WALES · ERYRI · 53.07°N 4.08°W · SUMMER · MAY–SEP
Snowdonia 3000s
All fifteen Welsh peaks over 3,000 feet in three honest days instead of one brutal one: Crib Goch at dawn, the Glyderau's moonscape, and the long whaleback Carneddau. Serious scrambling, sensibly paced.
THE ROUTE, CHARTED
The elevation profile
GPS-logged. Camps and key points marked; the shape of the route is the honest version of the brochure.
THE SHAPE OF THE TRIP · 3 DAYS
The itinerary
The Snowdon horseshoe
Away at six for Crib Goch while the ridge is empty and the light is sideways: the knife-edge, the pinnacles, then Garnedd Ugain and Snowdon's summit, 1,085m, before the trains deliver the world. Down the Pyg track to Pen-y-Pass.
The Glyderau
Tryfan's North Ridge first — three points of contact and a grin — then Bristly Ridge or its bypass onto the shattered moonscape of Glyder Fach and Fawr, past the Cantilever stone, descending to Ogwen with Y Garn thrown in for completists.
The Carneddau
The long quiet finish: Pen yr Ole Wen's steep start buys a high whaleback ridge over Dafydd and Llewelyn to Foel-fras — five summits with the sea filling the horizon and ponies for company. Descent to Abergwyngregyn and a waiting minibus.
WHY THIS ROUTE
The expedition
The Welsh 3000s is usually attempted as a 24-hour sufferfest. We think the mountains deserve better, so we take three days and actually look at them. Day one is the Snowdon group with Crib Goch's knife-edge taken early and quiet; day two crosses the Glyderau, where Tryfan demands your hands the whole way up and the summit plateau looks borrowed from another planet; day three finishes over the Carneddau's high grassy wilderness, where wild ponies outnumber walkers. Nights in Pen-y-Pass and Ogwen — bunkhouse comfort, cooked breakfasts. Honest note: Crib Goch and Tryfan are genuine grade-1 scrambles with real exposure; you need a steady head, and we rope the crux if anyone wants it. Nobody has ever minded.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Crib Goch before the crowds arrive
- Tryfan by the North Ridge — hands-on all the way
- All 15 Welsh 3,000-foot summits
- Bunkhouse nights, no camp weight
- Rope available for the exposed steps
- Finish at the sea-facing Carneddau ridge
STRAIGHT ANSWER
Is this for you?
You should be able to say yes — honestly — to all of these:
- You have real multi-day experience and can handle big consecutive days — this is honest grade 4 ground.
- You have a steady head for exposure — there is hands-on ground here, protected where it matters.
- You would rather be told the truth about a hard day than sold an easy one.
Grade 4 means grade 4. If you're not sure, ring us — we'd rather lose a booking than carry a struggle.
THE LEDGER
What £440 covers
INCLUDED
- Wildtrace guide (Ben Okonkwo) at a max ratio of 1:8
- All hut, refuge or lodge nights as described, with evening meals
- Group safety kit: inReach satellite comms and expedition first aid
- Pre-trip video call, training plan and the real kit list
- Minibus transfers from the nearest railway station
NOT INCLUDED
- Travel to the meeting point (we help with train times)
- Personal insurance — BMC or equivalent recommended
- Sleeping bag — bring your own or hire ours (£30/trip)
- Lunches and drinks on travel days
PACK THIS, NOT EVERYTHING
Kit, previewed
The items that matter most on this route. The full list — with honest notes on what not to buy — lives in the kit room and is sent on booking.
Broken-in boots matched to the terrain. Broken-in is the load-bearing phrase.
Waterproof jacket and trousers you actually trust.
A day pack that fits — 30–35L covers almost every trip.
Headtorch plus spare batteries. Early starts are a feature.
Grippy gloves for cabled or rocky sections; a helmet where needed is provided.
Sheet sleeping-bag liner and earplugs. Dormitory diplomacy in two items.
2L capacity plus purification where the trip notes say so.
A proper insulated jacket. Evenings are where trips are enjoyed or endured.
WHO'S TAKING YOU
Your guide
Ben Okonkwo
IML · ALPINE LEADInternational Mountain Leader with twelve Alpine seasons. Leads the big European tours. Has carried a cafetière over every col in the Vanoise and regrets none of it.
HOW WE RUN IT
Max 8 walkers. inReach satellite comms carried and checked daily. Escape routes planned before we sell a single place. And the weather rule that built this company: we turn back. That's the deal. Full detail on our safety page.
NO PAYMENT AT THIS STAGE
Ask about this trip
Send this and a guide rings you back — Tuesday or Thursday evening, usually. Fifteen minutes, honest questions both ways, no hard sell.
IF THIS, THEN ALSO
