UKC

The Pen y Pass parking website says the following:

"Starting Monday, 4th November, Pen y Pass will revert to a pay and display car park with spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan ahead, and use other car parks and bus services in the area."

I presume this is just for winter but at some point it will revert to an online pre-booking system, as it was when I parked there in October.  Can anyone confirm?

At Easter I'm normally parked in P&D @ Ogwen Cottage by 5am and leaving by the time everyone else is arriving, 9am ish.  This time I've promised my 10 year old daughter we'll go up Snowdon (aged 8 she did Y Garn from Ogewn, so Snowdon shouldn't be an issue).  We have a traditional family trip to Wales @ Easter, hence the timing along with the throngs of other people.

This is correct.

Thanks Luca.

Any idea when the online booking system will be available for bookings to be made?  I'm conscious it will get booked up quickly.

I don't want to do park and ride as I prefer to start earlier than the first bus and avoid the mountain when it gets busy.

An option to consider is going up Snowdon from the other side. The Rhyd Ddu path is, in my opinion, much nicer, around the same distance and massively quieter, especially at Easter.
The top section is a ridge walk on a decent path, but is somewhat exposed on one side, so worth bearing in mind if you’re taking a youngster- shouldn’t be a problem though. You also avoid the Pen y pass parking issues, which require pre-booking (and £30, I think?).

Theres loads of parking space and it’s around £4/6.

Hi PJ

Pen y Pass parking was £40 in October!

I've done the Rhyd Ddu path a couple of times so I'm familiar with the ridge walk, she'd be fine.  I'll look in to it RE travel time from where we're staying as it's the wrong side for us but might still be an option, cheers.

Or could go up the llanberis path and down to pyp by which time the bus will be running to get back to the car...?

You mention it's a family holiday. Could you get dropped off at pen y pass in the morning, then walk down by a different route (or use public transport) at the end of the day?

If you're going early then you should be able to park in the layby on the A498 at the bottom of the road SH659556.  Unfortunately it does add about a mile and 100m ascent which isn't ideal with an 8 year old.

Now is an opportune time to ask something I have been unsure of for ages. How is parking at Pen y Gwyrd controlled, and is it different in Conwy and Gwynedd?  Not sure if you can park or verges, or if you can't one side of the country border but it's OK a little way up the road towards Capel.

At Easter all the usual parking will be rammed before dawn

You could drop kids and another adult off at the Pen Y Pass then whizz the car round to the layby and catch them up.  I've done this before and its worked well.

The layby I'm referring to is specifically marked as pay and display parking.

Do you know the charge for parking in the layby, as opposed to the £40 at PyP itself?

I think its £6-£8 

The card facilities are unreliable... and not having cash is no excuse - you'll still get ticketed! Stick a bag of £1 coins in the car just in case. 

Just for info, Pen y Pass was full at 8.30am this weekend. Given Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon is a 'crazy popular tick',  I wouldn't be surprised if you were unlucky about parking at 5.30am at Easter. As others have said above,  there are other ways to sort out parking on busy weekends, including various paid parking field towards and around Nant Peris.

I'd add the mountain behaviour this last weekend was apparently a 'shit show'. The ascent really needed spikes to be safe given extensive ice on the upper sections of paths, and yet the paths had the usual collective of ordinary training shoe brigade with clothing more suitable for valley walks. Llanberis MRT are pretty much at their limit right now, and given this 'summit baggers' should be much more responsible in anything but good weather.

If in doubt about what kit you might need,  follow MRT advice and use #Adventure Smart.

https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/safety/adventure-smart/

https://www.adventuresmart.uk/be-adventure-smart-in-winter/

I know everyone makes mistakes but given the fact that there is usually a sign at the bottom of the Pyg track telling people the conditions on top and equipment required, anyone in trackies and trainers requiring a rescue should be left overnight to contemplate their stupidity. 

Slightly radical idea: how about turning up at Pen y Pass around 12.00 noon or later? Still should be ample time for a walk up and down in April and the 5am to 7am parkers should be gone? It'll probably be a lot less crowded setting off at midday. 

Personally i think the bus works really well. 

You know that won't ever happen... I'd imagine too many would risk death from exposure if stuck up there overnight in conditions like last weekend, thats if they hadn't slipped on ice and shot down steep ground, ending up mangling themselves (or worse), even a simple in- situ slip on verglas (for lack of spikes) could lead to incapacitation from an injured back, sprained ankle etc.

Thanks all, some good suggestions.

One option I like the sound of is to make it a triangular route, with public transport to finish the job.

It will just be us two, and we usually set off very early so having someone drop us off isn’t an option.

I think Rhyd Du is probably my preference as it stands, possibly with the northbound scramble to the south ridge as a slight detour on the way up to add a slightly circuitous element, rather than just out and back.

It is quite possible to return to Rhydd Ddu from the summit of Snowden by starting down the Ranger path. Done that several times. No need to return via the same route.

John

The website now says it goes back to the pre-booking system from April 5th this year. But it doesn't seem to say when the booking system will open or how far ahead you'll be able to book. 

https://eryri.gov.wales/visit/snowdon/pen-y-pass-car-park/

But go about 300 mtrs a long the road towards Capel and you can park for free once across the county line. I've not had a problem getting a space there although in recent times that has been in winter when I've gone to do the Snowdon horseshoe in winter conditions. 

Successful day out today.

Up Rhyd Ddu, and back down the Ranger Path, connecting them back up at the bottom via the old quarry.  Manage an extra bag of Garnedd Ugain too.

Thanks for the suggestions 👍🏻.

That's probably my favourite way to do Yr Wyddfa.  Generally quiet even at busy times - the throng on top comes as a shock!  I find the Rhyd Ddu has a nice sort of Alpine-y feel to it particularly at the top.

Hi Neil

I agree, both my previous hikes up Snowdon have been back down the south ridge, but then down the steeper descent continuing south and then east towards the Watkin path.

We really enjoyed this route, despite the boggy bits between the Ranger path and the quarry.  One bonus was a deep, sunshine filled crystal clear ‘pond’ full of tadpoles.