
challenging
6–8 hours
Comfortable hiking uphill for several hours with sustained elevation gain and uneven, rocky terrain.
Climb Wales’s highest peak under starlight and greet the day from the summit of Yr Wyddfa. This guided sunrise hike pairs unforgettable views with smart pacing, local history, and practical, safety-first mountain sense.
The mountain sleeps in silhouette as you step onto the trail, breath a quick cloud in the cold and headlamps pricking the dark like a quiet constellation. Yr Wyddfa—Snowdon—waits overhead, its ridges easing you upward while the night thins toward blue. Your guide sets an unhurried rhythm, checking footing on stone steps, calling a brief halt where the wind hurries through saddles and urges you onward. By the time the horizon glows, the mountain stirs with light; llyn pools turn to polished metal, and the summit cairn greets you just as the sun lifts and spills across Eryri National Park.

Layer up from the car park—wind at the summit can be fierce even in summer, and you’ll cool quickly during summit stops.
Bring a headlamp with fresh batteries and a spare; keep it on a medium beam to pick out rocky steps without blowing night vision.
Wet rock and tired legs make for slips—use poles or shorten your stride on the steeper upper sections.
Pen y Pass parking must be pre-booked; the Sherpa’r Wyddfa buses run early from Llanberis during peak season.
Llanberis grew around slate quarrying that roofed the industrial age, while the Snowdon Mountain Railway has carried day visitors since 1896.
Stick to established paths to limit erosion on fragile alpine vegetation. Pack out all waste and avoid disturbing grazing livestock.
Night navigation and hands-free lighting are critical for the pre-dawn ascent.
Weather shifts quickly; staying dry and windproof preserves warmth and energy.
Early starts are cold; add or shed as the climb warms you.
spring specific
Rocky steps and wet stone demand ankle support and reliable grip.