Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales and stands at 1085m. Its height and beauty make it a sought after peak and there are many reasons that you may wish to engage the services of a mountain guide or instructor to reach its summit. I can assist with guiding celebrities (follow link for pictures of Barry McGuigan playing piano near the summit), television crews, charity challenge events, family days out or individuals who want the peace of mind of a professionally qualified local instructor.

Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon
North Wales is a land of mountains, rivers, lakes and crags and within it the old kingdom of Gwynedd is the jewel in the crown, known in Welsh as Eryri and in English as Snowdonia. The Snowdonia national park has 15 mountains that sit over 3000 feet and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa meaning burial mound in Welsh) sits as the chieftan of them all.

The mountain was originally formed over 450 million years ago through tectonic plate collision and then formed into the shape that we recognise today through a series of ice ages, the most recent one being just 10 000 years ago.

Mountaineering has been a fairly recent pursuit but Snowdon has been at the heart of British development of the way of life that many of us enjoy. The mountain has long been a training ground for expeditions to the Alps and the Himalaya and the PYG Hotel at the foot of the mountain was the base for the 1953 Everest expedition whilst training for their successful summit attempt.

My experience & qualifications
I am a professionally qualified Mountaineering Instructor (read what the entails here) and a member of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. I am on Snowdon most weeks of the year either for work, play or in a rescue capacity. I am a keen rock climber and mountaineer and you can browse the gallery section of this website to see some of the many beautiful places I have climbed.

The Routes to the Summit
There are 7 main routes to the summit of Snowdon, each offering their own unique challenges and charms. We tend to use one of the following when guiding groups:

The Llanberis Path: The path starts in the village of Llanberis and winds its way up the North West flank of the mountain. The day involves over 800m of ascent and close to 12km of walking but in summer conditions poses few technical difficulties.

The Pyg Track & Miners Track: We often use these paths in combination since they start and finish in the same place. The car park at Pen Y Pass offers a high starting point at 359m and so reduces the height gain to a little over 700m. The distance covered is also reduced to closer to 9km of walking but the ground is more awkward than that found on the Llanberis Path with some steeper sections.

Either of these options can be done in a days walk. We normally meet at 9:30am and finish at about 5:00pm. The cost is £30 per person for group bookings of 5 people or more. If you have a smaller group please email for a quote.

Crib Goch and the Snowdon Horseshoe: The Snowdon horseshoe comprises Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl, Snowdon and Lliwedd in one full day out. The route is deservedly famous as a mountaineering route of Alpine proportions and offers fantastic scrambling with beautiful views and incredible exposure. Much of the day is spent on knife edge ridges where you need previous experience of grade 1 scrambles, a good head for heights and good footwork. Due to the serious nature of the ground (several people are killed each year falling off) we will not guide Crib Goch unless you have spent a day out with us previously and even then we will only work at a ratio of 1 instructor to 3 clients. It is best avoided at weekends and on bank holidays since the route is very popular. These days are arranged on a private guiding basis - click here for details.


Winter Ascents: If you have previous experience of using ice axe and crampons (see here for courses we offer) then winter ascents of Snowdon can make fine winter mountaineering or climbing objectives. Winter conditions can occur any time from October through to April and then ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them are essential for safe travel. These days are arranged on a private guiding basis - click here for details.

Rock Climbing Routes: Some of my favourite ways of reaching the summit of Snowdon in summer are by linking big long multi pitch rock climbs and grade 2/3 scrambles with some of the more well known easier scrambling routes to create an Alpine style big rock day. Email me to discuss ideas and aspirations.

What about accommodation?
We do not include accommodation with this course. For a variety of different accommodation options in Snowdonia, from camping to nice hotels, visit this link.

Prices:
The cost is £30 per person for summer walks with a minimum fee of 5 people. (Less people can attend but the fee will be higher per person)

For other seasons and routes please email for a quote.

Other Courses
You may also be interested in our range of navigation and hill skills courses.

Call or email us to arrange a date to suit you. We have a network of professional instructors we can call on if I cannot do the dates myself who are all as enthusiastic as you! You can then book online using the "buy now" button below or through the post by downloading a booking form from our booking page:

Online: You can book securely online below by clicking on the buy now button.

If you are booking more than 8 weeks in advance you can choose to pay a deposit of £100 to secure your booking. Click here to pay a deposit.