Llanberis Path and the Snowdon Ranger path

Llanberis Path and the Snowdon Ranger Path

The Llanberis Path and the Snowdon Ranger Path are two Black graded mountain bike routes up Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in Eryri National Park, North Wales. At 1,085 metres (3,559 feet), Snowdon is the highest peak in England and Wales. The classic ride climbs the Llanberis Path and descends via the Snowdon Ranger Path and Telegraph Valley back to the village, an 18.5km loop that's tough, loose underfoot and a genuine test of nerve on the way down.

The Trails

• The classic loop climbs the Llanberis Path, around 7.3km (4.5 miles) one way, then descends via the Snowdon Ranger Path and Telegraph Valley back to Llanberis: an 18.5km (11.5 mile) round trip, graded Black, with around 1,070 metres of climbing. Allow around 3 hours in total, and at least 2.5 hours to reach the summit on the way up.
• The Llanberis Path itself is loose, rocky terrain with a number of rock steps. Expect to carry your bike in places on the climb, and watch out for walkers, since this is a shared-use path.
• If you'd rather not commit to the full loop, the Llanberis Path also works as an out and back on its own, around 14.5km (9 miles) round trip using the same path both ways.
• The Snowdon Ranger Path descent starts steep and chunky, gets looser as it crosses the old railway line, then narrows into Telegraph Valley: a tight, technical section of drops, rock gardens and switchbacks back down towards Llanberis.

Trail Access

• Both paths fall under the long-standing Snowdon Voluntary Cycling Agreement. Riders are asked not to cycle the Llanberis Path, or the Snowdon Ranger Path above Bwlch Maesgwm, between 10am and 5pm from 1 May to 30 September, to keep the paths clear for walkers during the busiest hours. The lower section of the Snowdon Ranger Path, below Bwlch Maesgwm towards Cwellyn, is not affected.
• Outside those hours, and from October to April, both paths are open to bikes without restriction. An early morning or evening ride is a good way to ride in season while sticking to the agreement.
• These are shared-use bridleways: give way to walkers at all times and ride within your limits, particularly on the loose, rocky sections.
• Check the Eryri National Park Authority's mountain biking page for the current agreement and any other alerts before you ride.

Getting Here

• Park at the Snowdon Mountain Railway car park off Victoria Terrace in Llanberis (LL55 4TT), the closest public car park to the start of the Llanberis Path.
• Llanberis has several further pay and display car parks in the village if this one is full, especially at peak times.
• The Snowdon Sherpa bus network links Llanberis with Pen y Pass and the other trailheads around the mountain, useful if you don't want to loop straight back to your car.
• Llanberis village itself has cafes, pubs and a bike shop on the High Street for last-minute supplies or repairs.
• These are natural mountain paths with no waymarking, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.

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