Watkin Path

It starts nearer sea level than any other route on the mountain, so the ascent is close to the full height of Yr Wyddfa in one go and the overall gradient is the steepest of the six main paths. Old tramways from the copper workings, waterfalls and pools line the lower valley before the ground turns to scree near the top. Gladstone opened it formally in 1892.

Difficulty

The most demanding of the six main routes: about 3.7 miles with 860 metres of climb, starting from the lowest trailhead. Graded demanding mountain hiking, with scree-scrambling near the summit.

Starting Point

Pont Bethania Bridge Car Park, Nant Gwynant, off the A498 (LL55 4NL)

Welsh Name

Llwybr Watkin

Surface Type

Loose scree on the upper section below the summit ridge.

Hazards & Notes

Path visibility is only intermediate. On the descent, losing the path and drifting left leads to a cliff edge and has caused fatalities; the same ground is straightforward in ascent.

Category: Hiking & Trails

Tags: steepest, scree, historic, quiet-start

Coordinates: 53.0668567, -4.0751894

Part of The named paths to the summit of Yr Wyddfa

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