Yr Wyddfa Pyg Track and Miners’ Track Loop

The ascent starts straight into work, rising over rugged rocky ground and then traversing beneath the foothills of Crib Goch. Steps are uneven, hand use is common on the rockier pitches, and the gradient rarely eases. Higher up the way continues to the summit, where the reward on a clear day is a long view over ridges, cwms and mountain lakes.

The descent begins with the steepest and loosest section of the day, dropping over broken rock and scree to Glaslyn. Below that the going relents: past the crushing-mill remains of the Britannia Copper Mine, along the shore of Llyn Llydaw and across its causeway, then down a gentler track back to Pen y Pass. Doing the loop in this direction saves the easiest walking for tired legs and puts the industrial ruins and lakes in the second half.

Both component paths are classed as Hard or Strenuous, and combined they make a demanding full mountain day. Expect steep, rocky, exposed ground, loose scree on the upper Miners' section, and navigation that becomes genuinely difficult when cloud sits on the tops. Boots with grip, wind and waterproof layers, food, water and a map and compass are the minimum. In snow, ice, high wind or poor visibility the route calls for winter equipment and the experience to use it.

The Pyg Track passes below Crib Goch, but this loop does not go onto that ridge at any point. Crib Goch is a separate, far more exposed scramble and should not be joined casually from this path.

Pen y Pass is the correct start. Parking there is limited and may need booking in advance, so treat the official bus services as the practical way in. Do not walk the narrow winding road to the pass or leave a vehicle in roadside lay-bys. An early start helps with both parking pressure and daylight.

Dogs are allowed on public footpaths and must be on a short lead near livestock and wildlife, but the steep rock, scree and long descent make this loop unsuitable for many dogs. If you want a longer, steadier line to the same summit, the Llanberis Path is the sensible option, though it is a high mountain route in its own right and no more forgiving in poor weather.