snowdon

im really keen to tick this off. preliminarily penciled in friday oct 3rd weather permitting. probably climb up Llanberis path and descending down Rangers/TV as it my first time. tempted with the Rhyd Ddu descent but need to check out the much fabled rangers path really.

just trying to decide whether its a drive there and back in a day job or to to stay the night before and get out nice and early? its past the curfew so thats not really an issue but still be plenty of walkers tho i imagine?

wheres good to stay the night before? somewhere nice-ish, not after the four seasons but something comfortable would be good?

@jaffejoffer Nita’s B&B in Llanberis is always a good bet. Or if you’re wanting to start from the Ranger side, then the Ranger hostel is about as well placed as you’ll get.

I rode Snowdon last November with the intention of doing the rangers path as I’d done llanberis pass before.

The bikers I spoke to warned me off rangers as its been toned down (their words not mine)

I could see huge white bags on the route from where they were doing work.

On the way back down llanberris (which is awesome) spoke to a bloke pushing up who said he’d done the rangers path and it was that bad he was going back up again to do the llanberris pass just to get a good run.

I really want to do the rangers pass but I don’t want to waste 2 hours pushing my bike up to be disappointed I didn’t do llanberris pass.

Has anyone ridden rangers before and after the work?

JaffeJoffer

Just don’t make the same mistake i did by going up Llanberis and coming down the rangers expecting a short ride back . 16 miles with supertacky minions on after climbing and descending that even on the road took some doing

Id not done my research and just turned up on the day !!!!

^ interesting post Damascus. may consider going up Llanberis, down Rhyd Ddu, up Rangers then back down Llanberis? miss out the Telegraph valley then tho 😕

makkag – sounds like you missed the turn off for Telegraph Valley at the bottom of the Rangers??

its meant to be a short but steep climb, then a nice singletrack cruise back to Llanberis…

The point where you cut up is very non-distinct, the path is contouring round a steep grass bank. There is/used to be a small finger post pointing the way. It’s about halfway between the two walls/gates before the zig-zags down to the hotel, i.e. just after the second gate which is about a mile after the technical bit.

I did indeed I even-remember it i stopped there and saw sign to Llanberis but Knobby here thought that path looks good and carried on all the way down to rangers path Hostel where the guy laughed at me

road? yeah. you missed an option to the right there…

We rode it about 2 months ago, up Llanberis and down Rangers/TV. I thought it was excellent, not particularly gnar but that’s fine by me and it was more about the day/achievement. There were some fairly tricky bits on rangers still, I certainly wouldn’t avoid it and can’t see how Llanberis would be better.

actually this thread is only a week old – the guys on page 1 have ridden rangers since last Novemeber…

think ill stick to my original plan…

yeah, the stepping work on the rangers zig zags has been finished and its a tinsy bit easier perhaps but i wouldn’t say its massively different or ‘worse’. either way its about 10-20m so its incidental. Theres plenty of washed out stoney scree to sketch down before and after if thats what you want.

I think Rangers is like a big version of nan beild if that helps anyone.

Rode the Rangers path down on Saturday morning, Llanberis up and Ranger down – cracking run down on the whole, top section pretty open and loose, plenty to keep it interesting though. Turns into some reasonably technical lines and gets tighter into a load of switchbacks, drops down quite quickly and then runs out along quite a flowy singletrack which you can see disappearing in the distance.

Few pointers if your’re fancying it… After the flowy singletrack which seems to disappear in distance, you’ll find a gate and wooden post indicating right (up a grass slope – take this!!!) or you can do what we did, look ahead at the rolling singletrack dissappearing over the brow of the hill to a stunning valley, which is fairness is a nice ride down for another 10-15mins….. Until at the lake, and then the extent of how far it is by road back to Llanberis. Which after 3hrs of riding on Sunday, an hour ride back by road was pretty grim!!

The Telegraph valley sounds the right way.

One more thing, if you’re camping to get early start… Cracking campsite at the top of Llanberis (Llwyn Celyn Bach -LL55 4SR) which you can cycle up out of and traverse across onto Llanberis path avoiding dropping back down to start and saving some elevation.

I was very impressed and plan to do it again in next couple of months.

jedi – Member
I dont care how easy or hard the trail was. It was something we wanted to do. Sun setting on a blue bird day ride

And that is the important bit…!

the week cometh, but looks lke rain & fog 🙁

still doable/enjoyable?

Anyone attempted this on a singlespeed or would I just be walking the whole ascent?

the week cometh, but looks lke rain & fog

still doable/enjoyable?

I’ve always said I’d only do it on a nice day; earlier this year I did it with rain, fog and 70mph gusts up top.

It was **** hard work – I still enjoyed it, but it was the least fun I’ve had doing it. I plan to do it a few times each year and am often thwarted by the weather – I’d give yourself the best chance of a good day out and postpone.

Anyone attempted this on a singlespeed or would I just be walking the whole ascent?

I wouldn’t even consider it – a bike I could ride up on isn’t the kind of bike I’d want to be descending on.

I’m surprised the railway hasn’t cottoned on to the idea of sticking a bike rack on the back and charging for uplifts…

I’m in Llanberis now and it looks ok! A little bit of wind but to top lloked clear earlier. That will probably change in a moment! When are you intending to do it Jaffejoffer?

@jaffe, post a photo !

Rode Rangers on a Baltic day in June last year just before they started the work. The hairpins and steps were a little beyond my abilities so I’m looking forward to seeing how things have changed since then – there’s talk of going back in November.

We went on to do Cadair & Pen Y Fan the same day! Trip report here on the Mercedes Vito Sport site if anyone is interested:

http://blog.vitosport.co.uk/biking/2013/07/24/welsh-three-peaks-challenge-report/

im pencilled in for for Friday. Thats when the weather doesnt looks so great. will keep an eye on it tho… suspect itll have to be pretty awful to warrant postponement.

@jaffe, don’t get hung up on the forecast this far out (you are not I know). We hiked up in early Oct a couple of years back and it was a glorious sunny day but cold with a biting “damp” wind off the sea. The day before was quite dire. Remember to take some warm stuff and a decent windproof.

also. another quandary… i have just recently (two rides) reverted to SPD pedals after a few years on flats – you reckon i stick the flats back on for this? obviously the spuds’ll be great going up but might regret it on the boulders, and its all about the descent tbf…?

A few pics from m trip up Snowdon. 4pm start, just finished before dark at 7.30pm[/url]
You’ll be fine on spds, I rode my Blue Pig and spds set loose… 😀
Your shoes need to be good for walking 😉

good pics trekster. i know the camera never does it justice but those techy shots look good fun! (wouldnt fancy it it thick fog tho)

I was very lucky last time i went up it was glorious weather. I always do it first thing in the morning aim to get there for 5am.
As im always on my own i only do the Llanberis path a little too secluded on the Rangers for me should something happen.

I did it back in August on my own. Left Llanberis at 5am in the dark, at the top by 6.45 in thick fog, then down the Rangers and Telegraph Valley, back at the car for 7.45ish and eating breakfast in Betws by 8.30. The views, once out the cloud are amazing and the riding is just superb, it’s the first proper mountain I’ve been up and will be back as soon as possible for another go.

My top tip would be to take the footpath to the top of Telegraph Valley as I went pasted and over the bridalway which was by far the hardest push/carry on a bike I’ve ever done. The footpath looks rideable or at least a much easier push!

peanut – Member

Anyone attempted this on a singlespeed or would I just be walking the whole ascent?

Yes I have

I rode/walked roughly the equivalent of when I have done it hard tail or full suss

any pictures showing the turnoff for Telegraph Valley so i dont miss it?

It right after a little stream that you cross you go back uphill and bends to the right, the turn off is just after the bend on the right.

http://www.caemawr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Trav2_9.jpg

http://www.planetfear.com/images/cms/Articles/Benji%20Haworth/DSC_6259.jpg

Map
Its the green line heading NW, as you can see straight after the stream/

http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/53.07573/-4.12938

cheers, had just found that planet fear image too! reckon im pretty sorted now…

Has anyone ever turned right by the reservoir at the bottom of the Ranger, pushed up to the top of Moel Cynghorion and then descended to the top of Telegraph?

Just looking at maps and wondered if its any good?

Also what about skipping Telegraph altogether (Its a bit dull really) and going Foel Goch – Foel Gron – Moel Eilio – Llanberis. Im sure Iv walked this once but cant remember what its like?

It right after a little stream that you cross you go back uphill and bends to the right, the turn off is just after the bend on the right.

Dont expect the marker post to be up though. We once went from the YHA up the switchbacks then missed TV and ended up most way up the rangers and decended off Cwm Brwynog 😳

edit —
ndthornton it can get pretty boggy. Or massive just rocks.

ended up most way up the rangers and decended off Cwm Brwynog

Whats that like?

Great then a boggy push to get back over to the rangers!

Also what about skipping Telegraph altogether (Its a bit dull really) and going Foel Goch – Foel Gron – Moel Eilio – Llanberis. Im sure Iv walked this once but cant remember what its like?

It’s a steep push to get up from the Telegraph col to get on to the first part of Foel Goch then generally undulating until you get to Moel Eilio – I think there’s a choice of paths some of which might not be rideable. Moel Eilio will be a push. From the top you can either head down the west ridge (easy) then turn right and follow the track down in to llanberis or take the north ridge which is mostly easy but has some steep steps and ends in a very steep bracken and rock covered slope. You may be able to drop off the ridge a bit earlier than this.

The marker post was there a few weeks back. I struggle to see how you could miss it though, as it’s just after a (closed) gate

Thanks Dunmail
When you say North ridge do you mean the one that ends at Bwlch y groes Quarry? Only this ridge looks to be less steep on the map than the West ridge?