Snowdonia National Park, United Kingdom
By The Alpines · Updated 2025-01-15 · 12 min read
The Welsh 3000s is one of Britain's great mountain challenges: summit all 15 peaks over 3,000 feet in Snowdonia within 24 hours. The route links three distinct mountain ranges — the Carneddau, the Glyderau, and the Snowdon massif — into a single relentless traverse across some of the most dramatic terrain in Wales.
Starting from Aber Falls in the north or Snowdon in the south, you'll cross exposed ridges, navigate rocky scrambles, and push through a full day of continuous mountain travel. The challenge isn't just physical — route-finding, weather management, and pacing all play critical roles. Most strong hillwalkers complete it in 12 to 18 hours, though fell runners have done it in under 5.
This isn't a walk — it's a mountain expedition compressed into a single day. You need solid navigation skills, scrambling confidence, and the fitness to keep moving for 50km with 4,000m of elevation change. But the reward is unforgettable: standing on top of Wales having linked every major summit in one continuous push.
The longest and most remote section. Starting from Aber Falls or Foel-fras car park, you traverse the broad, grassy Carneddau ridge over 6 summits. The terrain is rolling but deceptively tiring, with few landmarks in poor visibility. Foel-fras, Carnedd Llewelyn, and Carnedd Dafydd are the big ones. The descent off Pen yr Ole Wen to Ogwen is steep and knee-punishing.
From Ogwen Valley you climb steeply to Tryfan — a proper scramble that wakes up tired legs. The summit of Tryfan requires hands-on rock to reach. From there, traverse to Glyder Fach (with its famous cantilever stone) and Glyder Fawr across an alien landscape of shattered rock towers. The descent options vary: Bristly Ridge (Grade 1 scramble) or the Y Gribin path.
The final push. Climb from Pen-y-Pass to Crib Goch — a Grade 1 scramble along an exposed knife-edge ridge with serious drops on both sides. This is the crux of the entire route. From Crib Goch, continue over Garnedd Ugain to Snowdon summit, then bag Yr Aran on the descent. By this point you've been moving for 10+ hours and the scrambling demands full concentration.
The best window is June through September when days are long enough to complete the route in daylight. June offers the longest days (17+ hours of light) and the Snowdon café is open for a mid-route morale boost. July and August bring warmer temperatures but also more crowds on Snowdon. September gives quieter mountains and crisp autumn visibility, but shorter days mean headtorches become more likely.
Avoid winter unless you have full winter mountaineering experience — the ridges (especially Crib Goch) become serious alpine terrain requiring crampons, ice axes, and roped movement. Spring can work in settled weather but daylight is limited and snow patches linger on the Glyderau into May.
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Start Training - £60Last updated: 2025-01-15 · 12 min read