Local Hikes in Snowdonia

As I have stated before, some of the best hiking locations are the ones sat directly one your doorstep. Local hikes in places that you can easily return to, is so fulfilling because each time you return, your familiarity with the area will allow you to explore more extensively and travel further afield.


For me, this familiar territory is Snowdonia. This is the name given to the area of Wales surrounding Mt. Snowdon, which is one of Britain's most famous peaks. Here are just a few of the fantastic local hikes and spots available to you in this beautiful part of the world:

The Nantle Ridge and Moel Hebog

Moel Hebog and the Nantle Ridge are located in Beddgelert, which sits in the Southern part of Snowdonia. Beddgelert contains some excellent medium height mountains, and The Nantle Ridge presents an excellent opportunity to traverse five of the better ones. There are some tantalisingly narrow sections of the ridge and some scrambling to be done near a few of the summits.

Moel Hebog is the highest summit near Beddgelert, and has some great cliffs and rocky bluffs. However, access from Beddgelert itself can be tricky and forest tracks should be your chosen route.

Cadair Idris

Cadair Idris is one of the more famous peaks in Snowdonia, and is significantly higher than any of the summits in the surrounding area (which are all of a low/medium height). It is also the second highest mountain outside the main Snowdon area, losing out by twelve metres to Aran Fawddwy.

Approaches from the North and South will be very difficult to complete due to an abundance of heather, scree and cliff face. Most hikers will want to take an east-west approach, and be sure to pack a camera as there are some incredible views from the area around the summit.

Snowdon

Snowdon itself is an extremely popular climb for good reason. Not only is it the highest and most famous of the mountains in Snowdonia, it also offer a wide variety of local hikes and walking routes to suit all tastes and abilities. Pen-y-pass is one of the most widely used starting points, but the more experienced hikers amongst you may want to consider the Snowdon Horseshoe.