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3 of us walking the Pyg Track up Snowdon next Fri and hoping to park here. Anyone used it recently? There was some talk of having to pre-book but that might only be weekends. Guessing you'd have to be there before 8am to get a spot. If anyone can clarify/advise accordingly that would be great...
Bump to make it visible
Not sure on the booking specifically but if you can't, there is a shuttle bus that runs constantly from the next village down the valley, or at least there was pre-apocalypse.
A couple of years ago Easter week we got the last parking space in the car park at 7.30am.
Our family members were late getting up, arrived at 9.30am and then had long (1hr) queues from the valley parking to get on the free shuttle bus.
IIRC, the whole pass is double yellow and rigidly enforced now.
My thoughts - there are nicer hillwalks than Snowdon, without the huge crowds as a bonus.
There are nicer ways up Snowdon than Pyg, without the crowds as a bonus.
Be there by 7am.
Not sure on the booking specifically but if you can’t, there is a shuttle bus that runs constantly from the next village down the valley, or at least there was pre-apocalypse.
The Snowdon Sherpa? Trying not to use pubic transport where possible, plus it adds time to each end of the journey
My thoughts – there are nicer hillwalks than Snowdon, without the huge crowds as a bonus.
There are nicer ways up Snowdon than Pyg, without the crowds as a bonus.
Couldn't agree more - I've been up most ways several times but the 2 guys I'm with have never done it so see it as a must-do
My experience is that the Snowdon sherpa is a good service and doesn't take long - much easier than the bun fight at the car park!
🙂
'You must pre-book your parking for this car park. Bookings are only available to be made at least 24 hour in advance. Minimum price is £18 for a 8 hour parking session.'
🙁 eek.
Trying not to use pubic transport where possible
Sound advice. 🙂
I'm sure you know it will be far more pleasant going up Ranger or Rhyd Dhu, unless Crib Goch is the target.
The roads leading up to it are usually double parked on the verges.
Someone posted on FB either i love the lakes or scrambling group that it was now £25 for the day. Makes way more sense to park in Llanberis and get the bus up depending on your route of course.
I think you'll find Crib Goch equally as unpleasant crowds wise, we did it a litle while/not long back and it was like queueing at the post office. We bumped into someone on top of the Glyders on Friday who was doing Crib Goch the next day on a bank holiday in nice weather, I laughed in his face while saying 'enjoy!'
unless you're dead set on doing crib goch, i wouldn't set off from pen-y-pass. park in llanberis, walk up telegraph valley (a bit of a dull trudge now it's been re-surfaced), up rangers path and down llanberis path ending pretty much at the pub. will undoubtedly be a quieter, and arguably nicer, route up. path down will be busy but a nice gentle descent and ends at the pub! saves parking trauma or waiting for busses
i think they've banned all the parking on the verges you used to get around the pass an are pretty hot on enforcing it.
alternatively park at rhyd-ddu (again would need to get there fairly early though) up rhyd ddu, down ranger, cut cross country to get you back to the car
If you really want to do snowdon, my advice is to start before dawn and avoid the crowds, we had breakfast & the summit to ourselves for over 30mins on a sunny day back in easter 2015 by starting out in the dark.
I think you’ll find Crib Goch equally as unpleasant crowds wise, we did it a litle while/not long back and it was like queueing at the post office. We bumped into someone on top of the Glyders on Friday who was doing Crib Goch the next day on a bank holiday in nice weather, I laughed in his face while saying ‘enjoy!’
Weird, I did Crib Goch a couple of years ago on the second May bank holiday Monday and the weather was absolutely perfect, and there was about 10 other people on the ridge when we were there, around 11am. It was wonderful.
Wherever you park make sure it's a legal space as they're really hot on tickets and towing after the last year of chaos. One option that my friends who live up there use is to park away from the main area then get a taxi to their start point. I know you want to avoid public transport but a taxi is far safer than a bus.
Personally I'd save it for another time, the place will be heaving the next few weeks if the weather is remotely favourable.
I was there (well, riding Snowdon from Llanberis) the week before last.
Beautiful sunny weather and it was really quiet.
Don't necessarily believe the internet doom-mongers.
(But do check about booking the parking obvs)
Personally I’d save it for another time, the place will be heaving the next few weeks if the weather is remotely favourable.
We happen to be staying nearby as part of a long weekend and Fri works better than any other day. I've sent both of them this link so they can decide - I'm less bothered about Snowdon than they are but I understand their desire to do that one.
Someone posted on FB either i love the lakes or scrambling group that it was now £25 for the day. Makes way more sense to park in Llanberis and get the bus up depending on your route of course.
Parking's £18 for 8 hours, £25 for 12, and I may be remembering it wrong but I'm pretty sure they charge £5 to park in Llanberis and then the shuttle's £5 a head. So at worst there's a fiver in it, and you get to miss the faff of shuttling and the small Covid risk of having to use public transport.
How much is parking at Rhydd Du or bottom of Rangers, anyone know?
No votes for the Watkin Path? Park down by Llyn Gwynant and take probably the nicest ‘easy’ route up (bar the scree slopes just before the summit).
My favourite is up by the Watkin Path and down by the South Ridge. It's been some years though, the crowds on top are horrendous. There is a nice scramble from between Llydaw and Glaslyn to the col between Snowdon on Lliwedd. Then turn left avoiding Snowdon, go over Lliwedd and drop back down close to the causeway across Llydaw. Of course that route involves Pen-y-Pass.
The N. Ridge of Crib Gogh is great, no one on it unnecessarily throwing loose rocks at you because they've never been on a walk that hands can be used for assistance before and brings you straight to the start of the ridge.
Apart from that parking round there is utterly bonkers and that was before the pandemic kept everyone in the Uk.
Park in Llanberis, bus to start then down to Llanberis?
So many options. Great mountain. Few too many people on the main routes to be a perfect walk but still good. Hope you get good weather.
Last time I went you couldn’t get in but there’s a car park down the hill with a shuttle bus. We walked back down towards it hitching and got a lift in no time.
Pyg is fun but a short route. Rydd Du is much harder. IMO and I am not a local or expert.
Park by the pen y grywd hotel. Get the 10am bus down to beddgelert and ask to be dropped off at start of Watkin path. Where it flattens out take the path up to south ridge and up to snowdon and descend via pyg track back to car.
Oh and check there isn’t snow up top.