Shortest route up Snowdon
The Pyg Track is the shortest of the six routes at approximately 11 km round trip — but it starts from the highest car park and is among the more demanding paths in terms of rocky terrain. Short is not the same as easy.
The verdict: Pyg Track
The Pyg Track is shorter than the other five routes because it starts at Pen y Pass — at 359 metres above sea level, the highest car park serving any Snowdon route. The elevation you would otherwise walk from valley level has already been driven. The total elevation gain (approximately 723 m) is the joint-lowest of any route, shared with the Miners’ Track which also starts from Pen y Pass.
However, Pen y Pass creates its own logistical challenge: it has the most restricted, most expensive, and most oversubscribed parking of any Snowdon trailhead. On busy weekends it fills before 7am and requires advance booking. Planning around Pen y Pass is as much a part of the Pyg Track experience as the walking.
Pyg Track — key facts
- Distance
- 11 kmround trip
- Elevation gain
- 723 m
- Start elevation
- 359 m
- Duration
- 5–6 hrsverify
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Terrain
- Rocky throughout
- Parking
- Advance booking req.verify
- Circular option
- Yes (Miners' Track)
Joint lowest of all six routes
Highest car park of any route
Pen y Pass parking — the critical logistics issue
Pen y Pass car park serves both the Pyg Track and the Miners’ Track. It holds approximately 100 vehicles and is the most sought-after parking on the mountain. On weekends and bank holidays from approximately March to November, advance booking is mandatory. On peak summer weekends, it is regularly full by 7am even with booking requirements in place.
The practical alternative is the Nant Peris Park & Ride at significantly lower cost, from which the Sherpa S5 shuttle runs directly to Pen y Pass on weekends and bank holidays. This is the recommended approach on any busy day, and using it rather than attempting to park at Pen y Pass on spec removes the single biggest source of stress associated with this route.
Making it circular: Pyg Track up, Miners’ Track down
The most popular route combination from Pen y Pass is ascending via the Pyg Track and descending via the Miners’ Track (or vice versa). Both routes start and end at Pen y Pass, they join below the summit crags, and the combination adds scenic variety — the Pyg Track’s ridgeline views on the way up, and the Miners’ Track’s lakeside walking and mine ruins on the way down. The total distance and effort are broadly similar to either route alone.
Route combination guide →