parking at Pen-y-Pass

Quoted message said:

What time do you need to be there on a Sat to get a space

Early. I'd suggest 7am, 8 at a pinch.

Quoted message said:

what are the alternative parking arrangements

Park at the bottom of the hill opposite the pub. Or on the other
side, near the Cromlech boulders.

Darren G <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Off for the horseshoe in a couple of weeks, and was wondering what the
parking is like at Pen-y-Pass these days seeing as there are a group of us
meeting up?

What time do you need to be there on a Sat to get a space (i.e. will the
sparrow have farted?) and what are the alternative parking arrangements, as
I have heard rumours that many of the laybys have been blocked off by local
landowners.

It`s small and it gets full quick. There`s a man in a shed to pay as
you drive in, forget how much. It depends on the weather but i`d
guess pre 10Am. Don`t even think about parking along the road -
double yellows for miles each way, coaches trying to get past and
plenty of parking tickets given out. There is a shuttle bus service
from Llanberis, check the times, I don`t think they are that frequent.
You could always stay at the Pen y pass YHA and get out there before
anyone else! I remember some limited but quiete parking at Rhydd Ddu
and (I think) a quite large car park at the start of the Rangers path.

Get there early, have a good day and don`t forget Petes Eates
afterwoods.

Ed.

Darren G said:

What time do you need to be there on a Sat to get a space

We got in at 9:30 (just), but it was a bit of a grim day(*). In July,
iirc...

(*) Thinking about it, that's nothing unique ;-)

--
Send $50 and I'll double your IQ or no money back!

Mail john rather than nospam...

Ed Whittaker said:

Get there early, have a good day and don`t forget Petes Eates
afterwoods.

There's a bus from Beddgelert which goes past Pen y pass and also passes the
car park at the end of the Watkin Path.
--
Dave

If you can't get in at the car park then there is usually some space around
the A498 - A4086 road junction , it'll add a bit more to the walk but you
shouldn't have too many problems parking there . I've dug up a photo which
shows the junction quite well , as you can see there is plenty of parking on
the verges .

http://www.stigvista.co.uk/parking.jpg

Graham .

"Darren G" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Off for the horseshoe in a couple of weeks, and was wondering what the
parking is like at Pen-y-Pass these days seeing as there are a group of us
meeting up?

What time do you need to be there on a Sat to get a space (i.e. will the
sparrow have farted?) and what are the alternative parking arrangements,

as

Quoted message said:

I have heard rumours that many of the laybys have been blocked off by

local

Quoted message said:

landowners.

Thanks
Darren

PS Anyone who is around and wants to join in ...

[email hidden] (Ed Whittaker) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Get there early, have a good day and don`t forget Petes Eates
afterwoods.

Ed.

Thanks. And Snowdon wouldn't be Snowdon without a visit to Petes!

"Graham Jackman" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

If you can't get in at the car park then there is usually some space
around the A498 - A4086 road junction , it'll add a bit more to the
walk but you shouldn't have too many problems parking there . I've dug
up a photo which shows the junction quite well , as you can see there
is plenty of parking on the verges .

http://www.stigvista.co.uk/parking.jpg

Graham .

thanks Graham. I'd heard that those verges had been 'cordonned' off with
boulders by the locals, hence my question. As it is it lookslike I might
be going up there with the family this weekend anyway so I can have a bit
of a recce.

Unfortunately 2 yr old kid & ill wife may limit walking :-(

Darren

Darren G said:

Quoted message said:

thanks Graham. I'd heard that those verges had been 'cordonned' off with
boulders by the locals, hence my question.

It's the laybys just over the other side of the pass (towards
Llanberis) that have been cordoned off. They never provided much
parking anyway and the last time I parked there I lost a mudflap
backing over a rock.

Simon Caldwell <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Darren G said:

Quoted message said:

thanks Graham. I'd heard that those verges had been 'cordonned' off
with boulders by the locals, hence my question.

It's the laybys just over the other side of the pass (towards
Llanberis) that have been cordoned off. They never provided much
parking anyway and the last time I parked there I lost a mudflap
backing over a rock.

Thanks. That should save a few wasted minutes.

Darren

Simon Caldwell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What time do you need to be there on a Sat to get a space

Early. I'd suggest 7am, 8 at a pinch.

Quoted message said:

what are the alternative parking arrangements

Park at the bottom of the hill opposite the pub. Or on the other
side, near the Cromlech boulders.

WHat pub is that and where?...I am planing my first trip to snowdon in
a week or so's time.

never been before....need somewhere to stay over night as i am coming
from south wales and doing it al in a day is out of the question
really...

any recomendations for campsites or B&B's....

also any recomendations for a more quiet route to the top...as parking
at penypass sounds like parking at storey arms in brecon...every one
and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of solitude.

On 12 Aug 2004 01:34:51 -0700, [email hidden] (Jon

Reynolds) said:

...every one and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of solitude.

Park at Rhyd Ddu (SH 57098 52567) and Go up the path from there and
then come all the way back down the South Ridge to Bwlch Cwm Llan and
head west back to Rhyd Ddu.

[email hidden] (Jon Reynolds) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

any recomendations for campsites or B&B's....

also any recomendations for a more quiet route to the top...as parking
at penypass sounds like parking at storey arms in brecon...every one
and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of solitude.

hmm, it is a bit that way. Unfortunately for the horseshoe it's the most
obvious start point.

if you wanted to do it in a day, you should be able to. We're doing the
the horshoe in a day, with many of the party 'commuting' from W & E
Midlands. It's a long and tiring day, and an early start is imperative,
but have done it before and it is do-able.

Darren

On 12 Aug 2004 01:34:51 -0700, [email hidden] (Jon

Reynolds) said:

also any recomendations for a more quiet route to the top...as parking
at penypass sounds like parking at storey arms in brecon...every one
and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of solitude.

Start at the bottom of the hill to the north side of pen y pass, near
the Cromlech boulders. Go up the hill to the right of Crib Goch, into
Cwm Glas. If you're into scrambling, you can now go up the Parson's
Nose arete (Clogwyn y Person) onto Crib y Ddysgl (grade 3 scramble).
If you prefer to walk, you can make a way up the corrie to the right.

From there, head up to the summit if you wish. There are various
alternatives for the descent. My favourite is to go across Crib Goch
(which by this time of day will be deserted), down the N ridge, you
can then descend a steep path down by the stream to the W of Dynas
Mot.

Or from the summit, continue round the horseshoe over Lliwedd, back to
Pen y Pass, and down by the road.

Or over the hills to the NW (Moel Cynghorion, and if you're feeling
fit, Foel Goch Foel Gron and Moel Eilio) and back to Llanberis, then
either walk along the road or catch a bus.

Simon

Simon Caldwell said:

On 12 Aug 2004 01:34:51 -0700, [email hidden] (Jon

Reynolds) said:

also any recomendations for a more quiet route to the top...as parking
at penypass sounds like parking at storey arms in brecon...every one
and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of solitude.

Start at the bottom of the hill to the north side of pen y pass, near
the Cromlech boulders. Go up the hill to the right of Crib Goch, into
Cwm Glas. If you're into scrambling, you can now go up the Parson's
Nose arete (Clogwyn y Person) onto Crib y Ddysgl (grade 3 scramble).
If you prefer to walk, you can make a way up the corrie to the right.

From there, head up to the summit if you wish. There are various
alternatives for the descent. My favourite is to go across Crib Goch
(which by this time of day will be deserted), down the N ridge, you
can then descend a steep path down by the stream to the W of Dynas
Mot.

Or from the summit, continue round the horseshoe over Lliwedd, back to
Pen y Pass, and down by the road.

Or over the hills to the NW (Moel Cynghorion, and if you're feeling
fit, Foel Goch Foel Gron and Moel Eilio) and back to Llanberis, then
either walk along the road or catch a bus.

Simon

There is a large free ar park in Nant Peris and a regular Sherpa bus up
the pass to start walking from your favourite spot, much better than
getting stressed at Pen y Pass, imho

Cheers for that one..shal look into that. i do have it noted from someone
else mentioning it is a nice quiet one. also the watkins path is meant to be
the quietest of the main routes...is this correct? and it the rhyd ddu
approach quieter?

what sort of time would u say the ryhd ddu walk is?

many thanks...off up brecon tomoz for a bit of practise! :oD

"Gareth Houghton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 12 Aug 2004 01:34:51 -0700, [email hidden] (Jon

Reynolds) said:

...every one and their gran is there...not what i like...prefer a bit of

solitude.

Quoted message said:

Park at Rhyd Ddu (SH 57098 52567) and Go up the path from there and
then come all the way back down the South Ridge to Bwlch Cwm Llan and
head west back to Rhyd Ddu.

"Jon Reynolds" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Cheers for that one..shal look into that. i do have it noted from someone
else mentioning it is a nice quiet one. also the watkins path is meant to be
the quietest of the main routes...is this correct? and it the rhyd ddu
approach quieter?

what sort of time would u say the ryhd ddu walk is?

(writing this knackered after a cracking weekend in Snowdonia)

At work on Friday in Swansea and got a phone call from a friend who is
sailing round the coast on his own. He got to Pwllheli and wanted to
get some walking in. So after work and 3.5 hours later...

He wanted to do Snowdon as part of a long and drawn out Three Peaks as
he sails round but we had both done it to death so settled on the
Watkin path for a change. We arrived late at around 10-30 and just
managed to find a space at the small car park at the start. I believe
the Watkin path has recently been "re-opened" after some major work
and it would appear quite a few steps have been constructed. The path
starts off quite gently and passes the Gladstone Rock, a massive piece
of inscribed granite marking the location when the then ageing PM
addressed an assembled "multitude" and sang Welsh hymns. Soon the
path starts to rise above and you remember that you could have started
at Pen y pass and cut some of the climbing. Watkins is definitely a
quite route, compared to the other tourist traps at any rate.
Eventually, the path meets the ridge just short of the imposing Y
Lliwedd - a fantastic route back to Pen y pass. The final section is
quite loose in places, suffering heavily from erosion.

The summit was unsurprisingly packed, despite there being no view on
account of cloud. I managed to purchase a drink without having to
re-mortgage my house - needed after underestimating my water intake
(recent water thread). One question about the trig-point, there
appeared to be some evidence of a thick electrical cable running up to
it and on the side, a protective plastic covering and locked steel
door - mobile phone base station? Surely not.

We didn't fancy descending to the loose stuff at the top of Watkins so
decided to try the Bwlch Main path (end of Rhydd Du). Only after a
couple of minutes walking from "Europe's highest slum", we found
ourselves on a wonderful ridge on a safe, wide track. We stopped,
looked around and listened and couldn't see any other walkers or hear
anything other than birdsong! The route down is pretty
straightforward with just a couple of sections of exposed rock to take
care on. Becoming short of water, and after reading how all you lot
safely drink from mountain streams, we filled up. The water was
possibly some of the freshest and clearest I have every tasted and put
my Swansea tap water to shame. The path soon levels out and amazingly
turns to GRASS - a path up Snowdon that is not paved or showing even
the slightest sign of erosion.

The next day, we explored the Moelwyns but that's another story.

In short, I thought I was a jaded cynic when it came to Snowdon and
indeed Snowdonia but have just been proved very wrong.

Ed.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

In short, I thought I was a jaded cynic when it came to Snowdon and
indeed Snowdonia but have just been proved very wrong.

Was also up there in Snowdonia for a long weekend, but having the wife
and kids along curtailed the walking somewhat - big hills and two year
olds don't seem to mix too well :-(

The kids wanted to go up Snowdon on the train. Despite vowing never to
do so, I looked at the price. Nearly £70 for the four of us. We
didn't go, needless to say! But there was a queue of at least 70-100
people willing to spend the cash.

So I'm still cynical!

Had also meant to check out the parking situation at Pen y Pass, but the
luxury of the country house where we were staying meant that getting up
early never happened.

BTW, if anyone is looking for a bit of luxury while up in Snowdonia for
a reasonable price, check out http://www.sychnant-pass-house.co.uk/

A cracking and friendly place to stay with excellent food and rooms from
£35-55 ppn.

Back up in a couple of weeks without the family. Yipppeeeeeeee

Darren

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Was also up there in Snowdonia for a long weekend, but having the wife
and kids along curtailed the walking somewhat - big hills and two year
olds don't seem to mix too well :-(

Big lumps of rock can mix with nearly-4 year olds though. That's
how old my youngest son was when he hopped, skipped and jumped
his way up the PYG track one August night/early morning. That
said, I'm not sure my current 4 yr old would do it - but at least
it shows there's hope. Keep at it: in a year's time your little
one might be bounding up a big lump of geography at your side :-)
--
Fran
If you need my email address please ask.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

Was also up there in Snowdonia for a long weekend, but having the wife
and kids along curtailed the walking somewhat - big hills and two year
olds don't seem to mix too well :-(

Big lumps of rock can mix with nearly-4 year olds though. That's
how old my youngest son was when he hopped, skipped and jumped
his way up the PYG track one August night/early morning. That
said, I'm not sure my current 4 yr old would do it - but at least
it shows there's hope. Keep at it: in a year's time your little
one might be bounding up a big lump of geography at your side :-)

My five year old is already keen - starting her off on some 2 & 3 mile
wlaks locally where we can 'look at all the flutterbies and pretty
flowers' and will take it from there.

Doint the PYG at nearly-4 is pretty impressive, assuming he made it all
the way. I know some 34 year olds who were panting (& they're doing the
horseshoe in a couple of weeks. hehehe).

And it was an overnight one too?! Mine would be asleep - pair of bed
bugs both of them.

Darren