Snowdon - how long?
me an a ridding buddy are wanting to tick off a few big mountain rides this summer and are looking at doing Snowdon.
Because of the voluntary bike ban between 10am and 5pm we are looking at doing a dawn raid, but how long should we budget in time for the ride ie at what unearthly hour do i need to be dragging my sleep ass from it's nice warm sleeping bag!
Obviously very dependent on fitness (fairly in both our cases), weather, mechancials and time spent standing still looking at the bike and wondering who's ridiculous idea this was, but a rough idea of time budget would be useful - anyone done it?
The route we were thinking about is up the Pyg track from Llanberis (as easiest climb) and down the rangers track (as less used by walkers) and back along the road. Any input / suggestions on this?
Because of the voluntary bike ban between 10am and 5pm we are looking at doing a dawn raid, but how long should we budget in time for the ride ie at what unearthly hour do i need to be dragging my sleep ass from it's nice warm sleeping bag!
Obviously very dependent on fitness (fairly in both our cases), weather, mechancials and time spent standing still looking at the bike and wondering who's ridiculous idea this was, but a rough idea of time budget would be useful - anyone done it?
The route we were thinking about is up the Pyg track from Llanberis (as easiest climb) and down the rangers track (as less used by walkers) and back along the road. Any input / suggestions on this?
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I think you mean the Llanberis path not the Pyg track, you would be carrying the bike for most of the Pyg track. I have done it up and down the Ranger path, rideable for about 75%.0
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alfablue wrote:I think you mean the Llanberis path not the Pyg track, you would be carrying the bike for most of the Pyg track. I have done it up and down the Ranger path, rideable for about 75%.
your right llanberis path would be easier, but i don't rememebr pyg track being that bad, saying that it been a fair few years since i've done that route walking usualy favouring watkins or rhyd dhu (unless i fancy a bit of crib goch induced tension!)
how long did it take via rangers path?0 -
I think some of the Pyg track requires hands and feet, and a lot of it is like rock steps. The guide says: "This path, which starts at 1,170 ft. (359m.) is one of the most rugged and challenging routes up Snowdon"
http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/home/visiti ... _track.htm
My ride was over 10 years ago so its hard to remember exactly how long it took, I took my sons, I think we took about 3-4 hours, I remember the descent was quite quick and fun, after you get past the twisty / loose rocks bit (where I went over the bars :oops: ). We left too late so we accidentally overshot the voluntary agreement time by about an hour on the way down, but there were few walkers about at the time.
We stayed at the Snowdon Ranger Hostel, at the foot of the ranger path, we were doing a camping cycle tour on the Lon Las Cymru (this is a fantastic tour) but detoured for the Snowdon ride.0 -
If you are fit, you should get up in well under 2 hours. Not been down the Ranger path on a bike but I'd guess an hour should suffice. I did it in the evening. Up and down the Llanberis path. 1 hr 36 to get up. 10 mins admiring the cloud and 18 minutes to get back down. That was a saturday evening in June 2008. Most of the walkers had gone by the time we came down. Hoping to do it again this year, but will come down the Rangers path too!0
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Mancunianfightingcat wrote:If you are fit, you should get up in well under 2 hours. Not been down the Ranger path on a bike but I'd guess an hour should suffice. I did it in the evening. Up and down the Llanberis path. 1 hr 36 to get up. 10 mins admiring the cloud and 18 minutes to get back down. That was a saturday evening in June 2008. Most of the walkers had gone by the time we came down. Hoping to do it again this year, but will come down the Rangers path too!
So looking to do a dawn raid on w/e 18/19 sept. My question is how scary fit are you MFC are your times good or exceptional? Is 1hr 36 constant pedaling or does it include a couple of breathers? Did you get there his summer?
Any advice greatly appreciated0 -
I went up & back down the Llanberis path a few years ago, took me about 2.5 hours I think.
The Llanberis path is only 4.5 miles from base to summit, maybe 75% rideable, although a lot of path preservation work's been carried out in recent years - not sure whether that makes it more, or less, rideable in some places ...
If you want to do a loop, I'd suggest going up the Llanberis path and back down the Ranger path - in my opinion, the Ranger path is more suited to riding down than up.
Personally, I wouldn't ride the Pyg track - it is the shortest route to the summit, but I'm not sure how rideable it is - certainly the top section before you meet the main ridge gets very steep and stepped.
If you get a calm, clear day then it's a great few hours riding :-)0 -
It's really not that hard, I walked up it last year too with my Asthmatic wife, took us about 3 hours to get up, so I guess even if you pushed the bike all the way up you'd be looking at 4 hours max.
Checking back on my GPS log, the 1.36 was actual moving time, there was about 20 mins stationary having a Snickers at the half way point.
Like I say it's not particularly steep, it just goes on for a long time!
I had planned to go up this year, but on the planned day the weather was crap so we abandoned it.0 -
Llanberis path is fine. But there is just NO WAY you would ride up most of the PYG track.
I've venture a guess that around 70% of it would be unrideable on the way up.
The way down, however, is a different story, which I keep meaning to test
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You could try Telegraph Valley, opposite Snowdon.
Rideable ALL year round, even the lower Ranger path bit.
Start at Waunfawr or Llanberis. About 1.5 up/30 down or 3 - 4 hr circular route.
Or the climb to the Drym/The Drum from Abergwyngregin. Long, hard, rocky, rideable all year too. About 1.5 -2 hrs up, 30 - 45 min down.
Other trails lead off it to Llanfairfechan, or to the Marin Trail via Llanrwst.0 -
i went up the llanberis path about 10 years ago (rigid forks, canti brakes etc) we set off at 0600 and took about 3 hours to get up and an hour to get down. A friend who was walking did it in the same overall time. We were fairly unfit and spent a fair bit of time looking at the rising sun, the dawn was incredible. Once you're down, treat yourself to breakfast at Pete's eats in Llanberis
~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~0 -
cheers for all the input guys, looks like llanberis path for way up and ranger path on the way down then
think i may of been getting pyg & llanberis path confused as it's been a fair few years since i've walked either normaly favouring crib coch or watsons (definately not bike friendly).
does anyone know the dates voluntray bike restriction is in place?0 -
Last part of the Ranger a bit dodgy.
Lots of erosion last few years, so deep wheel-swallowing gulleys and rutted.
New slate water bars lying across the trail at an angle too.
Alternative is: Turn offthe Ranger near the end, get onto the Telegraph Valley path, bit of a climb then through a gate, and follow this to the pumping station. Very fast and rocky. Bit of climbing and then you get to Waunfawr after a fast, steep tarmac road.
Good fun though!!!0 -
I set off to ride Snowdon last year with 1 mate and we did'nt ride very far up the Llanberis track before having to walk. We walked 90% of it in just over an hour and a half. 20mins at the top to repair a puncture (typical!!) then about 15-20mins down althought his was going pretty fast!
To the people who rode up the Llanberis track did you ride up the railway track or the path? I didn't have a chance of riding all the way up the path!!
Stu0 -
So my mate and I went for it on Sunday early. Had a puncture on the motor on way there, which had us worried!
So we left car park in Llanberis at 7.33, well behind schedule. Nipped across town, down Victoria Terrace, at the end of which the road tilts up at a scarry angle. Stuck it in the granny ring and started grinding. Managed to go off route as did not turn left through wooden gate, but was quickly back on track. Lots of hike a bike on way up, 40% maybe? but kept pushing forward.
About 1/3 of way up managed to get a pinch flat on the back, that never happened on a climb before! Started to worry about running out of tubes on way back down and purposley over pumped rear. Top 2/3 was all in cloud and persistent drizzle so no danger of overheating.
Summit cairn reached at 9.05, was overpumping front before decent when a cute hiker girl came aroud the corner. I bid her a cheery good morning, but she just looked gutted. She probably wanted to be first up that day, sorry too slow, get a bike. My buddy was soon there so we did a photo on top of cairn and came far too close to geting blown to oblivion by a couple of really strong gusts.
The Decent was nearly all rideable , I was a bit cold and stiff from spending too long at the top (10-15 mins) but my mate seemed to get some flow going and flew down well ahead of me. We were back on the tarmac at 9.44, back in van and trying to defrost a couple of minutes later.
So job done and big sense of accomplishment, would recomend it to others but not a small undertaking.
Thanks for advice0 -
Good effort!
Out of a general interest, did you know that the unofficial record from the top of Snowdon to Llanberis was around 8 minutes!0
