UKC

Hi, climbing Snowdon this weekend with my 12 year old son for charity.  Driving from London and staying 2 nights in Bangor Premier Inn.

We are both reasonably fit, I climbed it years ago no problems.  Plan is to ascend via PYG, descend via Miners path.

But...heavy rain is now forecast for Saturday.  Don't think I can change the dates.  Is PYG safe in the rain, or should we use Llanberis path?

Already booked Pen-y-pass  carpark!  Thanks.

It's rain, not acid. You'll be fine 😀

I'd worry about wind or lightning, not rain. It's Wales. It tends to rain quite a bit. 

Take a waterproof jacket and have a towel and dry set of clothes in the car for the end

You are quite likely to be in the cloud as well. Have you got a map, compass and do you know how to use them? People get lost easily in bad visibility, and you can get cold pretty quickly like that even in summer. So just keep that in mind if you are responsible for your kid as well as yourself.

....and also, I'll say it. You're not climbing it, you're going for a walk up & down it.

Just kidding, have a great time. 🙂

PYG is a pretty well trodden path, safe to say it has been walked by a few other people already before you.

As long as you have walking footwear with decent grip, full waterproofs, etc etc it'll be fine. make sure you can keep your car keys and phone dry, perhaps a ziplock bag?

Enjoy!

OH... if you're not familiar with the area, if you drive back to Bangor form Pen y Pass via Llanberis there is an excellent cafe https://www.petes-eats.co.uk/ (I thoroughly recommend it, even if going that way round adds 15 mins to your journey) and if you head back via Capel Curig there is https://www.moelsiabodcafe.co.uk/ to get a hot cuppa and some food

The PYG track is a well made path.  Provided you don't take a wrong turn and head off up Crib Goch you'll be fine.

I'd recommend you to return by the PYG and not the Miners Track, which is quite tedious - seems a long way going round both of the big llyns - on a horrible tarmac path like a pavement. 

I walked it a couple of weeks ago - for the umpteenth time - in heavy rain. Up by the Miners, and back by the PYG. I'd echo Gordon's advice to do it that way. 

On arriving back at Pen-y-Pass, we were greeted by a bloke who ran across to us and wanted to know about water conditions crossing the slabs section on the PYG. Apparently, he was involved with a 3 Peaks thing and that slabby section was a concern.

The section concerned was getting a bit of a dousing from waterfalls, but nothing that would require scuba gear... More of a concern was the sheer number of people who were inadequately dressed/prepared for the conditions and the poor visibility. 

Lots of good advice on this thread. I would recommend keeping an eye on the mountain weather via the Met Office, it can give you a good idea of the conditions/hazards to expect:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/specialist-forecasts/mountain/snowdoni... 

Thanks for all the replies.  Now climbing on Thursday.  Sunny all day and 19 degrees.  Most people seem to go up PYG and down Miners, so I'll take the advice given here and do it the other way,  might be a bit less crowded!

I would just avoid the miners path, it's pretty tedious going with a grotty bit where it joins the PYG track.

Thanks.  Off topic, but has anybody visited Anglesey?  We're now staying in the Caernarfon Premier Inn.  Thinking of popping over there on Friday and visiting either the South Stacks lighthouse or Beaumaris castle before we head back to London.  

Either worth a look?  Or anything else nearby?  Thanks

Both are worth a visit. I'd probably suggest South Stack over Beaumaris. Visit the lighthouse, wander up Holyhead Mountain and along the coast. Great scenery. But Beaumaris is nice if you want a lazy day bimbling around eating ice cream.

Thanks.  Apparently the lighthouse is closed although you can still cross the bridge and wander round.  Do the roads get very busy with surfers and tourists in Summer?  

Caernafon castle also looks good.  Only 10 minutes walk from the hotel.

Caernarfon Castle is very impressive, more so than Beaumaris for a 12 year old I'd say. If they like thinking about gruesome stuff you could take them to the old jail. If do you go to Beaumaris just watch out for the seagulls - one swooped down and nicked my ice cream out of my hand last month.

Yeah Caernarfon Castle is well worth a look too.

South Stack always gets plenty of tourists but I've never known it to be unbearably rammed with people. Whether things are different this year with more people holidaying in the UK I don't know though.

Another option besides South Stack is Newborough Woods & superb beach with stunning views to the Rivals and beyond.