Ultimate Snowdonia: Hiking in Wales

While Snowdonia is not at high elevation, the terrain can be steep and rugged. This trip is not technical, but is aimed for those who have some experience hiking in the mountains. At lower elevations, the trails are usually packed dirt, but at higher elevations they are often much rockier and more uneven, with sections of loose scree and boulders. Recent rockslides may impact the routes we use. On some days, you will encounter sections of narrow, exposed trails. You will also occasionally need to use your hands to scramble over and between a jumble of boulders. Your experienced mountain guides are there to assist you if needed. No climbing or mountaineering experience is necessary, but all participants must be in good physical condition, have good balance, be comfortable with moderate levels of exposure, and be confident on their feet. Hiking poles are highly recommended.

We strongly urge you to train for your trip, as your enjoyment will be highly dependent on your level of fitness. The best training for a hike is to hike, especially over hills or rough terrain. Next best are running, swimming, bicycling, or other cardiovascular exercises. Stair-climbing machines are excellent preparation for hiking uphill. Your feet should also be well prepared—make sure your hiking boots are sturdy, comfortable, and thoroughly broken-in.

Snowdonia is famous for its daily changeable weather conditions—you can experience all four seasons in one day here. Therefore, you need to pack for cold rain, persistent fog, mist, and beautiful sunny weather. The rule here is to be prepared for any eventuality by creating a layering system that takes you from shorts to protective rain gear.

We’ll stay in historic coaching inns, an upscale 17th century country-house-turned-hotel (the former residence of Lord Snowdon), a 17th century pub on the banks of an estuary, and finally a castle (Ruthin Castle Hotel) dating back to around 1277 under Edward I. These properties have been carefully selected for their local history and charm. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Additionally, many are architecturally protected, so elevators are not permitted and you will have to carry your luggage up the stairs to your room. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.

Traditional Welsh cuisine features local lamb and vegetable stews, regional cheeses, buttery shortbreads, Glamorgan (vegetarian sausage), coastal specialties such as fresh fish and cockles (similar to mussels), and sugar-dusted Welsh cakes, the perfect accompaniment to tea. Our lunches will be either at local cafés and pubs or we’ll carry a packed lunch during our hikes. Dinners will be at local restaurants or at our hotels, with a fine-dining experience at the Plas Dinas Country House. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.

Our van will transport the group’s luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack for items you need for the day (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day’s hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or spend the day in town).