Route Summary: Start from Pen-y-Pass,
then over the fourteen 3000ft summits:

Crib Goch,
Crib y Ddysgl,
Snowdon,
Elidir Fawr,
Y Garn,
Glyder Fawr,
Glyder Fach,
Tryfan,
Pen yr Ole Wen,
Carnedd Dafydd,
Carnedd Llewelyn,
Yr Elen,
Foel Grach and
Foel Fras

before finishing at Llanfairfechan.

There comes a time when many enthusiastic and ambitious mountain walkers, as distinct from those ultra-fit beings from another planet called fell runners, start wondering whether they would be able to complete this marvellous walk. The following account of experiences shared, as always, with my husband Paul, may be of some interest to such people as find the Snowdon horseshoe or Ogwen skyline rather too short for a midsummer's day and feel ready for a greater challenge.
A certain level of experience and fitness is obviously required but the task is well within the range or ordinary mortals: no need to be superman or super-young either. In fact I left it until my mid 50s before completing the walk for the first time, having allowed a failed attempt when in my early 20s to convince me that it would be more than I could ever cope with. I now know that mental stamina, which tends to increase with maturity, greatly outweighs the odd physical shortcoming. We have been fortunate enough to succeed on all six of our more recent attempts, although past 60 years of age on the last couple.

The high ranges, from Snowdon on the left to Foel Grach extreme right, seen from the east, near Cerrig-y-Drudion. Some higher tops are hidden behind Moel Siabod, centre-left. The darker, rocky summit of Tryfan peeps over the snowy ridge, centre. Although we regard the 3000ers walk as a midsummer venture, many of the following pictures were taken at other times of the year.

Of course, if one lives within easy reach of hills keeping fit should prove no problem, but for those of us who live in a flat part of the country, only spending a few weeks a year in the mountains, things are more difficult. We live in the New Forest and have found that a little gentle early-morning off-road running works wonders for puff and bestows a lovely feeling of general well-being. Paul has always been able to run a bit, but I have to admit that when I first tried I couldn't manage more than 100 yards before coming to a gasping halt. However, regular little jogs in the course of frequent walks improved things in an astonishingly short time. Now, running many miles in our gentle area is no problem for either of us.