The Snowdon Horseshoe — Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl, Yr Wyddfa, Y Lliwedd — is one of the great mountain days in Britain, a full circular traverse of the peaks surrounding the Glaslyn cwm. It demands fitness, a head for heights, and a willingness to commit to a route from which there is no easy retreat once Crib Goch is underway. This is Experience #11 of the Snowdonia 100.
Route Details
| Start/End | Pen-y-Pass (book parking in advance or take Sherpa bus) |
| Distance | 12km |
| Total Ascent | 1,050m |
| Time | 6–8 hours |
| Grade | Strenuous — includes Grade 1 scramble on Crib Goch |
| Direction | Anti-clockwise (Crib Goch → summit → Y Lliwedd) is standard |
The Experience
The day begins with the steep ascent from Pen-y-Pass to Crib Goch's east ridge, and from there the commitment is total: the knife-edge arête, 600 metres of exposure on both sides, the pinnacles to be traversed, and finally the broad ridge of Crib y Ddysgl rising to the summit. The ascent of Yr Wyddfa from this direction — after the adrenaline of Crib Goch — feels earned in a way that no other approach matches. After the summit, the broad ridge descends to Bwlch y Saethau and climbs to Y Lliwedd's twin tops before descending the Miners' Track to Pen-y-Pass.
Conditions and Advice
The Horseshoe should not be attempted in poor visibility, strong winds, or icy conditions without winter mountaineering skills. The Crib Goch section is unnavigable in mist without experience. For walkers new to exposed scrambling, consider doing Crib Goch in isolation first before committing to the full round. The Horseshoe in perfect autumn conditions — clear air after rain, bracken turning golden, the lake below catching the light — is among the finest mountain experiences available in Britain.
Experience #11 of 100 — Routes and Ridges category. See the full Horseshoe guide.
Independently written — Snowdon.com