Snowdon

Snowdon (), or (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of approx. above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon is designated a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna, and is located within Snowdonia National Park.

The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by volcanoes in the Ordovician period, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by glaciation, forming the pyramidal peak of Snowdon and the arêtes of Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd. It is part of the larger Snowdon range, which includes Garnedd Ugain, Yr Aran, and Moel Eilio. There are several lakes on the mountain, the largest of which is Llyn Llydaw (), located on the eastern flank at .

The mountain has been described as the "busiest in the United Kingdom", and in 2022 it was climbed by 543,541 walkers. There are six main paths to the summit, the most popular of which begins in the village of Llanberis to the north. The summit can also be reached using the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which carried 98,567 passengers in 2021. The rack railway, which opened in 1896, operates over , from Llanberis to the Summit station. It generally operates from March to the end of October, with trains running to the summit station from May. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, are significant for rock climbing, and the mountain was used by Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest. The mountain, alongside Ben Nevis in Scotland and Scafell Pike in England, is climbed as part of the National Three Peaks Challenge.

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Toponymy

thumb|261x261px|Illustration of [[King Arthur battling a giant]]

The name "Snowdon" is first recorded in 1095 as Snawdune, and is derived from the Old English elements ' and ', meaning "snow hill".

The Welsh name of the mountain, , is first recorded in Latin as in 1284. This is probably an approximation of . The element in this context means 'height, promontory', and also appears in the Welsh name for the town of Mold, . One legend claims that Rhita was defeated and buried on the mountain by King Arthur, and another states that Rhita was killed by the giant Idris who lived on the mountain Cadair Idris. The mountain is also linked to other figures from Arthurian legend, a legendary ' (water monster) and the (fairies).

The Welsh mountain is sometimes referred to as "Mount Snowdon" or "Mt Snowdon" but this is discouraged by many as there is another mountain in British Columbia of the same name.

In November 2022, the national park authority announced that they would refer to the mountain by its Welsh name Yr Wyddfa, not Snowdon. In the Soudleyan (former British regional) stage () of the Caradoc (British regional) epoch, a volcanic caldera formed, and produced ash flows of rhyolitic tuff, which formed deposits up to thick. The current summit is near the northern edge of the ancient caldera; the caldera's full extent is unclear, but it extended as far as the summit of Moel Hebog in the south-west.

Snowdon and its surrounding peaks have been described as "true examples of Alpine topography". The summits of Snowdon and Garnedd Ugain are surrounded by cwms, rounded valleys scooped out by glaciation. Erosion by glaciers in adjacent cwms caused the characteristic arêtes of Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl and Y Lliwedd, and the pyramidal peak of Snowdon itself. Other glacial landforms that can be seen around Snowdon include roches moutonnées, glacial erratics and moraines.

Climate

In winter, Snowdon often has a covering of snow (giving rise to its English name). Although the amount of snow on Snowdon in winter varies significantly, 55% less snow fell in 2004 than in 1994. The slopes of Snowdon have one of the wettest climates in Great Britain, receiving an annual average of more than of precipitation.

Flora and fauna

thumb|[[Gagea serotina (the "Snowdon lily") grows on the cliffs of Snowdon.]]

The environment of Snowdon, particularly its rare plants, has led to the designation of much of the eastern part of the massif as a national nature reserve. In addition to plants that are widespread in Snowdonia, Snowdon is home to some plants rarely found elsewhere in Britain. These include the "Snowdon lily", Gagea serotina, which is also found in the Alps and in North America; it was first discovered in Wales by Edward Lhuyd, and the genus Lloydia (now included in Gagea) was later named in his honour by Richard Anthony Salisbury. Snowdon lies in the northern part of Snowdonia National Park, which has also provided some legal protection since the park's establishment in 1951.

Otters, polecats, and goats have been seen near or on the mountain, although pine martens have not been seen for many years. Birds that can be seen include the raven, red-billed chough, peregrine, osprey, merlin, red kite and moorland birds.

Lakes

thumb|upright=1.3|[[Llyn Llydaw, the largest and deepest lake on Snowdon's flanks, is crossed by a causeway at its eastern end.]]

A number of lakes are found in the various cwms of the Snowdon range:

Llyn Llydaw – high, – lies in Cwm Dyli, Snowdon's eastern cwm, and is one of Snowdonia's deepest lakes, at up to deep. Various explanations of its name have been put forward, including ' ("ash"), from ashen deposits along the shore, to ' ("Brittany"). It contains evidence of a crannog settlement, and was the location of a dugout canoe described in the Cambrian Journal in 1862.
Glaslyn – high, – lies higher up Cwm Dyli than Llyn Llydaw. It was originally called ', and has a depth of . It was enlarged by damming for use as a reservoir for use by slate quarries, but the level has since been lowered, and the lake's volume reduced to .

Leisure activities

Snowdon has been described as "the busiest mountain in Britain", with some 543,541 people having walked up the mountain in 2022. There are six main walking paths, which can be combined in various ways. In addition, the circular walk starting and ending at and using the route and the route over , both of which involve scrambling, is called the Snowdon Horseshoe, and is considered "one of the finest ridge walks in Britain". Many inexperienced walkers have been killed over the years attempting to climb the mountain via the main paths.

The mountain itself may also be viewed on takeoff and approach to both Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport on very clear days, and even from Howth Head in Dublin, Ireland.

thumb|Part of the queue for the summit pillar in August 2020

On 26 June 2018, Sam Laming became the first ever Wingsuit pilot to perform a 'Proximity Flight' over a UK mountain, by flying approximately 30 metres over Snowdon's summit, after jumping from a helicopter with fellow wingsuit camera pilot, Mike Hitchcock.

In 2021, John Harold, the director of the Snowdonia Society, reported that the number of visitors ascending Snowdon was exceeding capacity. At popular times walkers queue for upwards of 45 minutes for an opportunity to take a photo at the summit pillar.

Rock climbing

thumb|[[Clogwyn Du'r Arddu<br />A rock climbing site]]

The Snowdon Massif includes a number of cliffs, and holds an important place in the history of rock climbing in the United Kingdom. Clogwyn Du'r Arddu is often colloquially known as 'Cloggy' among climbers, and was the site of the first recorded climb in Britain, in 1798.

The six main paths were mapped by the Google Trekker in 2015. The elevations and gradients given here are for the start point on a public road, based on Ordnance Survey mapping. Other definitions are possible so alternative figures can be found.

alt=A graph showing the profiles of the six main walking routes up Snowdon plus the two halves of the Snowdon Horseshoe|left|thumb|upright=1.6|Profiles of the main routes up Snowdon

Llanberis Path

Length: . Elevation gain: . Overall gradient: 1 in 7.1 (14.1%).

The Llanberis Path is the longest route to the summit. It follows close to the line of the railway, and being the easiest ascent, which has a record time of less than 40 minutes recorded from the start to the summit.

The section of the Llanberis Path above Clogwyn station has long been called the "Killer Convex"; in icy conditions, this convex slope can send unwary walkers over the cliffs of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu. Four people died there in February 2009.

Snowdon Ranger Path

thumb|The Snowdon Ranger Path crosses a boggy area before ascending past Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas.

Length: . Elevation gain: . Overall gradient: 1 in 6.7 (14.9%).

The Snowdon Ranger Path () begins at the youth hostel beside Llyn Cwellyn, to the west of the mountain, served by the A4085 and Snowdon Ranger railway station. This was formerly the Saracen's Head Inn, but was renamed under the ownership of the mountain guide John Morton. It is thought to be the oldest path to the summit. depending on exact start point. Overall gradient: 1 in 6.4 (15.7%).

The Rhyd Ddu path, formerly called the Beddgelert Path, leads from the village of Rhyd Ddu, west of Snowdon, gently up on to Llechog, a broad ridge dropping west from the summit. It climbs at a shallow gradient to Bwlch Main, shortly southwest of the summit, from where it climbs more steeply, meeting up with the Watkin Path at a site marked with a large standing stone a few hundred metres from the summit. An alternative start begins at Pitt's Head on the A4085 road. since it starts at the lowest elevation of any of the main routes and has the steepest overall gradient. It was originally designed as a donkey track and opened in 1892.

Crib Goch

Length: .

The traverse of has been described as "one of the finest ridge walks in Britain",

Snowdon Mountain Railway

thumb|left|Approaching the [[Summit railway station (Snowdon Mountain Railway)|Summit railway station]]

The Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR) () is a narrow-gauge rack-and-pinion mountain railway that travels for from Llanberis to the Summit station of Snowdon. It is the only public rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom, and after more than 100 years of operation it remains a popular tourist attraction, carrying more than 130,000 passengers annually. Single carriage trains are pushed up the mountain by either steam locomotives or diesel locomotives. It has also previously used diesel railcars as multiple units. The railway was constructed between December 1894, when the first sod was cut by Enid Assheton-Smith (after whom locomotive No.2 was named), and February 1896, at a total cost of £63,800 (equivalent to £ as of ).

Summit

The first building to be erected at the Snowdon summit was in 1838 to sell refreshments, and a licence to sell intoxicating liquor was granted in 1845. When the Snowdon Mountain Railway was opened in 1896, the company strove to get an alcohol licence for its own proposed new hotel, but being unable to, took over both summit huts by 1898. Its state led to a campaign to replace the building. In April 2006, Snowdonia National Park Authority, with the support of the Snowdonia Society, agreed a deal to start work on a new cafe and visitor centre complex. By mid-October 2006 the old building had been largely demolished.

The new RIBA Award-winning £8.4 million visitor centre, ', designed by Ray Hole Architects in conjunction with Arup and built by Carillion, was officially opened on 12 June 2009 by First Minister Rhodri Morgan. The Welsh National Poet, Gwyn Thomas, composed a new couplet for the new building, displayed at its entrance and on the windows, which reads " / The summit of Snowdon: You are, here, nearer to Heaven". The name Hafod Eryri was chosen from several hundred put forward after a competition was held by the BBC. ' is Welsh for an upland summer residence, while ' is the Welsh name for Snowdonia. The Baron Hill Estate land consists of the farm of Gwastadannas, which includes the Snowdon Horseshoe, Glaslyn, Llyn Llydaw and the northern end of Nant Gwynant.

Welsh literature

thumb|left|upright=1.2|In Arthurian legend, [[Bedivere threw Excalibur into a lake identified by some as Glaslyn on the slopes of Snowdon.]]

In Welsh folklore, the summit of Snowdon is said to be the tomb of Rhitta Gawr, a giant. Rhitta Gawr wore a cloak made of men's beards, and was slain by King Arthur after claiming Arthur's beard. Merlin is supposed to have hidden the golden throne of Britain among the cliffs north of Crib y Ddysgl when the Saxons invaded.

Glaslyn was also the final resting place of a water monster, known as an ' (also the Welsh word for beaver), which had plagued the people of the Conwy valley. They tempted the monster out of the water with a young girl, before securing it with chains and dragging it to Glaslyn. Llyn Coch in Cwm Clogwyn has been associated with the Tylwyth Teg (fairies), including a version of the fairy bride legend.

In popular culture

In 1968, scenes representing the Khyber Pass were filmed for Carry On... Up the Khyber on the lower part of the Watkin Path. In 2005, Angela Douglas, one of the stars of the film, unveiled a plaque at the precise location where filming took place to commemorate the location filming. It now forms part of the North Wales Film and Television Trail run by the Wales Screen Commission.

In art

File:Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg - Snowdon from Capel Curig - Google Art Project.jpg|Snowdon from Capel Curig by Philip James de Loutherbourg, 1787

(Barcelona) Snowdon and Dinas Emrys from above Beddgelert - William Turner - Tate Britain.jpg|Snowdon and Dinas Emrys from Above Beddgelert – William Turner – Tate Britain

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Injuries and deaths

There are, on average, about 8 deaths every year on Snowdon.

In January and February 2009 on Snowdon there were four people who died and three of these four deaths were related to people falling. In 2021 there were four people who died on Snowdon.

In 2021 two people were injured and taken to hospital after being struck by lightning on top of Snowdon.

In 2026 two people died after being reported missing on the mountain.

Use of Yr Wyddfa in English

In April 2021 a motion was put forward by Gwynedd Councillor John Pughe Roberts for Snowdon to be called by its Welsh name Yr Wyddfa in all official use, and for Snowdonia to similarly be known only as Eryri. The motion, however, was rejected as the National Park already had a task group looking at the use and retention of Welsh names. An earlier petition calling for the National Park Authority to do this had been rejected by the Senedd the previous year after it was found to be the responsibility of the park itself, rather than the Welsh Government.

In May 2021, following the dismissal of the motion, YouGov conducted a poll on Snowdon's name. Sixty per cent of Welsh adults supported the English name Snowdon, compared to 30% wanting the Welsh name . Separating by language, 59% of Welsh speakers preferred the Welsh name, while 37% wanted Snowdon to not be scrapped entirely; 69% of non-Welsh speakers firmly supported Snowdon as the mountain's name.

In November 2022, Snowdonia National Park Authority voted to use Yr Wyddfa and Eryri (rather than Snowdon and Snowdonia) in its usage, though in statutory documents both Welsh and English will still be required by law.

In November 2024, the authority stated that the name change had been a "success" as many businesses and media had followed suit. The authority stated that a summer survey showed "strong support" from locals and visitors for the name change. While some concerns were raised over misconceptions by some that the Welsh names were new and mispronunciations, the authority stated that the change resulted in the park being more associated with a Welsh identity, and more different from other UK national parks. The authority is set to make a pronunciation guide and publish a report on the change.