Climbing Snowdon with kids

If you are planning on climbing Mount Snowdon with kids then here’s my guide on how to tackle this exciting adventure. It was an extremely challenging experience which we planned and prepared for over 6 months. So if you are considering climbing Snowdon there are lots of factors to consider. One is the fitness levels of you and your family. My advice would be to do plenty of research before hand and lots of practise hikes. All the paths up Snowdon are challenging, so do plenty of research to choose the right route for you and your family.

If like us you have never hiked such a distance and steep ascent with your kids before you might be feeling a little apprehensive about what to expect. Read on for how we prepared for our big adventure and more…

How to prepare for a Snowdon hike with kids:

Emily was eight years old when we took on the Snowdon challenge and we had never done anything like this before. She would often moan on the one mile walk home from school so this was a daunting but exciting adventure for all of us! We chose to raise money for a charity close to Emily’s heart, a school in Nepal which her Primary school raises money for. This helped to give Emily the extra motivation she needed. In total she raised over £300!

We started doing longer walks at home around four months before our planned climb. Choosing a variety of terrains was hard on the south coast of the UK as we don’t have a lot of hills! So this wasn’t always a given on our walks. We did choose some great cliff top hikes with steep inclines and also a four mile walk on a shingle spit for that added extra effort. Four miles was in fact the most we built up to walking with Emily. The hike up Snowdon and back we knew was roughly 9.5 miles so for Emily we felt this was a good build up to the real thing. In all honesty we ran out of time to do any more walks so rightly or wrongly made the decision that with a positive mindset we’d make it through the rest!

There’s a lot to consider for climbing Snowdon with kids. From which route to take and time of year to visit, to training and building up fitness before hand. We started our ‘training walks’ in January and climbed Snowdon in the same year in April. We wore the hiking boots we planned to wear on our walk up Snowdon so Emily’s feet could get used to them. Teamed with a pair of breathable socks and the sports leggings she was going to wear on the trek.

When to climb Snowdon with kids:

We chose April to climb up Snowdon. During half-term worked best for us when the kids were off school. After doing my own research this time of year seemed good. We chose a weekday and although busy it didn’t feel as overcrowded as I expected. We started at 7am and didn’t see anyone else until a couple of hours into our hike.

Set off early to avoid crowds, this also allows plenty of time to reach the summit and get back before dark. We set off at 7am and got back to our car just before 3pm.

From my own research the summer months sound like a good option with sunnier, dryer and longer days. Although it’s probably busier at that time of year, there’s more guarantee of better visibility. Although heat exhaustion is something to think about in the summer. May and September from research sound good months, being less crowded and cooler temperatures. The cafe at the summit is open from May to October, weather permitting. So that’s something to consider too. It wasn’t open in April but we already knew this and made sure we took enough food and water with us to cover the whole trip.

I’d recommend keeping an eye on the weather before hand and if possible switch the day you go on if the weather changes for the worse. We planned it around a weeks holiday in Wales and stayed in this gorgeous barn conversion with incredible mountain views and a hot tub. It was 15 miles from Snowdon. By leaving our plans loose for the week it meant we could keep a close watch on the weather and chose the best day weather wise to embark on our adventure! Flexibility is definitely key when climbing Snowdon with kids. There are so many factors to consider and safety is top of the priority list.

Planning your route up Snowdon: The Miner’s Track

There are 6 different routes to take: Llanberis, Rhyd Ddu, Snowdon Ranger Path, Minens’, Pyg and Watkin Path. Each route is challenging.

We chose the Miners’ Track and what an adventure it was! Miner’s is shorter in distance than the others but is by no means any easier! It was steep and rocky most of the way to the summit, making it a challenge. Be prepared for steep scrambles, loose rock underfoot and lots of uneven cobbles. The steep ascent and scramble up the rocks didn’t deter Emily though, she couldn’t get enough of this adventure!

We did the route in 7 hours 44 minutes. We took our time, with plenty of stops to catch our breath. This wasn’t a race and we let Emily choose when we stopped. It was a good excuse to take in the incredible scenery too and listen to the silence when there was no one else around. Miners’ starts as a gravel track, which turns into a rocky, uneven ascent and then a steep scramble for the last mile to the summit.

It was a 9.59 mile round trip. The climb both ways was tougher than I expected but also the most incredible experience. The sense of achievement is something I will remember forever. Especially as we took on the adventure as a family with Emily’s Dad and Emily’s Uncle, my brother Chris. Chris had walked the Miners’ track before so it was great to have his expertise on the hike and being an ex-marine he has a great sense of adventure!

The lakes we passed on the route were beautiful. We stopped at Lake Glaslyn on the way back down for a paddle, the glacial water was chilly! But a refreshing reward for tired feet after the steepest part of the descent. My brother was super brave and went in for a well earned dip. It was so cold that it actually felt painful on my feet so I was content with just a paddle! Be sure to pack a change of socks, this was good to do after the paddle and perfect for the final 2 hour walk back to the car park from the lake.

The Eryri National park website has a useful guide: Yr Wyddfa: Choosing the right path. It has everything you need to know about each of the Snowdon tracks.

Remember to keep an eye on the right path. Miners’ and Pyg track do connect and are only marked by a plain stone, so be sure to watch out for this as you don’t want to end up taking the wrong route. We also stopped every so often to take in where we were headed as the path wasn’t always very clear, especially the rockier, steeper sections near Lake Glaslyn.

Where to Park for Miners’ Track:

We parked at Pen y Pass car park where the Miners’ track begins, it has toilets, which is always good to know! You need to book in advance on JustPark. We set off just after 7am and arrived back at Pen y Pass just before 3pm. Make sure you give yourself more than enough time on your parking. There was a water fountain there but this was out of order on our visit so go prepared with plenty of your own and leave extra in the car. We actually ran out on the last couple of hours of the walk, so if you can carry it, take more than you think you’ll need!

What to wear and take on your Snowdon hike:

Wear layers and be prepared for changeable weather.
Comfy, supportive shoes – Emily wore a pair of kids hiking boots and some thick breathable socks.
Snacks, snacks and more snacks! We also took a packed lunch.
Sweets really kept Emily occupied on the walk and also gave a little energy boost when needed!
Emily had a bumbag to keep small snacks, sweets, tissues and lip balm in.
Plenty of water – we ran out on the way back and I really thought we had more than enough. There was also very disappointingly none at the car park when we got back as the tap was out of order. Not great when you’ve just done a massive hike.
Phone charger
Change of socks
Sun cream
Cap
Bobble hat & gloves
Water proof jacket
Small first aid kit
Torch
Swimwear and microfibre towel if you plan to have a dip at Lake Glaslyn

Be prepared for changeable weather. In April we had clear skies and sunshine all the way to the summit but it can still vary greatly at that time of year. So pack waterproof jackets and hats as well as sun cream and caps like we did! Its also a good idea to wear layers, we got hot with the sunny weather and the strenuous climb so it was good to be able to ‘strip’ off when needed. Higher up the air became cool and crisp, so while still sunny I then felt I needed a layer back on.

Climbing Snowdon with kids the results:

Snowdon Miners’ Track

9.59 miles
7h 44 mins 52secs
23,000 steps
7.10am – 3pm

It was the first time we had done anything like this. Nothing could prepare us for how steep the hike was in places. Especially the last mile which took a good couple of hours and lots of rest stops were required! But Emily loved every minute, especially the harder more strenuous parts. Pulling her whole body up and over some of the rockier parts of the track we could hear her excitedly shouting “I’m loving this!!”

Climbing Snowdon with kids is an awesome adventure. I really had some doubts at times as to if Emily would be ok with such a strenuous hike. But I was absolutely amazed by her strength, resilience and pure excitement which made the experience and adventure even more amazing than I could have ever imagined. It was an unforgettable experience and I’d definitely do it again!