Y Lliwedd

What a beautiful mountain. This wonderfully inspiring serrated fin of rock, a double summit to the south-east of Snowdon itself, soars above the magnificent cirque below the Snowdon summit pyramid, with the infamous Crib Goch ridge holding the horizon across to the north. Vast views expand over the receding blue ridges to the south.

There is something thrilling about Lliwedd’s sharp summit ridge, sheer to its north, which from various angles, looks extremely exposed; but Lliwedd is actually a normal walk (unless you climb the Y Grilyn ridge) plus some simple scrambling up the boulders and little ledges from the northern Snowdon side.  

Lliwedd is climbed in conjunction with Snowdon by the great majority of those who have the privilege of reaching its summit; either after summiting Snowdon as part of the Horseshoe (always walked anti-clockwise) or in conjunction with the Miners'/Pyg tracks. You won’t enjoy descending the northern approach path as much as you do climbing it, so most people combining it with Snowdon do it after the big ‘un and few will climb from the Watkins Path and return that way.

The main approach routes are the path from the Miners’ Track at the foot of Llyn Llydaw lake, and from the southern shoulder of Snowdon, from the Watkins Path – but the most exciting, indeed a demanding and in places seriously exposed, route up is the airy scramble up the Y Grilyn ridge from the foot of the Glaslyn upper lake immediately below Snowdon.

Lliwedd was much loved by the great early climbers, with Mallory and others often on its sheer northern flanks.

Some head for heights is needed, but this is not a dangerous or highly exposed trail on a clearish day. This is, though, demanding walking in sheer mountains with uncertain weather. Come fully prepared, and consider whether tackling it is sensible in poor conditions.

A truly worthwhile and delightful walk on a reasonable day. Not much point in low cloud.

See also our Mount Snowdon page for information on Llewidd’s related walks.

Y Lliwedd is well written up in the Cicerone book.

See our Snowdonia page for helpful practical information, photos ideas and any risks to consider.