Yr Wyddfa via Miners' Track, Pyg Track and Crib Goch

The route

Starting from Pen-y-Pass, the classic version of this circuit climbs the Miners' Track past its three lakes, then descends via the Pyg Track for a well-balanced there-and-back with a change of scenery in each direction. This particular track shows something different: it crosses Crib Goch, the narrow, exposed ridge that most people either avoid entirely or treat as a route in its own right rather than a link on a circular walk.

Crib Goch changes everything

Adding Crib Goch to the Pyg-Miners loop takes what's normally a solid but unthreatening day out and turns it into a serious mountain outing. The ridge has severe drops on both sides and demands dry conditions, calm winds, and a head for exposure - none of which are optional extras. If you're following this GPX expecting the standard tourist circuit, know that this variation is a different proposition entirely.

Underfoot

Both the Miners' and Pyg Tracks are well constructed stone paths for most of their length, easy underfoot compared to almost anything else at this altitude in Snowdonia. That makes the contrast with Crib Goch's bare rock and exposure even sharper - you go from a maintained path to a proper mountain scramble within a few hundred metres.

Getting it right

Pen-y-Pass parking needs booking in advance for most of the year, so sort that before you sort anything else about the day. Beyond that, treat this exactly as you would any Crib Goch crossing: good weather only, ideally with the ridge to yourself, and the fitness and legs left to finish the circuit properly once you're back on easier ground.

Reading the numbers

The recorded distance and climbing for this GPX look modest for a route that includes Crib Goch, and that's worth flagging rather than taking at face value. Don't let a short distance or a low ascent figure talk you into underestimating this one - the difficulty here comes from the ridge itself, not from how far or how high you're climbing to reach it.