| Mountain | Distance | Altitude | Climbing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowdon | 11.5km | 1,085m | 723m |
Over the weekend of 21st-22nd June 2013 sees the GE Sponsored Three Peaks challenge take place and we have been asked to be a part of that team. For those not in the know, the three peaks are the three highest peaks in each of Scotland, England and Wales which are Ben Nevis (1,344m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (1,085m). The aim is to climb all three within 24 hours. The clock starts when walkers begin Ben Nevis and ends when the walkers reach the finish point of Snowdon which is either Llanberis or Pen-y-Pass.
The plan is to start from Pen-y-Pass and follow the Pyg Track to the junction with the main tourist route and up to the summit.
Snowdon is estimated to take about four hours up and down and involves 723m of climbing in 11.5km (up and down).if you want to see the route card, click here
It is located in Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain". It is designated as a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna.
The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by volcanoes in the Ordovician period, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by glaciation, forming the pyramidal peak of Snowdon and the arêtes of Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, are significant for rock climbing, and the mountain was used by Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest.
The name Snowdon is from the Old English for "snow hill", while the Welsh name 'Yr Wyddfa' means "the tumulus", which may refer to the cairn thrown over the legendary giant Rhitta Gawr after his defeat by King Arthur. As well as other figures from Arthurian legend, the mountain is linked to a legendary afanc (water monster) and the Tylwyth Teg (fairies).
Three Peaks Challenge
