfa’s natural summit is the plateau area upon which the stairs and cairn have been built. You do not need to join the queue for your valid summit selfie and victory dance. The only reason to join the queue is to get the picture with the Trig point, which is the stone marker at the top.

Often on the busier days of the year, this queue can take over an hour to reach the Trig point, which sometimes means that there just isn’t enough time to wait.

Once Upon a Smile Climb Snowdon Solstice

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