RSF - The Off Road Cycling Club

Circuit of Snowdon ride.

This route works either way around. We chose to ascend the more technical side of Foel Goch which means pushing the bike up some largish rocky steps and doubtless the more competent would fly over the steps if going the other way. The descent to Snowdon Ranger is now hard packed path and easy and fast to descend or rideable for the super fit all the way up if reversed.

A good place to start is the car park at Padarn Country Park 590691 and we rode this as follows. Ride up the hill on tarmac and take the second left turn at a fork which descends steeply into the woods. Follow down hill ensuring that you keep right on the corner and do not shoot down the right fork which goes to a private house but looks like it could be the road. Continue to the end of Llyn Padarn Lake where there is a cracking view looking back towards Snowdon. Keep left over the bridge and follow the cycle route into Llanberis. This would be a good alternative place to start this ride from the lakeside car park.

Ride along the main street until you see the YHA sign pointing right and climb the steep hill past a massive church and keep on going following the valley. This turns into a track known locally as ‘Telegraph Road’ due to the old Marconi buildings you will see. This rough stuff track takes you up over the col of Foel Goch and then descends the other side to Snowdon Ranger which is another good potential start point if you choose to stay in the hostel.

Head south along the A4085 to Rhydd Ddu where there is an excellent café and leave on the A4085 towards Beddgelert. Opposite the steam railway station there is a track to the right and this is the excellent cycle route to Beddgelert. There are many gates and it is better if there are several of you to share the gate opening duties. The track is waymarked and you can follow this all the way to Beddgelert and have superb views onto Moel Hebog and Snowdon. When in Beddgelert leave on the A498 heading north east and continue past the lake of Llyn Dinas and subsequentially Llyn Cwellyn and after passing the lake keep right on the minor road which leads to the campsite. This is the old road pass and eventually the tarmac will run out after the farm but it is a good track although the drainage runnels give a bit of a challenge to cross and you eventually emerge onto the A498 again with great views of the flanks of Snowdon to your left.

Climb a short way on the main road and fork left to climb up on the A4086 to Pen-y-Pass (Another café if required) and whiz down Llanberis Pass until it flattens out along the valley. Keep a sharp eye out for a metal gate on your right immediately after Nant Peris just before crossing the bridge before the end of the lake. Turn right through this gate onto a slate track which winds its way torturously up through the slate quarries and cuts through the impressive ‘Watford Gap’ and you will eventually reach the summit by the old slate cutting buildings. It is worth a deviation to the left here out on the promontory of slate to the viewpoint as the views of the vast quarries are impressive and also that of Snowdon. You will also be looking down onto Dolbadarn castle in between the two lakes. Back onto the bike and it is a short descent back to the car park at Padarn Country Park where this route started from.