[Closed] Snowdon voluntary ban - whatsitallabout?

"Pushing" up should be fine and avoid all bar the most angry red sock lot.
Just be aware that on the evening session up there you will be coming up on the backs of most people. In the morning you at least meet them face on.

Most people I've known who've done it have done it really early and walked up as soon as it's light then been down before the 'ban' starts as it's usualy quieter first thing than last thing.

I'd leave it a good while after 5 and and you'll be fine. Maybe start pushing up about 5.
No matter how slowly and courteously I've passed foks, some still look at you as if you just murdered their dog...

Start at 5am - I did... lovely to have the mountain (almost) to yourself...

... and back down in time for brekkie at Pete's Eats

Not all of the route comes under the ban do time it right and you'll be on the "free" bit before 10am.

Not all of the route comes under the ban do time it right and you'll be on the "free" bit before 10am.

Only useful if returning via Snowdon Ranger path??

Interesting - I can't find anything that stops you walking the bike up. I don't know how official this is, but [url= http://www.llanberis.org/Snowdon.html ]llanberis.org/Snowdon[/url] has the following:

[i]Since riding is permitted before 10am and after 5pm at any time, a descent on a summers evening is not out of the question and [u]there is nothing to stop you walking up earlier with your bikes to reach the summit before 5pm[/u] so long as you are not riding up.[/i]

Since riding is permitted before 10am and after 5pm at any time, a descent on a summers evening is not out of the question and there is nothing to stop you walking up earlier with your bikes to reach the summit before 5pm so long as you are not riding up.

but, as posted above ^, the mountain will still be busy with walkers descending the mountain.

We returned (on foot) via Snowdon Ranger and Bwlch Maesgwm on Saturday, and it was lovely and quiet, but if you plan to come back down the Llanberis path it is likely to be pretty busy. from Bwlch Maesgwm the LP looked like an ant trail of walkers 🙁

Nuts I know, but are you 'really' going to be able to mow people into the undergrowth riding 'up ' the mountain. The red socks will probably overtake you anyway. I have always accepted the riding times, but just think that its a bit mad in a way.

Aim to be at the end of the Tarmac at the top of the steep hill at 5pm with a fairly fast push and some riding on some of the easy stuff you should be at the top by about 7:30/8 this leaves most of the walkers exept a few straglers to get off the mountain leaving you with a chance to get a good blast on the way down and less risk of knockig a walker.
Please observe the times in the Ban it's been that way for over 15 years it would be a shame for us to loose it.

I'm off up tonight, going to aim to be at the llanberis path by 5pm, hopefully ill be able to descend the rangers and telegraph valley before dark, don't want to miss the sign post as I've never ridden snowdon before!

Agree with the last two.

The best time to head up is around 4:00pm
- 5:00pm. Most walkers will be off the mountain by the time you get to the top.

Last time we did we had a completely clear run top to bottom!

Steve, don't want to worry you but I'm sure there was no sign post last time we did that route.

Was there this w/e... there is a post with "Llanberis" marked on it. More of a marker post than sign post IIRC.

Again, IIRC, you go through a gate / style, followed by a little dip down to a culverted stream crossing. A few 100m on there is another fenceline, and the path to Maesgwm goes off after that fenceline...

I usually ride it in the day time, push up in the morning, have lunch on the summit and then ride down, as after all the van is voluntary and I just choose not to volunteer. Just shout rider loud enough before you approach people and they usually get out of the way without any hassle. I've never had any hassle or grief from walkers, just comments about being mad to ride down it 🙂

I do hope you are trolling 😯

Nope not trolling. The best time I did it was on bank holiday Monday a few years ago as the weather was stunning, it wasnt the best ride as there was people but it was nice to be high on a mountain on my.bike

Again - I really hope you are trolling. Some of us live very close-by and know how hard won the access is. Please observe the agreement in future.

If he is not trolling he needs owning with bombers

I hope someone wees in his shoes.

I think he has form for trolling so assume it's trolling.

That has got to be a bridge dweller, would not be physically possible to 'ride' down snowdon on a bank holiday-- there are plenty of other mountains in the area that have more challenges than eryri

Makes no odds whether he's trolling or not....he's an arsehat regardless.

it is a bridleway not a footpath, ramblers need to withdraw their head from the anuses

if it was a permissive bridleway it would be different, but a proper bridleway is a statutory right of way, I kind of wish I had a horse just to take that up to be honest

teamjellybabies - Member
it is a bridleway not a footpath, ramblers need to withdraw their head from the anuses

OH the ironing

Get back under your bridge!!!

I'm another one who a while back round late evening it was fantastic, set off down well after 7 (mid july) was stunning and enjoyed my pint after with very sore wrists!!

Well I'm back, absolutely awesome ride. ill write a bit of a review as the posts on this forum were very useful to me in planning my own attempt on Snowdon.

Really got lucky with weather so views were fantastic, only saw 3 other people ascending (all runners, nutters) but lots of people coming down, I literally saw no one on the Ranger Path and only 1 runner at the end of telegraph valley.

The ascent is brutally relentless, I've read figures like '75%' for now much of the Llanberis ascent is rideable, I'd say more like 50 and even then you'd have to be an extremely strong climber to maintain a faster-than-walking pace. No one should feel bad about pushing most of the way as it's tough with a bike. I found that there were parts just before the half way house that were easy though, after this point and before the tunnel it gets very very steep, pushing my 30lb Covert was pretty tough. Lots of cheery banter with walkers on the way up with most seeming genuinely impressed/surprised to see a bike!

The ranger path was great fun, fast and loose at first, with occasional large rocks to keep you on your toes and more and more tight turns as you progress, parts reminded me of a rockier/steeper Cut Gate path 😀 Ill admit with no shame that I pushed down 2 or 3 of the 'mordor' parts. Being on my own, nackered, first ride down, tiny bit of water remaining and about an hour before dark there was no way I would risk a big off, besides it's good to leave something for next time. I would recommended giving yourself plenty of time so you can take it easy, and go with a friend!

The marker was easy to spot as unknown to me it appears at a fairly low speed section, ignore the first one (footpath) and do persevere with the grass hill, it's a bitch (steep) but eventually you'll see a bench and the grass track is easier to follow. Telegraph valley was OK, hopping the water bars gets tiring after a while and I'm glad I'm tubeless as if you're tired you're bound to miss a couple and flat.

Next time I'll do the Llanberis both ways, although the obvious option it's definitely the no frills route, and there are definitely some challenging rock sections.

Just out of interest, what is the usual route ? Up the Llanderis path and down the Ranger or Llanberis path both ways ?

Up Llanberis, down Rangers.