The Pyg Track

The Pyg Track is widely considered one of the finest mountain walks in Wales. Starting from the high car park at Pen-y-Pass, it traverses the upper contours of the mountain with spectacular views of Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw throughout, before a technical final section brings you to the summit plateau. Shorter than the Llanberis Path, it packs more drama into every kilometre.

The Name

The "Pyg" in Pyg Track is contested. The most likely origin is "PYG" — an acronym for Pen-y-Gwryd, the famous mountaineering hotel at the foot of the pass (the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel was the base for the 1953 Everest team's training). Others derive it from the Welsh "bwlch y moch" — "pass of the pigs" — which the path crosses. Both explanations may be right, or neither.

Route Description

The path begins at Pen-y-Pass (359m), the highest car park in Wales, at the top of the Llanberis Pass. From the car park entrance, take the path heading southwest, immediately gaining height on a constructed stone path. The views behind you — down the Llanberis Pass to Llyn Peris and Llanberis — open rapidly.

After 1.5km, the path reaches Bwlch y Moch (Pass of the Pigs) at approximately 540m. This is a key junction: the path to Crib Goch heads northeast, and the direct continuation is the Pyg Track proper. From Bwlch y Moch, Yr Wyddfa appears ahead in its full imposing bulk, and — more dramatically — Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw come into view below and to the left. Glaslyn, the copper-green lake directly beneath the summit, owes its extraordinary colour to dissolved copper minerals from the ancient mines above its shores.

The Pyg Track now traverses the mountainside at roughly constant height for about 2km, with the lakes below and the summit ridges above. This is one of the most rewarding sections of any path on the mountain — good underfoot, spectacular views, and a genuine sense of being high in the mountains rather than merely toiling upward. The Miners' Track is visible far below, winding around the shore of Llyn Llydaw on the old copper miners' causeway.

The path begins to climb more seriously as it approaches the upper mountain, passing the ruins of the copper mine buildings above Glaslyn. The final section below the summit ridge involves hands-on scrambling on rocky ground — nothing beyond the capability of any fit, sure-footed walker in dry conditions, but terrain that requires care in wet or icy conditions. The path zigzags steeply to join the main summit path from the Llanberis direction, 100m below the top.

What to Expect

The Pyg Track is the best combination of accessibility and quality on Yr Wyddfa. The traverse section offers sustained mountain atmosphere without the leg-destroying gradient of the Watkin Path. The rocky final section is interesting without being seriously dangerous. The views — particularly the paired lakes of Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw seen from above — are among the most photographed in Wales.

Pen-y-Pass car park is small (about 100 spaces) and fills by 7am on summer weekends. The Snowdon Sherpa bus (Service S1 from Llanberis, S2 from Nant Peris) serves the car park regularly in season — this is strongly recommended over driving. The Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel serves non-residents and is a useful breakfast or post-walk stop.

Combining with the Miners' Track

The classic combination is to ascend the Pyg Track and descend the Miners' Track — both start and end at Pen-y-Pass, and together they form a satisfying circular route of about 13km. The descent via Miners' Track allows you to walk the causeway across Llyn Llydaw and see the old mining buildings at close range. Many people do this circuit in reverse — Miners up, Pyg down — finding the Pyg's rocky descent more entertaining than the Miners' steep zigzags.