Snowdon, which route down?

freefly_mong
freefly_mong Posts: 65
edited November 2010 in Routes
i am looking at going up Snowdon again as it has been 10 years since I last did it. That time I came back down the Llanberis route having climbed the miner's track. I have heard the Rangers Track is a good descent. Whats it like? We do like quite a fast downhill with a few good drops, which the llanberis route does offer.
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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    if you're looking for super technical, then the PYG track looks like it could be a blast (but i don't know whether or not it actually IS rideable).
    That will take you to the to of the pass.

    Or, you could just go all freeridey and just fly off the side of the mountain down into Nant Gwynant.
  • compo
    compo Posts: 1,370
    Are people allowed to put their bikes on the train up Snowdon or is it the long climb up?
    GREAT SUCCESS!

    Canyon Nerve XC7

    Stolen Carrera Vulcan
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    long climb up. I'm not certain if the train is even still running now. The cafe at the top is apparently closed for the winter anyway
  • freefly_mong
    freefly_mong Posts: 65
    Unfortunately the website does say no bikes as its a small train... :cry:
  • stuyd
    stuyd Posts: 207
    I did snowden a few weeks ago, in the summer. You need to have the weather on your side. Can be a nightmare if misty or windy.

    Besty route for me in up lanberis and down rangers path.
    time to man up.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Wind can be a killer up there, high winds can be incredibly powerful, and there's a few high cliff edges you definitely don't want to be blown down.
  • spaceman69
    spaceman69 Posts: 6
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    Wind can be a killer up there, high winds can be incredibly powerful, and there's a few high cliff edges you definitely don't want to be blown down.
    yeah i got 'trapped' by the wind up there doig the 3 peaks challenge for about 30 minutes at 4am. weather is the boss up there!! :lol:
    any fool can get wet
    they all float down here georgie
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    Which way did you do the three Peaks? we did Scarefell at night and Snowdon last.

    been along the Pyg track lots of times. som of it would be pretty much impossible on a bike up or down. Would give much respect to anyone who could do it......
  • spaceman69
    spaceman69 Posts: 6
    ben nevis, helvellyn (i know) and then snowdon llanberis. on a bike obviously!! :roll:
    www.bmycharity.com/24triplesummitdownhill

    Pyg track is quite scarey on way down, i'm going to do the ranger track next time, looks good!
    any fool can get wet
    they all float down here georgie
  • RIKO
    RIKO Posts: 559
    I did it last year went up the main tourist route (Llanberis) and went down the Ranger path. Its the best way to do it I reckon. The Llanberis route allows max riding on the uphill sections (though unless your very fit you will be pushing!) The Ranger Trail has got some great Techy sections and also once off the mountain a great flowy doubletrack ride back to the village. Tje descent is 98% rideable just a wicked ride. Agree on the weather though leave a few days window if possible.
    http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/1994177/
    http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/4459322/
    http://cornwallmtb.kk5.org/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    slowslowslow wrote:
    been along the Pyg track lots of times. som of it would be pretty much impossible on a bike up or down. Would give much respect to anyone who could do it......
    Watch this space :wink::lol:
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    If you can do it and show me the video then I will personally drive to Wales and buy you a pint...........

    will you do Crib Goch for an encore......?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I'm intending to get a helmet cam for it, soon :D
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    hope its worth it for a pint of Brains pisswater..............
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    spaceman69 wrote:
    ben nevis, helvellyn (i know) and then snowdon llanberis. on a bike obviously!! :roll:
    www.bmycharity.com/24triplesummitdownhill

    quote]

    do you know what, i was only thinking earlier today i'd never heard of a bike version of the 3 peaks...well there it is :lol:

    guys, can snowdon be done in the winter? as long as the weather is reasonable?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    slowslowslow wrote:
    hope its worth it for a pint of Brains pisswater..............
    I don't drink Brains, it'll have to be Guiness or something.creating
    And besides, I'm intending on doing it to see if it can be done. A free drink is just a bonus! :lol:
    welshkev wrote:
    guys, can snowdon be done in the winter? as long as the weather is reasonable?
    Depends what you mean by "can be done" and "reasonable" weather.
    There's usually a lot of snow up top, making it more or less unrideable. But, if there isn't and the weather's reasonable, then sure, why not?
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    MBR has done all of the big three: Snowdon/Nevis/ Helvelyn (?). Suppose you could do it if you had decent transport but you would need mega lights for the night ride!!!

    Snowdon can I suppose by done in winter but would be very careful. Walking up it in winter is pretty bad so would be very dangerous on a bike. You would have not only the wind but fog and ice to contend with on a bad day. Did my mountain leader training in Ogwyn and they instiled in me a sense of caution for anything round there. Imagine mountain rescue would not be too happy if they had to venture out...

    That may of course make me a soft killjoy........................
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    that's what i wasn't sure of, whether there was snow up there most of the time.

    cool, i might make a trip up there early in the new year :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    slowslowslow is right, the Snowdonia range is a very dangerous place, and is underestimated by many.
    There's a reason it's used by SAS and suchlike to train, and why Hillary came to train in Capel Curing before heading up Everest.
    The small size of the mountains belies their treacherousity (new word :lol:)

    11 people had to be rescued from Snowdon last week alone :roll:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    welshkev wrote:
    that's what i wasn't sure of, whether there was snow up there most of the time.

    cool, i might make a trip up there early in the new year :D
    Early in the new year? It's almost guaranteed to have a mini glacier on it by then :shock:
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    slowslowslow is right, the Snowdonia range is a very dangerous place, and is underestimated by many.
    There's a reason it's used by SAS and suchlike to train, and why Hillary came to train in Capel Curing before heading up Everest.
    The small size of the mountains belies their treacherousity (new word :lol:)

    11 people had to be rescued from Snowdon last week alone :shock: :roll:

    :shock:

    yeah, i can appreciate that. and i like the new word :lol: i've walked it quite a few times and i'm used to being in the hills (note hills not mountains) being from on the border of the brecon beacons. so i feel i have a general idea of when to call it a day if things looked to be getting bad - by that i mean getting off the bike and sliding down on my ass :lol:
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    Bloody hell yeeham, hought you would rip into me then.... :)

    You will find snow up there from Dec through to Feb/March/April depending on the conditions. But it tends to hit the high peaks most. I would worry about ice, wind and fog which can be thick and really limit visibility. If you come off in those conditions you are in shit.
    You may get a lovely crisp winters day, but be prepared to sack it and go down the road to Penmachno instead.

    I remember Gryff Rhys Jones did a series on mountains a few years ago, he went up Snowdon with a Ranger who described mountains as having sex with a women.

    'Sometimes they allow you up them, sometimes they do not'
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I was up Snowdon in May, and there were still large clusters of snow!
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    last time i walked it, it was july and the fog came down and you couldn't see more than about 10 feet in front of you, so i was expecting some bad weather :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Well, I don't know if it technically is fog, of just cloud. Is there a difference?
    The peak of it is almost permanently shrouded in cloud.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    erm...i'm sure there is a difference. but i still couldn't see :lol:
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    In simple terms cloud is precipitation in the sky, and fog is at land level and generated according to conditions on the ground. It appears where the there is moisture and lower temperatures. I suppose it hit in the hills and mountains as there is a high mosture content and temperatures can change rapidly.

    Being Mr boring again i think if anyone is going to hit mountains like Snowdon/Nevis on a bike they should know it and walk it first. If it appears and you do not know where you are going to have real fun getting down. Something like the Pyg track is worse because you have narrow paths and some very steep drops.


    sory for rambling--its a thing i have quite strong views on from experience.................
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    so if fog is at land level, but you're high up on the mountains, is it fog, or cloud?
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    slowslowslow wrote:
    Being Mr boring again i think if anyone is going to hit mountains like Snowdon/Nevis on a bike they should know it and walk it first. If it appears and you do not know where you are going to have real fun getting down. Something like the Pyg track is worse because you have narrow paths and some very steep drops.


    sory for rambling--its a thing i have quite strong views on from experience.................

    no, i agree totally :lol: and as for riding the pyg track, i've walked it and there's no way i'll be riding it ( i know other people would :D )
  • slowslowslow
    slowslowslow Posts: 488
    Its still going to be fog as it is generated from the ground, and it tends to linger around instead of rising to cloud level. Things like Snowdon are high but not at cloud level. You need to hit the big boys over 8000m for that. Freezing fog is when it is so cold that the moisture from the ground freezes into tiny crystals.

    Cheers Kev. The mountains of Snowdonia are glorious-especially love Tryfan. but see people in Stilotoes, people with kids and no food/water and lots of people with no idea of the way weather can change in an instant and are totally unprepared for it. On a bike I imagine risks are much greater. The mountain rescue do a fantastic job, and we should minimise the risk to ourselves, others and those who help us out.

    But if you have the skills and the weather is right then go for it and the best of luck!! :lol:

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