The Snowdon Horseshoe is often described as one of the best ridge walks in Wales with ‘interesting’ terrain and amazing views but with grade one scrambles, a knife-edged arête and big drops to contend with it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The route is made up of a horseshoe shaped ring of ridges and peaks on Snowdon’s eastern side and makes for a great mountain day suitable for most.

It starts with an easy climb from Pen y Pass along the Pyg Track before veering off to tackle the exposed ridge of Crib Goch. The bravest will march confidently along the top whilst the more nervous will be on all fours with most people managing a bit of both! The pinnacles give you a bit of easy vertical scrambling before the easy walk to Snowdon’s summit. You’ll then descend to the south to the rough, rocky Y Lliwedd with its amazing views back to Crib Goch then further down into Cwm Dyli before joining the Miners’ Track back to the start.

We can take you and your family, small group of friends or whole organisation around the Snowdon Horseshoe at any time of the spring, summer or autumn (conditions depending). We’ll chat to you in advance, discuss your needs and ensure you’ve got the right gear for an enjoyable day out. On the day we’ll meet you at the start point and guide you safely along the route and supply you with entertaining facts and bad jokes along the way.

WARNING: Whilst this activity is suitable for most we wouldn’t recommend it to those with a fear of heights!

Pick your own date

    If there's three or more of you in your group we can add a date that suits you. We'll then advertise this new date on our website for others to join or if you'd like one of our guides to run a private event just for you, please contact us.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    We deliberately keep our group sizes small to ensure your safety and to give you the most enjoyable experience. There’s typically up to six people on our Snowdon Horseshoe hikes.
    Of course! Around half our clients come on their own. It’s a great way to meet other like-minded adventurers.

    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.

    It can be, 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. If you’re coming from Bangor you’ll need the S2 Snowdon Sherpa service. From Llanberis or Nant Peris (Park & Ride) use the S1, S2 or S5 buses or from Porthmadog take the S4.

    Get off at Pen-y-Pass and your guide will be waiting for you there.

    Due to the nature of this activity it’s not really suitable for pets – even adventurous ones. Sorry.

    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.

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