Snowdon for Charities

There’s no limit to how many people can take part in your Snowdon charity challenge. We can organise your event for four people or 400 people.

We only use qualified and experienced mountain guides. They will hold a minimum of the Summer Mountain Leader qualification which enables guides to lead groups in the mountains of the UK. They also hold an up-to-date outdoor first aid certificate (less than three years old) and have public liability insurance.

Of course. We write all our own risk assessments in-house and have them signed off by our technical advisor. We’ll be happy to share them on request.

Children are very welcome but must be accompanied by their parent or guardian at all times. If you’re unsure about your child’s suitability please get in touch and we can have a chat.

That all depends on how quick you walk! If walking in a group then we’ll always aim to stay together and will go at the pace of the slowest person. You should treat it as a day out and expect it to take six to eight hours to get to the top and back down again. We never treat these days as races or endurance tests – the idea is to enjoy yourself.

Absolutely not. As with many outdoor activities you can easily spend a fortune on the latest top-end clothing but there’s really no need. Hiking boots are better than walking shoes and walking shoes are better than trainers but if all you have is a pair of firm, comfy trainers then they’ll be fine.

Starting from the bottom up, you’ll need something comfy to walk in. If you’ve bought new footwear try to wear them a few times before you climb Snowdon to make sure they’re a good fit. An extra pair of socks can also be a good idea. Walking trousers are great particularly the ones you can zip the bottoms off to make shorts. Jeans are really bad as if they get wet they become very heavy and are difficult to dry. The key to your top half is layers. Don’t wear a t-shirt then a big heavy coat – better to wear a t-shirt, a fleece of some sort and a jacket – that way you can easily add/remove layers as the conditions change. If you have a hat and gloves then pack them. Remember the temperature on the summit will always be considerably less than at sea level so be prepared. Finally you’ll need a rucksack to carry everything. No need for a huge expedition backpack – just something big enough to carry your lunch and spare bits. If you have any questions about what you need on the day, get in touch.

This is what we’d recommend everyone should have when climbing Snowdon but we understand the weather on the day will affect what you pack.

• Rucksack
• Walking shoes/boots
• Warm socks (plus a spare pair in your rucksack)
• Walking trousers
• Waterproof overtrousers
• Base layer (eg t-shirt)
• Mid layer such as a fleece (plus a spare in your rucksack)
• Outer layer (eg a lightweight jacket)
• Waterproof jacket
• Some spare clothing items for emergencies
• Woolly hat/sun hat
• Gloves
• Dry bags/bin liners to keep things dry
• Walking poles
• Food – enough to last you all day plus spare
• Water – at least one litre preferably double that

It can be at times, yes. You might have seen photos of crowds queuing at the summit for their photo opportunity however this is really only an issue on summer weekends and sunny bank holidays. To help mitigate this we always recommend an early start.

Yes there is. But it only opens from around the end of Spring until late October and then only on good weather days so it’s always best to be self-sufficient and bring your own snacks and drinks.

There are public toilets at the start of each route and when the summit visitor centre is open there are also facilities at the top.

Yes! If you’re travelling locally from Betws-y-Coed or Caernarfon you can catch the S1 Snowdon Sherpa bus or if you’re coming from Bangor you’ll need the S2 Snowdon Sherpa service. Head for Llanberis Interchange then walk across the road to our meeting point at the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Well behaved dogs are welcome on our Snowdon hikes however due to the number of sheep and ground nesting birds, they will need to be on a lead throughout the day. You should also be certain that your dog is comfortable with the distance and duration of the hike. We wouldn’t recommend this activity as being suitable for your cat, hamster or goldfish.

In 2022, more than 95% of our clients successfully reached the summit of Snowdon. Our guides will always aim to get you and the group there however sometimes it might not be possible for safety reasons.

If it’s too windy or there’s too much snow or ice on the path then our guides will turn the group around at the point where it’s no longer safe to continue. On the rare occasion this does happen, it’s typically after the three-quarter way mark so hopefully you’ll have still had a good day out.

Sometimes the general fitness or walking speed of a member of the group might mean turning back those who are struggling to avoid causing issues for the rest of the group although our guides are usually able to recognise this very early on in the day.

Safety will always be our guide’s main priority.

It typically takes around six hours to get to the summit and back down again. Sometimes we go a little quicker and sometimes a little slower – it depends on the group that day. It rarely takes more than seven hours. Please remember if you’re joining a group walk you’ll need to be able to keep up with the majority. If you’re really worried about being too slow we’d suggest hiring a private guide for you and your friends to ensure you get the best out of your day.