What do you like to do after a 5am shift at work? Relax? Go back to bed? Yeah me too, but for some reason on this day I drove for two hours into Snowdonia to climb Wales’ highest mountain. Again.
Once again, I was joined by Brendan Clayton, and once again we tried a new route up the mountain. Today we would be climbing the south-western slopes on the Rhyd Ddu Path.
Brendan created a circular path for us. The route took us up Rhyd Ddu and down the Ranger Path – so we wisely left my car at the Ranger car park. Brendan drove us around to Rhyd Ddu train station.
Here is the beginning of the path, named after the village. Again there is a car park here, where you can park all day for £6. Not cheap, but cheaper than parking up on Pen-y-Pass if you’re taking the Miner’s, Pyg, or Crib Goch routes up the mountain (£10). Perhaps it’s cheaper on this side of Snowdon cos the routes are quieter – and today they would definitely be quiet.
May I introduce you to the glorious British summer? It’s July btw, not January.
The weather on the drive to Wales had been alright but it seemed the only cloud in Wales was camped on Snowdon. At the very foot of the mountain it wasn’t raining, but we knew this would be a damp one.
Immediately you come across this chasm.
I quite liked the idea of pitching a tent in here – it would be a decent campsite. But we had no time to explore – I wanted to smash Snowdon.
The landscape at the beginning of Rhyd Ddu is very rocky. The path itself is well trodden, mostly inclined rather than stepped, and it takes you past boulders and scenery that make you feel like you’re on the moon – especially in these grim conditions.
We had to make the most of marvelling at rock formations, as there was nothing else to see.
We encountered a herd of clangers. They were guarding a gate but I bravely shooed them off. They were no match for my shooing.
As with all Snowdon routes, there is great signage. Even in misty conditions, it’s very easy to not get lost. However, I would avoid these less busy routes in snowy conditions. We saw only a handful of people coming down the Rhyd Ddu Path – probably cos of the miserable weather – so I doubt there are many footsteps to follow if there is snow on the ground.
The mist was getting damper the higher we climbed, making rocks greasy underfoot. Thank god for my walking pole! I’d brought it along cos I’ve been struggling with a dodgy knee now for a few months – I was genuinely concerned I might not be able to go hiking again…
But for some reason, this day I was flying! I kept accidentally leaving Brendan behind. He says its cos he’d broken his body by walking 30km in two days. He says.
Tbf, I knew my knee would be alright going up. It was the coming down I was worried about…
The ascent is fairly consistent throughout, but about two thirds of the way up you climb onto the Llechog ridge. The gradient increases a little, and so does your exposure. Fortunately, the wind wasn’t too horrific, but it was howling and the water droplets in the misty air were getting bigger.
After some painful zig-zags you approach the Bwlch Main ridge, where the Rhyd Ddu Path meets the South Ridge Path.
If you’re scared of heights, this is probably the worst part of the Rhyd Ddu route. Fortunately for us, the cloud masked the huge plummet to our left.
I have nightmares of ridges thanks to my ordeal on Crib Goch last year, but this ridge is fine. The path is fairly wide when you get to the top.
The Bwlch Main ridge flattens out as you approach the Snowdon summit.
Here, the Watkins Path joins Rhyd Ddu.
Out of the gloom, the silhouette of the cafe appeared. Of course, it’s not open nowadays thanks to Covid. It appeared above us, at the top of one last short, steep scramble – very painful on weary legs.
The highest blokes in England and Wales.
Time for a now traditional beer.
Brendan decided to sleep standing up.. Apologies for not getting a great photo Brendan haha…
So for the way down, we decided that I would show Brendan the Ranger Path, for it had such wondrous sights to behold.
We were down fairly quickly. I dunno if it was cos it was misty but it seemed to not take so long to get up and down the mountain. Perhaps cos you can’t see your destination in the distance, you don’t notice how slowly you move towards it…
The Ranger Path is a great path to descend on cos it’s steep at first and then flat in the middle. The mid section is simply a leisurely stroll through the countryside (cloud).
The descent was, as expected, worse on my sore knee than the climb. But still, I coped and maintain a good speed. Again, I kept having to wait for Brendan. At one point I started chatting to him but got no reply, turned around and found myself completely alone. Thankfully, I didn’t need to hike back up the mountain to find his corpse.
Man’s legs are wrecked. He was thankful for his walking poles.
Here I am doing my best train robber impression, feeling all Red Dead Redemption…
Walk done! Snowdon conquered for the FIFTH time. For a fat guy like me, that’s pretty decent.
Don’t know why Strava has shaved an hour off our time…
So this route was supposed to take us six hours but we managed to do it in 4 and a half. Considering the weight I’ve put on over lockdown and my dodgy knee, I’m pretty happy with that! I’m sure there are fitter folk out there who can smash that time though…
I definitely recommend the Rhyd Ddu Path. It’s a fairly consistent climb all the way to the top, and it is quieter than the main routes. It’s not particularly strenuous and I’m sure it provides fantastic views when the weather isn’t dismal.
If you’re interested in climbing Snowdon and not sure which route to take, check out this page. I’ve consulted this guide every time I’ve tried a new route: https://www.walkupsnowdon.co.uk/paths-up-snowdon-in-order-of-difficulty/
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