Mountain Biking Snowdon – Llanberis and Snowdon Ranger
Trail Summary:
- Ride Time: 4 hours plus
- Ride Distance: 19039 m
- Ride Climb: 1132 m
- Ride Descent: -1133 m
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Route Starts from:
The recommended route for Snowdon starts from Llanberis
Don’t forget a Map, GPS and Guidebook!
Ride Details
Snowdon is the ultimate MTB challenge in Snowdonia, even Wales, with the Llanberis Path and Snowdon Ranger Combination proving a popular circuit and one that is officially endorsed on MTB Wales. You could alternatively go up and down the Ranger Path, or likewise on the Llanberis Path, or even try the Rhyd Ddu path which is the only other legal approach to Snowdon. You can also MTB sections of the Miner’s Track as far as Llyn Llydaw, which comes in at around Blue Grade.
Snowdon and the Voluntary Agreement.
When can you MTB on Snowdon? To be blunt, Snowdon is over-run with tourists most of the year. The hordes of tourists, often in groups and most likely with no idea of how to behave on the mountain. It’s often their first time on the mountain. Along with just the sheer numbers, this is just a toxic combination, meaning that even regular hill walkers can struggle to descend Snowon on a busy day without getting stuck in the quagmire of tourists blocking the way. So on a MTB it becomes a frustrating and dangerous expereince.
So its recommended that MTB riders keep off the main paths between 10am and 5pm in season, between 1st May and 30th September. That means a late start or an early one. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you carrying the bike during this time – a cyclist that’s not riding is by definition a pedestrian.
Up the Llanberis Path and Down the Snowdon Ranger
The route starts on unpromising and very steep tarmac, which relents to merely steep tarmace before you join the proper track after a couple of k. It’s mainly ridleable until you reach the steep section of Allt Moses where you may well need to get out and push! The final section is like a forestry track in places, the very final pull to Bwlch Glas also doable.
The descent on the Ranger is more flowing – with the upper section straigtforward enough (for this grade level of riding!!!). Once you get further down, the zig zags provide some exposure to your right and dropping down some of the steps on here poses a bit more challenge.
Once down the Zig Zags the Ranger Track becomes a manufactured track that’s an easy delight (or a boring ending, depeinding on your point of view). This forms part of the new Snowdon Circular Path and a new path has been built between the Snowdon Ranger Path and Llanberis. Once you reach Bwlch Maesgwm, you are treated to a decent section of flowing downhill trail towards Llanberis and a final country lane to cap it off.
Ride Map and Elevation Profile
Download file for GPS
Remember that you can download the GPX File for the MTB route above and use in your GPS device or on your favourite mapping app. We’ll have a run down of how to use GPX files on your MTB route soon.