Wales · Out and back

Pyg Track to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)

A rocky, steep mountain path from Pen-y-Pass to the summit, graded hard by the park authority.

Official trail pageEryri National Park Authority: Llwybr Pyg (Pyg Track, Welsh page)

Distance 11.0 km · 6.8 miles As stated on the official page
Typical time 6 hours Official page (opens in new tab)
Ascent 895 m As stated on the official page
Grade Hard Official grade: “Anodd/Llafurus (hard/strenuous)”
Route typeOut and back Pen-y-Pass car park

Take this walk offline

Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Pen-y-Pass, Eryri (Snowdonia) — Near the start: Pen-y-Pass (under 1 km away)Photo: Takver from Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Eryri (Snowdonia) — Near Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) summit: Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) (under 1 km away)Photo: User:Gdr, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cwm Idwal, Eryri (Snowdonia) — Cwm Idwal (about 3.7 km from the start)Photo: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hafod Eryri, Eryri (Snowdonia) — Hafod Eryri (about 4.1 km from the start)Photo: Chris Andrews, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photos of named places from our guides closest to each point of the walk, with the straight-line distance. They show the area, not the path itself: follow the waymarks and the official page.

The route

The Pyg Track climbs from the Pen-y-Pass parking lot to join the Llanberis Path near the top of Yr Wyddfa. The park authority describes it as steep, rough and sometimes needing a scramble, so it is a mountain day for fit walkers with navigation skills, not a stroll. The line on the map runs one way, from the parking lot to the summit.

The interactive map needs JavaScript. The start and finish are listed below.

Along the way

Start: Pen-y-Pass parking lot

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 268 points. It can differ from what is on the ground: waymarks and the official page take priority.

Route and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), saved 2026-10-25. Spotted a mistake? Fix the map.

Download GPX Official trail page

The GPX file holds the route as a track and the start, finish and waypoints, for use in a walking or hiking app. It is a planning aid, not a navigation guarantee.

Before you go

Safety and access notes come from official pages. Conditions change, so read the linked page for the day you walk.

Getting there

Nearest station or stop to the start in our dataY Copa (station), about 4.0 km in a straight line.
The Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus stops at Pen-y-Pass (Pyg Track stop) on routes S1, S2 and S5. Check the Sherpa site for current schedules. Source (opens in new tab)

Straight-line distances from our station list, not walking distances. Check schedules and the route to the start before you travel. Getting between regions

Step-free and stroller access

The official page does not say whether this route is step-free or suitable for strollers, so we do not either. Check the official page (opens in new tab) or ask the site.

Safety

The park authority says the Pyg Track runs along the foot of Crib Goch, a knife-edge ridge with a drop of about 500 m each side, and calls the route up and along Crib Goch extremely dangerous. Stay on the Pyg Track unless you are an experienced mountain walker. Eryri National Park Authority: Llwybr Pyg (Welsh page) (opens in new tab)
The page says the route is only for experienced walkers with good fitness, that navigation skills and full mountain walking gear are essential, and that the mountain should not be climbed on a whim. Eryri National Park Authority: Llwybr Pyg (Welsh page) (opens in new tab)
The authority advises checking the Met Office forecast a few hours before you set out, not relying on it alone, and being ready to turn back. For a mountain emergency call 999 and ask for the police, who bring in mountain rescue. Eryri National Park Authority: Safety advice (Welsh page) (opens in new tab)

Seasonal access

The page says specialist equipment may be needed in winter conditions, and directs walkers to the Yr Wyddfa Fyw site for current weather and ground conditions. Eryri National Park Authority: Llwybr Pyg (Welsh page) (opens in new tab)

How these figures were worked out

Distance: taken from the official page (source (opens in new tab)).
Grade: taken from the official page.
The line on the map measures about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from OpenStreetMap geometry, which differs from the official figure because the start and finish points of the drawn line are approximate and the data is simplified. Use the official figure and the waymarks.
Time: only shown when an official page states it.

Sources

Eryri National Park Authority: Llwybr Pyg (Pyg Track, Welsh page) (opens in new tab). 6.8 miles (11 km) out and back, about 6 hours, ascent 895 m (2,936 ft), grade, start, warnings, bus. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Eryri National Park Authority: Safety advice (Welsh page) (opens in new tab). weather, kit, navigation and 999 advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Adventure Smart (opens in new tab). ability, weather, kit and emergency advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap (ways chained from Pen-y-Pass to the summit) (opens in new tab). route geometry (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; one-way line measures 3.4 miles (5.51 km), so 6.8 miles (11.0 km) out and back, matching the official 6.8 miles (11 km). Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab) (ODbL). Route geometry. Saved 2026-10-25.

More walks in Wales

Llanberis Path to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)
The longest and gentlest-graded route up Snowdon, from Llanberis, still graded hard by the park authority.
Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Porthgain to Whitesands
A rugged cliff-top section of the National Trail from a harbor village to St Davids Head's beach.
Beacons Way: Storey Arms to Craig-y-Nos
Day 5 of the Beacons Way: a long moorland ridge walk west from the A470 to Craig-y-nos Country Park.

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