Eryri National Park is home to nine distinct mountain ranges and some of the finest high-level walking anywhere in Britain. At its heart stands Yr Wyddfa, known to many as Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales and England at 1,085 metres, and the undisputed centrepiece of any serious mountain walking holiday in the area. But Eryri is far more than a single summit. Beyond Yr Wyddfa lie the jagged ridges of the Glyderau, the vast rolling tops of the Carneddau and a host of other ranges, together offering some of the most dramatic and varied mountain terrain in the UK.
The scenery up here is on an entirely different scale to the valleys below. Crib Goch, the notorious knife-edge ridge forming part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, offers one of the most exhilarating scrambles in Wales, its narrow, exposed crest leading walkers on towards the summit of Yr Wyddfa itself with sweeping views stretching as far as Ireland on a clear day. To the north, across the Ogwen Valley, the Glyderau present a landscape of shattered rock and strange, weathered pinnacles, including the famous Cantilever Stone, while the pyramidal peak of Tryfan, said to be unclimbable without using your hands, is instantly recognisable as one of the most striking mountains in the country.
Further north still, the Carneddau form the largest expanse of high ground over 3,000 feet anywhere in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands, a vast, rolling wilderness of grassy ridges and remote summits including Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd. It is wilder and quieter up here than the busier trails around Yr Wyddfa, with wild ponies roaming the high moorland and Bronze Age burial cairns crowning many of the summits, evidence of just how long people have been drawn to these mountains.
History and legend sit as comfortably up here as they do lower down. Many of these peaks feature in the Mabinogion, the great collection of medieval Welsh tales, while Yr Wyddfa itself is bound up with Arthurian legend as the reputed burial place of the giant Rhitta Gawr. The 2022 renaming of Snowdon and Snowdonia to their original Welsh names, Yr Wyddfa and Eryri, reflects just how deeply this landscape is tied to Welsh culture and identity, something walkers quickly come to appreciate as they move through it.
Wildlife adds another dimension to walking at altitude here. Ravens and peregrine falcons patrol the high crags, feral mountain goats can occasionally be spotted picking their way across improbable rock faces, and the Carneddau’s wild ponies, a hardy breed unique to the range, are a familiar sight on the higher ground. Combined with some of the most celebrated ridge walks and scrambles in Britain, it is easy to see why Eryri’s high mountains have such a devoted following among serious walkers, offering a genuine sense of wilderness that few places in Wales, or England, can match.
Our High-Level Snowdonia walking holiday is designed for confident, experienced walkers looking to properly get to grips with Eryri’s mountains, taking in some of its finest peaks and ridges over several days. Given the more serious nature of this terrain, including some sections of scrambling, we recommend our guided option, with a qualified mountain leader on hand to navigate the route, share their knowledge of the area and ensure you get the very best out of each day safely. Experienced hillwalkers with strong navigation skills may also opt for a self-guided version of the trip, with detailed route notes and mapping provided. Either way, we take care of your accommodation each night in a comfortable base at the heart of the national park, leaving you free to focus entirely on the mountains.
Day 1: Arrive in Llanberis or Capel Curig Make your own way to your base for the week, ideally placed for access to Yr Wyddfa, the Glyderau and the Carneddau. Settle in for the evening and run through the plan for the days ahead.
Day 2: Yr Wyddfa via the Miners’ and Pyg Tracks An ascent of Wales’ highest peak via two of its classic routes, skirting the dramatic lakes of Llyn Llydaw and Llyn Glaslyn before the final push to the summit, with far-reaching views across Eryri and beyond on a clear day. Experienced walkers may opt to include the Crib Goch ridge for a more serious mountain day.
Day 3: The Glyderau and Tryfan A rugged day among the shattered rock and pinnacles of the Glyderau, taking in Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach via the dramatic cleft of the Devil’s Kitchen, with the option to tackle the iconic scramble up Tryfan for those wanting an extra challenge.
Day 4: The Carneddau ridge A big day out on the wild, rolling tops of the Carneddau, climbing Pen yr Ole Wen before following the high ridge over Carnedd Dafydd and on to Carnedd Llewelyn, the third highest peak in Wales, through genuinely remote mountain country.
Day 5: Moelwynion or a lower-level recovery day A quieter day among the lesser-known Moelwynion range, or a gentler valley walk for those wanting to rest tired legs before the final push, taking in some of Eryri’s slate quarrying heritage along the way.
Day 6: Depart Enjoy a final morning taking in the mountain views before making your way home.
(Itinerary shown as an example – routes, peaks and pacing can be adjusted to suit ability, weather conditions and experience, and additional rest days can be built in as required.)
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