Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Snowdon, known in Welsh as Yr Wyddfa meaning the tomb or great cairn, is the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085 metres and the highest point in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands, a mountain of considerable geological interest, outstanding scenery and powerful cultural significance for Wales and its people. The summit, which can be reached by six walking routes of varying difficulty or by the Snowdon Mountain Railway from Llanberis, receives approximately half a million visitors annually, making it the most climbed mountain in Britain and one of the busiest in Europe.
The geology of Snowdon is dominated by the Ordovician volcanic rocks that form the core of the Snowdonia massif, ancient rhyolites, tuffs and intrusive rocks created during a period of volcanic activity approximately 450 million years ago and subsequently sculpted by glacial erosion into the dramatic arêtes, cwms and rock ridges that give the mountain its distinctive profile. The great cwms on the north and east faces, including the celebrated Cwm Glas and Cwm Dyli, are classic examples of glacially carved corries, their steep headwalls and rounded floors reflecting the long period of glacial occupation that shaped the entire Snowdonia landscape.
The mountain has strong Arthurian associations in Welsh tradition, the summit cairn being associated with the final battle of Arthur and the burial of the giant Rhita Gawr who preyed on passing kings. The summit café and visitor centre, rebuilt in 2009 to designs by Ray Hawkins, was described by Prince Charles at its opening as the highest slum in Wales in its previous incarnation, and the replacement has been received considerably more warmly.
The Watkin Path, the Pyg Track, the Miners Track and the Rhyd Ddu Path each provide distinct perspectives on the mountain's varied terrain.