The Welsh 3000s: A Complete Route Guide to All 15 Peaks
What Are the Welsh 3000s?
The Welsh 3000s are the 15 mountains in Wales over 3,000 feet (914m), all within Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. They span three ranges: the Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) group, the Glyderau, and the Carneddau. The classic challenge is to summit all 15 on foot within 24 hours.
It is one of the great mountain challenges of the British Isles and, for many walkers, the ultimate test Snowdonia has to offer. The Welsh 3000s route covers roughly 24 miles (39 km) from the first summit to the last, with around 3,600 metres of ascent across rugged mountain terrain. Add the walk in and out and most people cover closer to 30 miles (50km) across the full day.
You will also see the challenge called the 15 Peaks Challenge or the 14 Peaks Challenge. The difference comes down to one summit. Carnedd Gwenllian (formerly Garnedd Uchaf) was long regarded as little more than a bump on the Carneddau ridge, so older lists count 14 peaks. It has since been recognised as a separate summit, taking the modern count to 15. Walk Snowdonia includes all 15.
For context on the elite end of the sport, the current fastest known time is held by Scottish fell runner Finlay Wild, who completed the traverse in 4 hours 10 minutes in 2019. In 2025, Craig Lowe set an unsupported record of 5 hours 47 minutes. For almost everyone else, this is a full day (or three) in the mountains, not a race.
Walk Snowdonia offers both 24-hour and 3-day guided Welsh 3000s challenges. We handle the logistics, navigation, and Crib Goch decisions so you can focus on putting one foot in front of the other. See our guided Welsh 3000s challenge.
If you are weighing this against the National Three Peaks, we have a dedicated article on exactly that: read our detailed Welsh 3000s vs Three Peaks comparison.
The 15 Peaks: A Complete List
The 15 peaks, listed in the standard south-to-north route order across the three ranges:
# | Peak | Height | Range | Character |
1 | Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) | 1,085m / 3,560ft | Snowdon Group | The highest point in Wales |
2 | Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl) | 1,065m / 3,494ft | Snowdon Group | Second highest in Wales, on the ridge from Snowdon |
3 | Crib Goch | 923m / 3,028ft | Snowdon Group | The infamous knife-edge ridge and the crux of the challenge |
4 | Elidir Fawr | 924m / 3,031ft | Glyderau | A steep, punishing climb from the valley floor |
5 | Y Garn | 947m / 3,107ft | Glyderau | Stunning views down into Cwm Idwal |
6 | Glyder Fawr | 1,001m / 3,284ft | Glyderau | Boulder-strewn summit, 5th highest in Wales |
7 | Glyder Fach | 994m / 3,261ft | Glyderau | Home of the Cantilever Stone and Castell y Gwynt |
8 | Tryfan | 918m / 3,010ft | Glyderau | The iconic scramble with Adam and Eve on top |
9 | Pen yr Ole Wen | 978m / 3,209ft | Carneddau | A brutal 600m climb, often the hardest of the day |
10 | Carnedd Dafydd | 1,044m / 3,425ft | Carneddau | Spectacular views of Snowdon & Glyderau ranges |
11 | Yr Elen | 962m / 3,156ft | Carneddau | An out-and-back spur off the main ridge |
12 | Carnedd Llewelyn | 1,064m / 3,491ft | Carneddau | Third highest in Wales |
13 | Foel Grach | 976m / 3,202ft | Carneddau | Small summit shelter near the top |
14 | Carnedd Gwenllian (Garnedd Uchaf) | 926m / 3,038ft | Carneddau | The disputed 15th peak (see the 14 vs 15 debate above) |
15 | Foel Fras | 942m / 3,091ft | Carneddau | The final summit and the finish of the traditional challenge. Still a long walk off. |
Print this table or screenshot it for your planning. Note that some traverses run in the opposite direction, finishing on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), but south to north is the standard.
The Welsh 3000s Route: Range by Range
The standard Welsh 3000s route runs south to north, starting on the Snowdon group and finishing on the Carneddau. This is the faster and more logical direction: you tackle the most technical terrain, Crib Goch, while you are fresh and alert, and you finish on the broad, gentler Carneddau where fatigue is deepest and rocky scrambling would be dangerous.
Some walkers reverse it for a dramatic finish on the summit of Yr Wyddfa or due to the weather conditions, especially wind, but going north to south is usually more dangerous and difficult. Each range section below follows the standard south-to-north order.
Direction of travel isn’t the only route choice. The south-north route variation includes the decision of starting on Yr Wyddfa or Crib Goch. The “official” route for the timed challenge starts on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) so is usually used for the 24 hour challenge. The 3 days option often starts on Crib Goch allowing for a safer and easier descent.
To keep things simple we are going to describe the standard south-north route starting on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) for this guide. We have included estimated timings for each stage for the 24 hour challenge car park to car park.
For completeness we have detailed the most common route variations towards the end of this article.
Range 1: The Snowdon Group (Peaks 1 to 3)
Distance: 13 km Elevation Gain: 964m
Estimated time: 5 hours
The challenge usually begins in darkness. Most parties leave Pen y Pass well before dawn and ascend Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via the Pyg Track, aiming to reach the highest point in Wales around sunrise. There are few finer moments in British hillwalking than watching the sun come up from the summit of Yr Wyddfa with the whole day and the remaining peaks ahead of you.
From the summit, you traverse the ridge to Garnedd Ugain (Crib y Ddysgl), the second highest peak in Wales, before committing to the notorious Crib Goch ridge.
Crib Goch is the crux of the entire challenge and it gets its own section below. In good conditions it is exhilarating and always demands total focus.
Beyond Crib Goch, you descend steeply to the valley via the less frequently climbed North Ridge of Crib Goch down to Nant Peris, for the first valley stop.
This opening section covers 12.9 km with 996m of ascent and typically takes 5-7 hours from Pen y Pass car park to Nant Peris (Yr Wyddfa summit to Nant Peris usually takes around 3-5 hours).
This is where the Welsh 3000s announces itself. By the time you reach the first valley stop, you have summited three peaks, crossed the most exposed ridge in Wales, and the sun has not been up long. For the full detail on the ascent options here, see our comprehensive Snowdon routes guide.
Range 2: The Glyderau (Peaks 4 to 8)
Distance: 14.8 km
Elevation Gain: 1690m
Estimated time: 8 hours
After a valley stop in Nant Peris to refuel and resupply, the route tackles the Glyderau.
It begins with a punishing haul up Elidir Fawr, one of the toughest ascents of the entire day precisely because it comes when your legs are already tired from the Snowdon group. There is no gentle way onto this range.
From Elidir Fawr, you traverse Y Garn with its superb views down into Cwm Idwal, then climb Glyder Fawr and cross the surreal boulder plateau to Glyder Fach, passing the jagged spires of Castell y Gwynt and the famous Cantilever Stone.
The final peak of the range is Tryfan, reached by descending a very steep scree slope next to Bristly Ridge or bypassing it via the Miner's Track (not the Snowdon one), then scrambling to the summit and the celebrated Adam and Eve stones.
With 1,690m of ascent across 14.8 km, the Glyderau is the biggest climbing range of the day, and it typically takes 7 to 8 hours. It is the long, grinding heart of the day. It involves punishing ascents and descents on increasingly rocky, loose, and unforgiving terrain, plus the psychological torment of knowing there is still a long way to go.
The Glyderau feel wilder and more remote than the Snowdon group, the boulder fields are otherworldly, and by mid-afternoon the accumulated fatigue is real.
The descent from Tryfan to the Ogwen Valley is where many people make the hardest decision of their day: whether to stop or commit to another major climb on very tired legs. For the full picture of this range, read our Glyderau walking guide, and for Tryfan specifically, our guide to Tryfan.
Range 3: The Carneddau (Peaks 9 to 15)
Distance: 20.7 km
Elevation Gain: 1225m
Estimated time: 8 hours
The final range begins with the last major climb.
From the Ogwen Valley, the route ascends Pen yr Ole Wen directly, a relentless 600m pull that is often regarded as the single hardest climb of the entire Welsh 3000s. Coming as it does after the Snowdon group and the Glyderau it is often low point for most walkers.
Once you gain the ridge, the character changes completely. On a clear day you can see the Snowdon Range and the Glyderau and the route you have taken which gives you a lofty sense of achievement knowing you have done all the major valley climbs.
You traverse Carnedd Dafydd, detour out and back to Yr Elen, then continue over Carnedd Llewelyn (the third highest peak in Wales).
From here it is generally downhill as you descend from Carnedd Llwewlyn (1046m) the highest point in the range to Foel Grach (976m), Carnedd Gwenllian (926m), and finally a very short climb up Foel Fras 942m where the timed challenge ends. You will feel a tired sense of euphoria and achievement at having climbed all 15 peaks.
From Foel Fras it is still around a 2 hour descent back to the car park on extremely tired legs.
This section covers 20.7 km with 1210m of ascent and typically takes 7-8 hours from the Ogwen Valley to the final car park (Ogwen Valley to Foel Fras summit takes around 5-7 hours).
The Carneddau are vast, grassy, and open, home to the semi-wild Carneddau ponies that may materialise out of the mist. They are also genuinely featureless so this is where navigation becomes critical.
On a clear evening, watching the sun set from the northern Carneddau after a full day on the tops is one of the most moving experiences in British hillwalking. In cloud or darkness, it is one of the easiest and most remote places in Wales to get badly lost.
This is the range where a guide who knows every cairn, bearing, and escape route earns their place many times over. The fatigue is deepest here, decision-making is impaired, and the ground gives you nothing to navigate by.
The Crib Goch Decision: What You Need to Know
Crib Goch is the single biggest concern for anyone planning the Welsh 3000s, and rightly so. It is a Grade 1 scramble along a narrow, exposed ridge with severe drops on both sides.
In good conditions it is one of the finest and most exhilarating stretches of ridge in Britain. In the wrong conditions, it is genuinely dangerous, and it claims lives nearly every year. Here are the four things you need to understand.
Can you skip Crib Goch on the Welsh 3000s?
The summit of Crib Goch (923m) is classed as one of the 15 peaks in Wales over 3000 feet. Without summiting you technically won’t have completed it.
That said, in poor conditions it is sensible to not take unecessary risks. You can bypass it via the Pyg Track traverse, which reaches the Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) - Garnedd Ugain saddle (aka Bwlch Glas) without crossing the ridge. From here you can nip up Yr Wyddfa and Garnedd Ugain.
Purists consider the challenge incomplete without Crib Goch, but a completion without it is still an enormous achievement and risking a summit isn’t worth losing your life over.
Walk Snowdonia includes Crib Goch in the standard itinerary, but we always have a bypass plan ready especially in the event of poor weather.
What conditions make Crib Goch unsafe?
Strong wind is the biggest danger, and anything above roughly 40 mph can make the ridge extremely dangerous. Ice, rain, and thick clouds also amplify the hazards. Wet rock reduces grip, and being blown off balance on that ridge does not bear thinking about.
What experience do you need?
You should be comfortable with exposure and confident using your hands to move over rock. If you have never scrambled before, Crib Goch on the Welsh 3000s is not the place to find out if scrambling is for you . The British Mountaineering Council has a useful explanation of scrambling grades if the term is new to you, and our full guide to Crib Goch covers the ridge in depth.
What does Walk Snowdonia do if Crib Goch is not safe?
We make the call shortly before and sometimes on the day, based on the actual conditions and your group's ability.
If the ridge is not safe, we route via the Pyg Track traverse, missing Crib Goch but keeping the challenge alive and on track. That judgement, made by a guide who has crossed the ridge in every kind of weather, is one of the most valuable things we bring.
We then have a back up mountain if you wish to include it allowing your group to still summit 15 peaks.
Worried about Crib Goch? Our guides make the call on the day based on conditions and your group's ability. If Crib Goch is not safe, we have a proven alternative route that keeps your challenge on track and still summits 15 peaks over 3000 feet.
Talk to us about a guided Welsh 3000s.
24 Hours vs 3 Days: Which Should You Choose?
Walk Snowdonia offers the Welsh 3000s as both a single 24-hour push and a more relaxed 3-day challenge. Both are serious undertakings. Here is how to choose.
The 24-hour challenge is the classic. It is for very fit, experienced mountain walkers and runners with very high levels of fitness and hill endurance. You will walk through part of the night, usually starting well before dawn and finishing in darkness, and it is a genuine test of stamina, mental resilience, and navigation. The satisfaction of completing all 15 peaks inside 24 hours is immense and hard to describe to anyone who has not done it. This is the version that carries the reputation.
The 3-day challenge takes one range per day. Make no mistake, each day is still a hard mountain day which climbs between 3-7 mountains which usually takes 6 to 10 hours. But you sleep in a bed, eat proper meals, and have the time to actually enjoy some of the best mountain landscapes in the UK during the daytime when you can actually enjoy the views rather than racing the clock. You experience the same 15 summits and a big sense of achievement, with room to take it in.
Walk Snowdonia considers the 3-day option the better experience for most people. It is also far more accessible to strong walkers who do not have ultra-endurance fitness. Here is the honest truth: if you are not sure which to choose, the 3-day option is almost certainly the right one for you. The 24-hour challenge will still be there when you are ready for it.
The 3-day option provides flexibility with the Crib Goch decision too. If it’s too windy for the Crib Goch ridge, the Snowdon range can usually be swapped for one of the other days.
For a different single-mountain endurance challenge, some walkers also consider the Snowdon 6 as a stepping stone.
Not sure you are ready for 24 hours? Our 3-day guided Welsh 3000s is the same mountains, the same views, and the same sense of achievement, with time to actually enjoy it. One range per day, with a proper bed and hot food each night. See our guided Welsh 3000's options.
Welsh 3000s Timings: What to Expect
A 24-hour Welsh 3000s attempt typically takes a very fit and well-prepared group 18 to 22 hours from car park to car park, including the ascent to Yr Wyddfa at the start and the descent off Foel Fras at the end. Elite runners can complete the peak-to-peak traverse in around 5 hours, but for walkers the full day, with valley stops, realistically runs close to the 24-hour limit.
The traditional challenge clock runs from the first summit to the last. In practice, what most people care about is the total time on their feet, so the sample below covers the whole thing: from leaving Pen y Pass to arriving back at a vehicle after Foel Fras.
Sample 24-hour timeline:
Peaks in Stage | Total time (Hours) | Stage time | Stage Distance | Stage Ascent | |
Snowdon Group | 3 | 0 - 5 | 5 hours | 12.9km | 996m |
Break | 5 - 5.5 | 30 mins | |||
Glyderau | 5 | 5.5 - 13.5 | 8 hours | 14.8km | 1690m |
Break | 13.5 - 14 | 30 mins | |||
Carneddau | 7 | 14 - 22 | 8 hours | 20.7km | 1225m |
Those figures assume a fit group, reasonable weather, and disciplined valley stops.
This is why an early start matters so much: it builds in a buffer against the 24-hour cut-off and keeps the hardest navigation on the Carneddau from running deep into a second night.
3-day timings: the 3-day option splits the same route into one range per day, each a hard but manageable mountain day:
Day 1, Snowdon group: roughly 7 to 8 hours, Pen y Pass to Nant Peris, including Crib Goch.
Day 2, Glyderau: roughly 7 to 9 hours, Nant Peris to Ogwen, the rockiest day and the toughest on knees and hips.
Day 3, Carneddau: roughly 7 to 9 hours, Ogwen over Pen yr Ole Wen to Foel Fras and down.
Each day you start fresh, sleep in a bed, and eat a proper evening meal, which is why the 3-day version suits strong walkers who do not have the ultra-endurance fitness for the single push.
What Does the Welsh 3000s Actually Feel Like?
We have guided this challenge many times, and the emotional arc plays out in a remarkably similar way for almost everyone. Knowing what is coming is one of the best forms of preparation.
The pre-dawn start. Nervous energy, cold air, and a line of headtorches bobbing up the Pyg Track in the dark. Nobody says much. Everyone is running the day ahead through their mind.
The first summit at dawn. You reach the roof of Wales as the sky lightens, and the nerves give way to euphoria. This is why you came. The whole of Eryri (Snowdonia) and one of the most challenging mountain days in the UK is ahead of you.
Crib Goch. Total focus. Depending on your temperament, this is either the most exhilarating hour of your life or the most frightening. Either way, you will never forget it, and the sense of achievement on the far side is enormous.
The first valley stop. Relief, hunger, and a strong temptation to not get moving again. Your legs have found out what the day involves. This is the first real test of will as you contemplate setting out on your second major hill climb of the day on tired legs with the majority of the challenge ahead!
The Glyderau. The grinding middle. The novelty has worn off, the finish is still hours away, and the boulder fields go on and on. This is where groups go quiet and where steady pacing matters most. Getting through the Glyderau is as much mental as physical. The steep and rocky descents on tired legs is tough.
The Carneddau. Pen yr Ole Wen is similar to the wall in a marathon. For most people this brutal climb onto the Carneddau is the toughest point of the entire day, where every step upward hurts and the summit refuses to come closer. If you can get up this, you can finish.
The Carneddau ridge. A strange second wind. Something shifts. The ground eases, the ponies appear out of the mist, the light turns golden, and you realise you are actually going to do this. The vastness of the northern Carneddau in the evening is unlike anywhere else in Wales. You can see the vast distance you have already walked behind you and the sun setting over North Wales in a feeling like no other.
Foel Fras. The final summit under the milky way. Fifteen peaks. Overwhelming emotion, more than most people expect. We have seen tears, hugs, and elation on that otherwise unremarkable Welsh top more times than we can count. It is one of the great moments in a hillwalker's life. Then you still have to get down!
Navigation on the Welsh 3000s
The Welsh 3000s route is not waymarked at any point. In good visibility an experienced walker can follow the natural line of the ridges, but in cloud, which is common in Eryri (Snowdonia) even in summer, it becomes a serious navigational exercise.
You will need OS Explorer OL17, a compass, and the skills to use them when extremely tired and in the dark. GPS is a useful backup, but batteries die, signals fail, they are not always accurate and it is no substitute for map skills after 18 hours on the move.
Three points on the route demand particular attention:
Finding the Crib Goch descent in the cloud. The exits from the Snowdon group are not obvious in poor visibility, and mistakes here are serious as there are only a few exit points between the cliffs into Nant Peris. Navigation here has to be pinpoint accurate.
The Tryfan and Bristly Ridge decision point. Choosing the right line off the Glyderau towards Ogwen, particularly when tired, catches many people out.
The Carneddau form the largest continuous area of high ground over 3000 feet in England and Wales, a vast, rolling, and largely trackless plateau where summits such as Foel Grach (summit 13) are among the most remote in the two countries. It is as magnificent as it is disorienting, where every direction genuinely looks identical. This is where self-supported walkers often go wrong, and where fatigue and poor visibility combine most dangerously.
The Carneddau in cloud with 40 miles in your legs is not the time to be second-guessing your compass bearing. Our guides know every cairn, every turn, and every escape route on the Welsh 3000s. If you want to sharpen your own skills first, see our guide to reading grid references and map reading basics mountain climbers should know.
Logistics: Valley Stops, Transport, and Support
The Welsh 3000s is a linear route, not a circuit, so transport has to be sorted in advance.
The route usually starts at Pen y Pass and finishes in the remote northern Carneddau, a long way apart (around 20km as the crow flies and roughly double that by road).
There are two valley stops, one between each range. The first is at Nant Peris located in the Llanberis Pass, between the Snowdon group and the Glyderau. The second is in the Ogwen Valley, between the Glyderau and the Carneddau. At each stop you need a food and water resupply as well as a chance to change wet kit or simply add or strip kit as the temperature changes through the day.
For the 24-hour challenge, a support vehicle and driver waiting at each valley stop is strongly recommended. Having proper food, dry socks, and a full resupply ready and waiting saves precious time and is a motivating boost and breaks the challenge down into three manageable chunks. Going fully self-supported is possible but significantly harder, as you must carry everything for the entire day.
For the 3-day challenge, you need accommodation between the ranges. Taxis can be arranged or there are campsites in the Llanberis Pass and Ogwen Valley.
The finish point in the northern Carneddau (near Bwlch y Ddeufaen or dropping to Aber) is genuinely remote, so transport home must be pre-arranged. You do not want to be solving that problem at the end of a 24-hour day.
Public transport including the Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus covers some of the area but will not solve the finish-point problem. Walk Snowdonia handles all of this for guided groups, start to finish.
Fitness and Training for the Welsh 3000s
Let's be honest about what this takes. The 24-hour Welsh 3000s requires exceptional endurance fitness. You should be comfortable walking 30 or more miles over rough mountain terrain with 3600m of ascent across a single day and night. If you cannot currently complete a hard 10-hour mountain day feeling fairly strong at the end, you are not ready for the 24-hour version yet.
The 3-day challenge demands strong hill fitness rather than ultra-endurance, since each day is a challenging but manageable 15 to 20 km with 1,000m or more of ascent. It is still a serious physical test.
Anyone attempting the 3-day challenge will need good base level of fitness and anyone attempting the 24 hour challenge will need excellent fitness and be injury free.
Here is a 12-week training framework rather than a rigid day-by-day plan. Our National 3 Peaks Training Plan would be suitable with a tilt towards more endurance (long runs or long hill days) :
Weeks 1 to 4: Build your base. Regular long walks of 15 to 25 km including plenty of hills. Get your body used to time on your feet and start breaking in your boots properly.
Weeks 5 to 8: Add mountain days and load. Progress to full mountain days on real terrain, introduce back-to-back weekend walks so your legs learn to perform when already tired, and start carrying a loaded pack.
Weeks 9 to 12: Simulate the challenge. Complete at least two full mountain days of 8 or more hours on consecutive days. Ideally, recce one or more of the three ranges so the terrain is familiar. We strongly recommend at least one Crib Goch practice run before your attempt so the ridge is not an unknown on the day.
Our guided Crib Goch and Glyderau walks make ideal recce and training days. You learn the exact terrain you will cover, test your fitness under real conditions, and build the confidence that makes all the difference on challenge day.
Want to recce one of the three ranges before your attempt? Our guided Glyderau and Snowdon walks are the perfect preparation. You will learn the terrain, test your fitness, and build confidence for the full challenge. Explore our guided walks.
Kit List for the Welsh 3000s
The Welsh 3000s demands more from your kit than almost any other day in the British hills, because you are out for so long and pass through such a range of conditions.
Walking boots and/ or fell running shoes, well broken in, with very good grip. This is not the day to test new footwear.
Waterproof jacket. Non-negotiable, whatever the forecast says.
Multiple layers. You will walk from pre-dawn cold, through midday warmth, into evening chill. A base layer, midlayer, and shell system lets you adapt on the move.
Headtorch with spare batteries. Essential for the 24-hour challenge and strongly recommended even for the 3-day version in case a day runs long.
Map (OS Explorer OL17) and compass. The most important safety items you carry.
Walking poles. Optional but genuinely helpful, especially on descents once you have 20-plus miles in your legs.
Food: aim for 4,000 to 5,000 calories across the 24-hour challenge. A mix of easy-to-eat snacks (gels, bars, sandwiches, sweets) on the hill plus one proper meal at each valley stop. Eat little and often before you feel hungry keeps energy levels topped up.
Water: 2 to 4 litres, refilled at the valley stops.
Blister kit. After Crib Goch conditions and raw fitness, blisters are a common reason people fail to finish. Treat hotspots the moment you feel them.
Spare gloves & socks. The single best morale boost available at a valley stop. Never underestimate dry feet, they reduce the chances of getting blisters and dry, warm gloves and socks are a motivating boost in the valley stops.
In winter: crampons, an ice axe, and the experience to use them. The winter Welsh 3000s is a full mountaineering expedition and only for those with the appropriate skills. For general safety advice, Adventure Smart Wales is an excellent resource.
Best Time of Year for the Welsh 3000s
June is the best single month for the Welsh 3000s. The daylight is at its longest, which matters enormously for the 24-hour challenge. The weather in June is typically at its most settled, Crib Goch is most likely to be in good condition, and the paths are dry. Late May and early July are strong alternatives.
August works but the Snowdon paths are at their busiest, which can slow down the early section. September is excellent for the 3-day option, though the shorter daylight results in doing more of the 24-hour challenge in the dark.
Avoid October to April for the 24 hour Challenge unless you are an elite athlete or happy to do more than half the challenge in the pitch black.
November to March is best avoided for the 3 day challenge unelss you have genuine winter mountaineering experience and equipment, when the whole challenge becomes a different and far more serious proposition.
A few tactical points. Weekdays are quieter, which matters most on Crib Goch, where passing other walkers on the narrow ridge costs time and increases risk. A full moon is a bonus for 24-hour attempts, reducing your reliance on a headtorch through the night and is an amazing experience.
Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve and it is possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Finishing the challenge under the Milky Way in the remote Carneddau is an unforgettable experience money can't buy.
Always check the Met Office mountain forecast for Eryri/ Snowdonia and the Mountain Weather Information Service in the final days before your attempt.
Guided Welsh 3000s with Walk Snowdonia
Almost every question raised in this article, the planning, the navigation, the Crib Goch judgement, the transport, the valley stops, the timing, the pacing, has the same answer: a good guide takes it off your plate so you can focus on the walking.
Walk Snowdonia offers both 24-hour and 3-day guided Welsh 3000s challenges. Our qualified Mountain Leaders have completed the route many times and know the route inside out guiding it with ease in every kind of weather.
A support vehicle can meet you at each valley stop with food, water, and spare kit. We can arrange transport to the start and from the remote finish. We handle the navigation across all three ranges, including the notorious Carneddau plateau in the dark and in the cloud.
And we make the Crib Goch assessment on the day, with a proven alternative route and substitute 15th peak ready if conditions require it.
The guide's job is simple to state and hard to do: maximise your chance of standing on all 15 summits, keep you safe, and make sure you enjoy the journey.
For many people, attempting the Welsh 3000s without a guide means spending precious mental energy on logistics and navigation that would be far better spent on moving forward.
Ready to take on the Welsh 3000s? Contact us to discuss a guided challenge with Walk Snowdonia and give yourself the best chance of standing on all 15 summits.
Questions about the Welsh 3000s? Our team has guided this challenge more times than we can count. Get in touch and we will help you plan your attempt.
FAQ's
Peak to peak or car park to car park?
The official challenge is peak to peak between Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) & Foel Fras. This is how the challenge is officially timed and what you are aiming for to do the challenge in under 24 hours.
Doing the whole route car park to car park in under 24 hours is slightly harder and impressive.
Some parties choose to wildcamp near the summit of the first mountain to start the peak to peak timed challenge on fresh legs and to get a bit more sleep.
What is a good time for the Welsh 3000's
Just completing the Welsh 3000's is an excellent achievement. Runners completing the challenge in under 12 hours and very respectable and hikers doing it in less than 20 hours are fast.
Route variations
Noth to South or South to North?
As discussed the first major decision is whether to go south to north or north to south. Our challenges usually go south to north as it is safer to Crib Goch with fresh legs and minimal fatigue. Although the Carneddau is the longest section it are a nice way to finish due to the grassy terrain and gentle descent. This feels very welcome on very tired legs, sore knees & sore feet.
Yr Wyddfa or Crib Goch?
The 'official' challenges starts on Yr Wyddfa but you could shave a bit of time off by starting the timer on the summit of Crib Goch.
Castell y Gwynt
Castell y Gwynt is not included in the standard 15 peaks of the Welsh 3000’s. It can be counted as a 16th peak which involves very low additional effort for an extra summit or you can replace Crib Goch with this top to tick off 15 peaks.
Tryfan descent
There are several descent options off Tryfan. Western Gully (2.43km), Heather Terrace (2.74km), South Peak into Cwm Boclwyd (2.85km) and South Peak into Cwm Tryfan (3.04km) are the main options. The shorter options tend to be steeper and more rocky. Navigation off Tryfan can be tricky and many routes off are dangerous.
Is Carnedd Gwenllian a Welsh 3000?
Carnedd Gwenllian (formerly Garnedd Uchaf) was long regarded as little more than a bump on the Carneddau ridge, so older lists count 14 peaks. It has since been recognised as a separate summit, taking the modern count to 15. Walk Snowdonia includes all 15.
Where to finish?
The descent off Foel Fras is not counted as part of the traditional timing for a peak to peak challenge but you still need to get off the hill so it is considered in this guide. The clock stops when you reach the trig point on Foel Fras. From here follow the wall north east then there are several options for getting off the hill.
The most common option is parking at the car park above Aber Falls (6.15km). This has the easiest descent and shortens the drive to the Ogwen valley where the Carneddau leg of the 15 Peaks begins. In addition, it is easier navigationally especially in the dark when you are really tired. The last 4km is along a super obvious bridleway allowing you to switch off.
The shortest walking option is to Bwlch y Ddeufaen (5.65km) but the 50m climb onto Drum plus rugged descent at times doesn’t necessarily mean this is the easiest or fastest option. The drive from this car park to Pen y Pass and Ogwen Valley is the longest.
Is there a two day route for the Welsh 3000's?
It is possible to do the Welsh 3000's over two days. This is best done with a wild camp high up in the Glyderau.
If you don't want to wild camp, the Snowdon Range and the Glyderau are best completed together in one long day.
Alternatively, the Glyderau can be split with half the range climbed on day 1 then the other half completed on day 2. The drawback of this is that you add in an extra valley climb to access the Glyderau summits for a second time. You would therefore have a valley climb to do the Snowdon Group, two valley climbs on the Glyderau and a fourth and final valley climb for the Carneddau.
