Snowdon
A full day's ride around Wales's highest mountain, and back over the Cambrian Mountains, awesome mountain scenery, just fabulous.
Ride Info
- Start
- Shrewsbury
- Finish
- Shrewsbury
- Distance
- 193.1 miles
- Directions
- Leave Shrewsbury on the A528 to Ellesmere, at the roundabout in Ellesmere turn right and stay on the A528 through Overton-on-Dee. Shortly after you cross the River Dee turn left onto the A539 and bypass Ruabon, in Llangollen the road turns into the A542 Horsehoe Pass, up there, stop at the Ponderosa Cafe for a brew. Right out of the Pondy, across the roundabout, road becomes A525 into Ruthin and carry on to Denbigh on the A525/A543. Stay on this fantastic road across Denbigh Moor, eventually turning right onto the A5 at Pentrefoelas, and carry on into Betws-y-Coed. Take a left across the green bridge, there is fuel on the left. Be sure you have plenty as this is the last fuel for a while. Nice cafes by the old station (turn right just before the ped crossing) but BYC is full of nice places to eat. Carry on on the A5 to Capel Curig, left onto the A4086, it's signed Llanberis and Caernarfon. The scenery starts to get wild... take a right (signed Caernarfon and Llanberis) to stay on the A4086 through the Pass of Llanberis. As you come up the short hill towards Pen-y-Pass, on a clear day you will see the summit of Snowdon slightly to your left. Stop and take piccies, after all everyone else does... Carry on to Llanberis, and on towards Caernarfon. I like the road up to Llanberis, you need to concentrate cos there are usually quite a few ramblers, tour buses, etc, and dry stone walls if you make a mistake - so don't!! Shortly before Caernarfon, at Pontrug, turn left onto a minor road that meets up with the A4085. At the roundabout, turn left. This next bit of tarmac is one of the best rides ever, lovely twisties, awesome wild scenery down the west side of Snowdon, gorgeous clean air, what else could you want? I promise that you won't want this road to end. At Beddgelert you can either turn left - the road brings you round the south side of Snowdon and back to the A5 - or carry straight on (in reality it's a sharp turn right across the bridge) and carry on past the Royal Goat (yes, true!!) Hotel and under the trees till you turn left at Pont Aberglaslyn. Another awesome twisty road this, some of the bends are sharper than they look. Carry on to Penryhndeudraeth, (in Pen, it looks like you're riding the wrong way down a one way street, but you aren't!) where you take a left onto the A487. This is a fast road, sweeping open bends. At Trawsfynydd turn left onto the A4212 to Bala, enjoy the magnificent right hander around the top of Llyn Celyn. At Bala stop for a brew in one of the many coffee houses - this is Welsh speaking country so don't be surprised if everyone is talking in a funny language. Back up the main street in Bala, take a right onto the B4391 over the Cambrian Mountains. About 6 - 7 miles out from Bala, the road starts getting twisty - look out for two sharp hairpin bends, the first is left, the second right. Up up up onto the tops, the views are just superb, few sharp bends on the tops but look out for death wish sheep. The descent is every bit as good. After Penybontfawr, the road starts going uphill and about half way up there is a well-hidden left turn for Oswestry, on the B4396. You must take this left, else you'll get lost. This road has a few sharp bends, one particularly sharp right bend. At the junction, turn right to stay on the B4396, you come out at Llynclys (it's in England, pronounced 'Lun-clas') - cross over the A483 (care - it's a busy road) through Knockin, the road soon forks right and you come out at a roundabout on the A5 - take a right for Shrewsbury and follow the signs depending on where you want to go. Hope you enjoy this ride, it's one of my faves around here.