Snowdon Lodge at Tremadog is in the foot hills of Snowdonia, right next to the famous Tremadog Rocks climbing routes and 20 minutes from Nant Gwynant where the Pig Track climbs up to the summit of Snowdon. Perfectly situated for Snowdonia outdoor activities. Numerous sea sports are available, take advantage of the Atlantic waves for surfing and the large expanses of sand for kite surfing. The many varied beaches on the Llyn peninsula provide opportunities for coasteering, cliff climbing, surfing and open water swimming. The tumbling rivers of Snowdonia are ideal for gorge scrambling and white water rafting. If you love the great outdoors you can find enough Snowdonia outdoor activities to keep you challenged for years.
At Tremadog rocks, one of the best crags in Wales, you can rock climb all day only a few minutes walk from Snowdon Lodge. These sheltered rocks are well know for their temperate climate, in the rain shadow of Snowdon it is dry here when the rest of Snowdonia is exposed to bad weather. There are climbing routes ranging from V.Diff to E7 and include multi-pitch routes of up to 250ft in height. Snowdonia has thousands of climbing routes throughout the mountains and the some fantastic ice climbing in magnificent scenery in winter.
Snowdonia National park is the most popular place in the UK for hill walking and there is a wide choice of low, medium and high level walks close to Snowdon Lodge. Here are some mountain routes from the Snowdonia National Park website which give details about many Snowdonia outdoor activites. Snowdon is the classic summit on everyone’s list and the easiest way from Snowdon Lodge is to follow the Pig Track from Pen y Pass. Pen y Pass is 30 minutes drive from Snowdon Lodge and the Pig Track is paved, with huge rocks in some places, all the way to the summit. There are alternative more exciting routes, some which need to be taken with care on a fine day under the guidance of an experienced guide. These include the classic Grib Goch route which climbs a very exposed edge from Pen y Passs. This type of mountain scrambling is probably the most dangerous form of mountaineering, particularly on an icy windy day. The peaks of Tryfan, Moel Hebog and the Snowdon Massif and the mountain villages of Llanberis, Capel Curig, Beddgelert and Betws-y-Coed are all reachable for a day trip from Snowdon Lodge.
Easily accessible from Snowdon Lodge are some of the best mountain bike trails in the UK. Visit Coed-y-Brenin, Beddgelert Forest, the routes around Betws-y-Coed or the Red Bull and Karrimor trails which are nearly 33 km long. For road cyclists the Lon Las Cymru passes close to Snowdon Lodge, a tough but spectacular cycle route that takes you through a variety of landscapes from the south to the north of Wales.
The local Black Rock Sands and Hells Mouth beach on the Llyn Peninsula are an oasis for kite flyers with miles of flat hard sand and the perfect sea for a windsurfing. Local club meetings and sport shop demonstrations often take place on these beaches. The westerly Atlantic waves and huge beaches are also ideal for surfing. The tumbling rivers and calm lakes of Snowdonia are ideal for kayaking on white water or flat water. The area is full of places to paddle, with the Tryweryn and the river Dee close and the sea and lakes only a stones throw from Snowdon Lodge.
Snowdon Lodge is a great base from which to organise your own Snowdonia outdoor activities or you can take advantage of one of the many activity providers in the area who will provide you with equipment and expertise to try something new.
The National White Water Centre Canolfan Tryweryn provides great Whitewater Rafting trips, they pioneered Whitewater Rafting in the UK and their reputation precedes them as visitors return again and again to take part in this exhilarating activity. The North Wales Caving club provide help and advice about the local caves, officially their objectives are “The Exploration, Study and Conservation of Caves and Historic Mines in North Wales” unofficially they just try to have fun underground. North Wales Gliding Club is a friendly members’ club were you can learn to fly gliders and then participate in one of the most fascinating ways of flying. Visitors are always made very welcome and even if you do not want to fly and just want to watch, then you will be welcome.
Here are some more Snowdonia outdoor activities and things to do in North Wales.
Here are some interesting facts about Mount Snowdon and Snowdonia Outdoor Activities
· At 3560 feet (1085 metres) Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales.
· There are six main paths up Snowdon: Llanberis Path, Miners Track, Pyg Track, Rhyd Ddu Path, Snowdon Ranger Path and Watkin Path
· Snowdon’s highest peak, ‘Yr Wyddfa Fawr’, translates to ‘The Great Tomb’ in English.
· Thomas Johnson made the first recorded ascent of Snowdon in 1639 to search for botanical specimens.
· Llanberis, the village at the foot of Snowdon has been described as ‘The Chamonix of Wales’.
· The original engines used on the Snowdon Mountain Railway were made in Switzerland.
· Clogwyn Du’r Arddu on Snowdon was the first rock climbing cliff to have a whole book devoted to it. “The Black Cliff”
· Refreshments were first sold at the summit of Snowdon by an enterprising miner named Morris Williams in 1838.
. In the 1950’s Joe Brown and his colleagues slid down the Snowdonia Mountain Railway after their climbs by placing a flat rock on the central rack of the line with a foot on each outside rail for balance and breaking.
· The seagull, not normally seen on mountains, is the most common bird seen on Snowdon
. Snowdonia outdoor activities are recognised as the most popular in the UK
· The Snowdon area comprises many different rock types. They are mostly of volcanic origin with Rhyolite and Dolerite being the most common. The two types can be clearly seen from Pont y Cromlech on the Llanberis Pass. Looking toward Crib Goch (south west), the crags known as Dinas Mot (due south) have a smoother central ‘nose’ which is Rhyolite and darker, rougher much more vegetated ‘wings’. These are Dolerite. It is also worth noting that the summit of Snowdon itself is the remains of an extinct volcano.