Tackling Mount Snowdon (Snowdonia)

benjamesbp
benjamesbp Posts: 8
edited April 2012 in MTB beginners
Hiya, Im a novice at mtb only started 3 months ago and i love it. Im slowly learning techniques on all different types of terrain and my confidence is slowly but surly growing. now i want to train for something challenging and even more rewarding. i want to cycle to the peak of mount snowdonia at the end of the summer

As only a beginner im trying to get route information and tips to help me along with this challenge
thanks
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
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Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Have a read of the info in the routes section. You can not just ride on snowdow. There are restricted times.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • thanks. just getting to grips with the routes section. you been a great help
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    Good luck with that, where is it?
  • thanks, its in mid wales.
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    benjamesbp wrote:
    thanks, its in mid wales.
    :lol:
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    benjamesbp wrote:
    thanks, its in mid wales.

    haha, comic genius!!
  • Dirtydog11
    Dirtydog11 Posts: 1,621
    benjamesbp wrote:
    thanks, its in mid wales.

    Are you sure your from Wales?


    It's Mt Snowdon and it's located in the Snowdonia National Park, there's no such mountain as Mount Snowdonia.



    I'm surprised Yeeha took this so well, he's probably had to go for a lie down.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Yeehaa no longer seems to have anger management issues after taking the fluffy bunny therapy.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    I've done the Llanberis route, just get on it early, the earlier the better, bear in mind you will be walking/carrying your bike up some of the sections, even though we were well within the curfew, there were still LOTS of walkers on the route as we came down it.

    Most are Ok but some can be a 'little unhelpful' i.e. don't automatically think they will move as you come rattling down it :wink:
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Dirtydog11 wrote:
    I'm surprised Yeeha took this so well, he's probably had to go for a lie down.
    :roll:
    Facepalm. Epic, epic facepalm.
  • Dirtydog11
    Dirtydog11 Posts: 1,621
    Dirtydog11 wrote:
    I'm surprised Yeeha took this so well, he's probably had to go for a lie down.
    :roll:
    Facepalm. Epic, epic facepalm.


    :?
  • Dirtydog11 wrote:
    benjamesbp wrote:
    thanks, its in mid wales.

    Are you sure your from Wales?


    It's Mt Snowdon and it's located in the Snowdonia National Park, there's no such mountain as Mount Snowdonia.



    I'm surprised Yeeha took this so well, he's probably had to go for a lie down.

    Im from SOUTH Wales, and unfortunately im pretty oblivious to the rest of Wales... But thank you for pointing out my mistake.. My first post on here and iv already made myself look like the village idiot. ohh well!
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • pilch wrote:
    I've done the Llanberis route, just get on it early, the earlier the better, bear in mind you will be walking/carrying your bike up some of the sections, even though we were well within the curfew, there were still LOTS of walkers on the route as we came down it.

    Most are Ok but some can be a 'little unhelpful' i.e. don't automatically think they will move as you come rattling down it :wink:

    Thanks for the advice, you've been very helpfull.
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    benjamesbp wrote:
    Im from SOUTH Wales, and unfortunately im pretty oblivious to the rest of Wales...
    Spoken like a true South Walian :lol:

    You may want to consider that Mont Snodwonia is a pretty epic ride, physically. If you've only been riding three months, then it might be worth building up to it. The Snowdon taxi (RAF mountain rescue) is pretty fully booked in summer already.
  • gezebo
    gezebo Posts: 364
    From my experience the llanberis path is pretty over-rated as a route. However there are some really good routes around the area making a trip to northern Snowdonia well worth it. Where are they? Well that's for you to work out!
  • im not gonna take it lightly after browsing through you tube video's and im no-where near being physically ready to do cycle up there. im gonna use these summer months to build up to it. im looking at doing it in october, so thats a good 6 months of training. i don't want to be a hazard on the mountain.
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • Pedant Alert!!!!

    Please, it is called 'Snowdon' in English, it means 'Snow Hill' Or 'Yr Wyddfa' in Welsh, that means 'The Tumulus'. Adding the word 'Mount' is just wrong.

    Mount Everest? No, just Everest.
    Mount Snowdon? He probably would have liked it.
    :wink:

    Possibly my own personal pedantic naming OCD but please indulge me.

    Good Luck with the ride though, it should be an adventure.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Maybe he was talking about what he wants to do to Lord Snowdon.

    Seriously though, you call him up on that, but don't notice it's in geographically the wrong place? Fail :lol:

    Or, hell, maybe we're all wrong, and he's actually referring to Snowden, or Sondwin or even Snowdown :lol:
  • Maybe he was talking about what he wants to do to Lord Snowdon.

    Seriously though, you call him up on that, but don't notice it's in geographically the wrong place? Fail :lol:

    Or, hell, maybe we're all wrong, and he's actually referring to Snowden, or Sondwin or even Snowdown :lol:

    The eight or so posts prior to mine had driven the geography lesson home hard already so I felt that would have been making a mountain out of a.... oh...... I'll get me coat :mrgreen:
  • thank you all for your Geography lesson, its been extremely educational and much appreciated.
    i now know i placed the mountain in the wrong part of Wales i.e Mid Wales, and also got the name wrong.
    But as i said in one of my previous posts i'm from South Wales and oblivious to the rest of Wales. the furthest North i have been is Llandovery. So every town, village, street past Llandovery is unknown to me.
    The whole point of this post (Tackling Mount Snowdon (Snowdonia) was so i could get information about what its like to ride up and down the mountain by people who have done it and experienced it, so i roughly now what im getting myself into because i am new to the mountain biking scene...
    Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Yes, fine, we understand the naming cockup, but being from the south really is no excuse for not knowing where Snowdon is. It's more than a little cringeworthy to read such an excuse.
    Many of us have never been to the Himalayas, but we know where Everest is.
    A simple "oops" would have saved some grace. :lol:
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Where is Wales? Is it part of England?
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    cooldad wrote:
    Where is Wales? Is it part of England?
    It's an air-breathing country that's under the sea (or at least always wet), just off the coast of Anglesey, and the indigineous tribespeople speak Patagonian.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    AWESOME. DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH AS WELL?

    (That's how you speak to foreigners, loudly and distinctly)
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    cooldad wrote:
    AWESOME. DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH AS WELL?

    (That's how you speak to foreigners, loudly and distinctly)
    Nope, that's just how the ignorant English speak to foreigners.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    That would be Mr Ignorant Englishman to you colonials.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Majski
    Majski Posts: 443
    I've ridden snowdon 3 or 4 times - always on the llanberis path. However i've only done it on a downhill bike so have never tried to ride up - not sure why you'd want to!

    In terms of not being fit enough or being a hazard on the mountain I really wouldn't worry. It's not exactly a 'dangerous' route providing the weather is ok, just make sure you take a waterproof jacket and some food / drink and you'll be fine. There's also no shame in walking half of it if you're knackered. Also bear in mind that the way down is basically a 4 mile rock garden so it's going to be rough on your arms and legs and you're likely to get pinch flats so a good high tyre pressure and spare tubes are essential as well as nice soft grips. I'd also recommend knee / elbow pads due to the nature of the terrain if you do have a fall.

    Have no idea how long it takes to ride up but be careful of burning yourself out right at the start as from the town (Llanberis) it starts on a very very steep road section which could probably put you off for the rest of the day - it then mellows out for the lower half of the mountain. I imagine you'll be pushing for the top half anyway as it's all big rock steps and steep scree slopes. In terms of riding down it should probably take you around 20-25 minutes depending on your bike / how often you need to stop and get the feeling back in your arms.

    With regards to walkers - theres going to be a lot of them. For the majority of the trail it won't matter as it's very wide, but occasionally you'll hit a rocky outcrop which may only have one line you're confident on. In which case you'll have to either pick your way down around the walkers slowly or wait until they've moved so you can hit it fast. It can be frustrating as they always seem to 'move out of the way' directly into the line you want to take. Just try your best not to run any children over as it gives mountain bikers a bad name!

    Basically just take your time and enjoy it. Here's a couple of photos from when we've ridden there before. First couple from about 4 yrs ago and the last one from 4 days ago as we were there this weekend just gone.

    207_40349824664_661514664_1164497_4568_n.jpg207_40349779664_661514664_1164490_2522_n.jpg
    DSCN0601.jpg
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Majski wrote:
    [I have]never tried to ride up - not sure why you'd want to!

    ...In terms of not being fit enough or being a hazard on the mountain I really wouldn't worry.
    ...There's also no shame in walking half of it if you're knackered.
    ...Have no idea how long it takes to ride up but be careful of burning yourself out right at the start as from the town (Llanberis) it starts on a very very steep road section which could probably put you off for the rest of the day

    So, you've never ridden up it, yet you're telling a guy who's been riding for 3 months that it shouldn't be particularly challenging, physically?
    Riiiiight.
  • Majski
    Majski Posts: 443
    Majski wrote:
    [I have]never tried to ride up - not sure why you'd want to!

    ...In terms of not being fit enough or being a hazard on the mountain I really wouldn't worry.
    ...There's also no shame in walking half of it if you're knackered.
    ...Have no idea how long it takes to ride up but be careful of burning yourself out right at the start as from the town (Llanberis) it starts on a very very steep road section which could probably put you off for the rest of the day

    So, you've never ridden up it, yet you're telling a guy who's been riding for 3 months that it shouldn't be particularly challenging, physically?
    Riiiiight.


    Nope, I didn't say that at all. I just pointed out that he doesn't have to ride all the way up and it's hardly in the wilderness being a very visable waymarked path only a few miles long. Maybe it's the way I worded it but that's not what I meant.
  • Majski
    Majski Posts: 443
    Majski wrote:
    [I have]never tried to ride up - not sure why you'd want to!

    ...In terms of not being fit enough or being a hazard on the mountain I really wouldn't worry.
    ...There's also no shame in walking half of it if you're knackered.
    ...Have no idea how long it takes to ride up but be careful of burning yourself out right at the start as from the town (Llanberis) it starts on a very very steep road section which could probably put you off for the rest of the day

    So, you've never ridden up it, yet you're telling a guy who's been riding for 3 months that it shouldn't be particularly challenging, physically?
    Riiiiight.


    Yep, just read back over my post - you're just being anal and taking parts of what I said out of context. Awesome