Yr Wyddfa via Miners' Track, Pyg Track and Crib Goch
Most people treat the Miners' and Pyg Tracks as a straightforward there-and-back pairing, but this GPX shows the loop actually crossing Crib Goch, which changes the entire character of the day.
Effort: Good distance, solid climb
Underfoot: Exposed, scrambling or very rough
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A 12km circuit from Pen-y-Pass combining the Miners' and Pyg Tracks with a crossing of Crib Goch, the exposed knife-edge ridge that turns a popular circular route into a serious scramble.
Most people treat the Miners' and Pyg Tracks as a straightforward there-and-back pairing, but this GPX shows the loop actually crossing Crib Goch, which changes the entire character of the day.
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.
This variation crosses Crib Goch, a grade 1 scramble with severe exposure that has caused multiple fatalities most years - only attempt it in dry, calm conditions. The short distance and modest recorded ascent understate how serious the middle section of this route actually is.
Summits on this route
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
Run by us
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Runner reports
Nobody's logged a run here yet. If you get out on it, a few lines about how it went helps the next person plan their day.
