Watkin Path and Yr Aran
The summit of Snowdon peers over the lower slopes of Y Lliwedd, viewed from Nantgwynant
It was Sir Edward Watkin, a rich and influential railway owner and one of the brains behind the original idea to build a Channel tunnel, who directed the building of the Watkin Path, as a donkey track, at the end of the 19th century. Today it forms the most demanding route direct to the summit of Snowdon, and is here coupled with an optional add-on, embracing Yr Aran, a quite marvellous vantage point, and one that is often overlooked. However, tacking it on to this walk makes for a demanding day, one that should be contemplated only by strong walkers.
The Route
Set off from the car park at Pont Bethania by crossing the bridge and then the road to gain the signed Watkin Path, up steps and into light, broadleaved woodland that is a delight to encounter. The path brings you to an information panel just above Hafod-y-llan, which farms most of the land on this side of Snowdon, although centuries ago the valley would have been completely forested.
As you leave the woodland behind, so the valley widens and the path heads towards the lower slopes of Yr Aran. At a gate you enter the Yr Wyddfa National Nature Reserve, special for its arctic–alpine and montane plants.
The path climbs steadily on pitched paving until it intercepts a steep tramway belonging to quarry workings further up the cwm. Down to your right the Afon Cwm Llan puts on a fine display of cascades as you approach an area of quarry buildings. One of these, Plas Cwmllan, enclosed by slate fencing, was the home of the manager of the slate quarry found a short distance further on. It was used as a Commando military target during the Second World War, and still bears the scars.
ROUTE INFORMATION
| Distance | 12.6km/8 miles; with Yr Aran 14.5km/9 miles |
| Height gain | 1070m/3510ft; with Yr Aran 1320m/4330ft |
| Time | 5–6 hours; with Yr Aran 6–7 hours |
| Grade | arduous/strenuous |
| Start point | National Park car park, Pont Bethania, Nantgwynant SH628507 |
| Getting there | Nantgwynant; there is a small car park and adjacent toilets next to Pont Bethania |
| Maps | (Harvey Superwalker) Snowdonia and the Moelwynion; (Ordnance Survey) OL17 Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa |
| After-walk refreshment | Café near start, along the road to Beddgelert; pubs and cafés in Beddgelert; pubs at Pen y Gwryd, and Pen y Pass |
Striding out along the Watkin Path
Tablet, Gladstone Rock
Press on past Plas Cwmllan, and soon reach a huge embedded rock on the left bearing a large stone plaque.
This is Gladstone Rock, commemorating the visit in 1892 of W E Gladstone, then in his 84th year and Prime Minister for the fourth time. Here he addressed the People of Eryri on the topic of Justice in Wales.
The path continues clearly beyond Gladstone Rock, while prominent all around are the remains of the South Snowdon Slate Works, which began operation in 1840, but because of the expense of transporting slates to Porthmadog had to be closed in 1882. The large building on the left is the barracks, where the men slept through the week, returning to their homes only at weekends. Other ruins are dressing sheds and workshops. This wide cwm was used as location for the 1968 film Carry on up the Khyber.
Just past the barracks, the path starts to climb steeply, casting about to ease the gradient as much as possible until it reaches Bwlch y Ciliau, from where there is an exceptional view of Crib Goch and Llyn Llydaw below. There is a large cairn at Bwlch y Ciliau, and from it a path ascends, right, up Y Lliwedd. The Watkin Path, however, bears left, passing first across Bwlch y Saethau, once itself adorned with a large cairn said to mark the site of the death of King Arthur. Indeed, the whole of the cwm below, Tregalan, is allegedly the scene of one of the king’s many battles. Even older than Arthur’s battles, the cwm displays fine lateral moraines – piles of grass-covered rocks and earth deposited by the retreating glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age. Yr Aran rises majestically on the other side, and beyond it Moel Hebog and the Glaslyn estuary.
From Bwlch y Saethau, the path starts to rise abruptly across the southern flank of Snowdon. The section between Bwlch y Saethau and the top of the climb, Bwlch Main, is very steep, unstable, dusty and worryingly loose when dry, and slippery when wet. In winter conditions, this route is the preserve only of experienced and well-equipped mountaineers. Not under any conditions should a deviation from the path be contemplated; it is far from the surest of routes, but it does head straight for a prominent finger of rock on Bwlch Main, an essential marker for anyone descending the Watkin Path.
Once safely on Bwlch Main, turn right for a brief stony section up to the café and then the summit of Snowdon above that.
From the summit, retreat to Bwlch Main and the finger of rock, but then continue along a ridge path, initially in a south-westerly direction. This is excellent walking, but the ridge becomes narrow, and has a number of rocky sections. When the path forks, bear left, uphill, to experience more rocky ridge work along Allt Maenderyn. There are a few awkward, scrambly stretches along this steadily descending ridge, where hands, knees and bottoms will be called into play. This is no place to hurry, and can be very tiring.
Eventually, you reach a ladder-stile spanning a fence, beyond which a final, rocky staircase of slate leads to Bwlch Cwm y Llan, and it is from here that those bound for Yr Aran will depart, upwards. Before deciding what to do, take a little time to inspect the old slate quarries.
The path for Yr Aran follows an old wall which, higher up, veers off to the left before turning to a south-westerly direction to climb to the summit, marked by a cairn and splendid views. From the top of Yr Aran, it is possible to head east alongside a wall, then leaving it as the wall turns to the south, by descending steeply, and without a path to guide you, in a northwards direction. It is somewhat safer, however, to retrace your steps to Bwlch Cwm Llan.
From Bwlch Cwm Llan, take to a slate gully that leads to and through a wall before skimming on down across grassy slopes. The descending path is continuous, if occasionally vague, but it does come down to intercept an old tramway used by the quarry, and along which horse-drawn trams took the slate to the top of a steep incline from where they were lowered to Pont Bethania.
On reaching the tramway, the route lies to the right, but it is worth taking a few moments to turn left towards quarry buildings in front of which lies what some have mistaken as a graveyard (SH611523). It is simply a random placement of slate slabs, of uncertain origin, although it is agreeable to think they may have been placed in commemoration of those who died working the quarries.
Return along the tramway, which passes through a few rock cuttings until it reaches the top of a clear path descending to the left, reaching the route of ascent not far from Plas Cwmllan. Now all you need to do is turn right, and retrace your steps to Nantgwynant.
Yr Aran from just above Bwlch Cwm Llan
WALK FOUR
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