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The panorama from the top of Snowdon
4.8
| 166 reviews

The Snowdon Challenge

A 17km cycle, 14km trek, 5km paddle and 8-hour sweat to the finish line in beautiful North Wales

Duration

1 night

Annual Leave

0 days off work

Group Size

Up to 10 people

Season

Apr-Oct

Location

United Kingdom

Meeting Point

Llanberis, Wales

Classic Accommodation

Hotel

Customer Reviews

(166)

4.8

Difficulty

Moderate

From

From

What's it like?

4.8
| 166 reviews
Fantastic trip! Everything from booking to...
June 2023
Rosie
Fantastic trip! Everything from booking to...
June 2023
Rosie
Fantastic trip! Everything from booking to...
June 2023
Rosie
Really friendly, well organised trip. I had...
May 2023
Natalie
Really friendly, well organised trip. I had...
May 2023
Natalie
Really friendly, well organised trip. I had...
May 2023
Natalie
Great experience...
May 2023
Janhavi
Great experience...
May 2023
Janhavi
Great experience...
May 2023
Janhavi
Great experience - I was ready for a bit of...
December 2022
Fanny
Great experience - I was ready for a bit of...
December 2022
Fanny
Great experience - I was ready for a bit of...
December 2022
Fanny
Great experience - I was ready for a bit of...
December 2022
Fanny
-...
October 2022
Eva
-...
October 2022
Eva
-...
October 2022
Eva
-...
October 2022
Eva
Everything about this trip was fantastic. O...
October 2022
Claire
Everything about this trip was fantastic. O...
October 2022
Claire
Everything about this trip was fantastic. O...
October 2022
Claire
Everything about this trip was fantastic. O...
October 2022
Claire
Everything about this trip was fantastic. O...
October 2022
Claire
A fantastically organised trip, where you g...
September 2022
Gemma
A fantastically organised trip, where you g...
September 2022
Gemma
A fantastically organised trip, where you g...
September 2022
Gemma
A fantastically organised trip, where you g...
September 2022
Gemma
WOW! Don’t hesitate get it booked. We are s...
September 2022
Louise
WOW! Don’t hesitate get it booked. We are s...
September 2022
Louise
WOW! Don’t hesitate get it booked. We are s...
September 2022
Louise
WOW! Don’t hesitate get it booked. We are s...
September 2022
Louise

Take on one of the UK’s most rewarding mountain challenges and summit the highest peak in Wales (1085m)

Bike 17km of country lanes, nail the 14km trek up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and kayak 4km on the stunning Llyn Padarn

A day of unrivalled action in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, one of the UK’s wildest adventure playgrounds

Day 1

Arrive and get briefed for the big day

Llanberis town

Arrive at your hotel in Llanberis in the evening. At 19:00 you'll have a detailed pre-challenge meeting, after which you are free to explore the town or chill in your hotel in preparation for the challenge ahead.

Day 2

It's on – the Snowdon Challenge

The panorama from the top of Snowdon

Cycling

17km · 220m up · 180m down

Hiking

14km · 945m up · 1060m down

Kayaking

4.5km

Wake up early for breakfast and then hit the road. You’ll bike through the Welsh countryside, follow the shores of Llyn Padarn and skirt along the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park with the peak of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) looming in the distance. You'll stomp it up the Snowdon Ranger Trail on the west side of the mountain and zigzag through lush green turf and flat boggy bits before ascending to the ridgeline.

Follow the ridgeline all the way to the summit for a victory photo and a quick breather before descending to the northwest via the more gradual Llanberis Path, finishing in Llanberis itself. You'll then go for a brisk paddle around Llyn Padarn, completing a large circuit of the lake, smash through the finish line and celebrate with a glass of champers.

Challenge completed.

Included

Guides

Local, qualified and experienced kayaking instructors alongside cycling and mountain leaders.

Accommodation

1 night's stay in a local 3-star hotel

Meals

Breakfast at the hotel and a packed-lunch up the mountain

Transfers

Transfers from Bangor train station and back

Equipment

Everything you need for cycling and kayaking will be sorted

Not Included

Some meals as described

Personal expenses

Travel insurance

Visas where required

Day 1

Hotel · Twin or triple share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2

Departure day

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

What is the food like?

A full English or continental breakfast is included at the hotel and a packed lunch is provided for the hiking portion of the challenge, including a sandwich, cereal bar, drink, chocolate bar and piece of fruit. Llanberis also has plenty of restaurants and pubs to choose from and any dietary needs can be accommodated (including vegetarian and vegan), just let your host know when booking.

What is the accommodation like?

Llanberis

You’ll stay at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Llanberis, which features comfortable and modern ensuite rooms. Exactly the kind of comfort you need before the challenge starts.

Upgrades

For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).

The Area

map

Logistics

Starts

Bangor Train Station or Llanberis Hotel

18:00 / 18:30 on Day 1

Ends

Llanberis Hotel or Bangor Train Station

17:30 / 18:00 on Day 2

Transfers

For those travelling by train – you'll be picked up at Bangor Train Station at 18:00 on Day 1. If you're driving, aim to arrive at the hotel in Llanberis by no later than 18:30.

At the end of your adventure, you will be dropped back at the hotel at 17:30 or Bangor Train Station at 18:00, the choice is up to you.

Travel options

Trains run frequently to Bangor from destinations all across the UK. There is car parking at the hotel for those driving.

Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear

In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.

What's included

  • Cycling equipment (bike and helmet)
  • Kayaking equipment (kayak, paddle and buoyancy aid)
  • Safety equipment (first aid kit and radio)

What do I need to bring?

  • Rucksack (15-25 litre)
  • Warm jacket
  • Waterproof jacket with hood
  • Waterproof trousers
  • Worn in hiking boots or shoes
  • Warm hat
  • Thin gloves
  • Padded cycling shorts (optional)
  • Cycling shoes or trainers
  • Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
  • Water bottles or water bladder (2 litres)
  • Snacks and energy food and drink for the day
*Requests for optional extras can be made after booking on your “My Bookings” page

Pre/post trip accommodation - double/twin room

Payable Before Departure

Pre/post trip accommodation - double/twin room

Per Night

Pre/post trip accommodation - single room

Payable Before Departure

Pre/post trip accommodation - single room

Per Night

Optional Private Room Upgrade

Payable Before Departure

Optional Private Room Upgrade

Per Person

Sarah(November 2023)

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. The challenge was well organised, the accommodation was good and the leaders were excellent. I will definitely be doing more in the future.

Sarah(November 2023)

From Start to finish the ease of booking and communication were spot on. The instructors on the day were just the right mix of friendly, informative and professional. The weather was on our side, we were a mixed group of 16, lots of strangers to start with ! But at no time did anyone feel pushed to go too fast, you picked your pace and the instructors supported all the way. There was plenty of opportunity to push your limits of you wanted too as well. Each activity rolled into the next seamlessly. Do your research on where to eat dinner the night before and book it in before you go, the chewy chicken in the hotel is not recommended.

Alison(October 2023)

Have just completed the challenge, what a great day! It was a challenge, the hike was hard going in parts but everyone supported each other. The scenery was amazing, unfortunately due to some cloud and rain visibility was poor at the top. The weather was changeable so the kit list was needed and we were thankful for the hat and gloves at the top! Thank you so much to Jim and Chris for helping and supporting us on our adventure. Highly recommend.

Maha(June 2023)

Great day, very well organised. Cycling and kayaking kits were all provided and the hike was great with beautiful views.

Madalene(June 2023)

Really enjoyed the trip. Breakfast at the hotel was lovely. Lunch was lovely. Jim provided great support at each spot and Kat helped motivate and guide us all up the mountain.

Rachel(June 2023)

Well worth it, the guides were great. Well organised and very enjoyable. Would especially recommend it for solo travellers. If you're the kind of person that hates shopping around, reading reviews and booking stuff it's defo worth the extra money to take away that hassle.

Paula(June 2023)

Great trip, would recommend

Rosie(June 2023)

Fantastic trip! Everything from booking to finishing the challenge was well organised and straightforward. Our local guides were brilliant - friendly, knowledgeable and great fun! Would highly recommend taking on the Snowdon challenge!

Natalie(May 2023)

Really friendly, well organised trip. I had an amazing day!

Janhavi(May 2023)

Great experience

Vicky(May 2023)

A challenging but terrific experience! Would definitely recommend to others and would use this company again for booking other experiences

Angela(May 2023)

We wanted an experience that was challenging and fun and this proved to be both. Abbey and Jim were great - organised and professional but also very warm and personable. We had a lovely group on the day, easygoing to chat to whilst heading up Snowdon in the wet conditions. Found it to be the right level of challenge, we needed to put fair bit of effort in but could still enjoy all the activities and felt tired in a good way afterwards. All in all a great day, thank you.

Fanny(December 2022)

Great experience - I was ready for a bit of a challenge and it was some time, you do need a basic fitness level but I really enjoyed it. We were a small group and supported and motivated each other to get to the top. Thank you also to our guide Chris as well as Sue who provided everything we needed all along the experience. I would definitely recommend it !

Eva(October 2022)
Claire(October 2022)

Everything about this trip was fantastic. Our guides made it even more special. Huge thanks

Terrie(September 2022)

Really enjoyed this! You do need a basic level of fitness as there is a steep hill on the bike ride and the Snowdon climb is steep and rocky in parts. Definitely worth doing some incline walking and cardio before doing this challenge but it was awesome, the guides are great and I highly recommend it :)

Gemma(September 2022)

A fantastically organised trip, where you get to see the beauty of Snowdon from a kayak, bike and rewarding hike up to the top! Our guide Colin was very experienced, informative and friendly as were Sue & Jim who provided everything we needed for the challenge. We enjoyed all the company we had on the day from our group and hope to do a similar trip very soon. Thank you MBA for a great opportunity and a super service 👍

Louise(September 2022)

WOW! Don’t hesitate get it booked. We are still so over whelmed by the whole adventure. The Hosts and Rangers were incredible and nothing too much. The accommodation was fantastic, pre communications were spot on, we were made aware of what we would need and what we wouldn’t! Every corner we were smiling even if we thought it a little tougher then expected! We’d do it again! 100% recommend and thank you so so much for the once in a life time experience.

Wendy(September 2022)

This is a challenge but not beyond your capabilities and if you struggle on any part then you’ll be helped and encouraged so you achieve all that you can. Fab experience, amazing achievement with wonderful guides in a beautiful part of Wales

Claire(June 2022)

Excellent day, welll organised. Kat was a fantastic host, knowledgeable, friendly and very professional. Jim and the rest of the team were exceptional helpful and friendly too, from beginning to end. Highly recommend it to everyone!

Sarah(May 2022)

This trip was disappointing as we were unable to complete the challenge due to other group members lack of ability. Only having one guide meant we had to stick together as one group - unfortunately with mixed abilities this became frustrating. this was my first group adventure and I would not book another one as it did not challenge me - feel like I've wasted £300

Ds(May 2022)

Amazing trip. Well organised. great hosts..thank you Jim, Amy, Sue, Colin. But local hotel was very dated with dirty carpets.

Charlie(May 2022)

We had an amazing day with a fabulous support team. The weather was fantastic so though the kit list had us prepared we were very lucky not to use it all on the day. Views from the top, which I hadn’t seen since my childhood were stunning, great company lovely sandwiches and the cycle and kayak just added an extra touch that were much enjoyed by all. We really enjoyed our fab curry in town after

Nichola(May 2022)

Wouldn't book the trip again and improvements need to be made but loads of positive experience and Jim and Chris were excellent hosts

Leah(May 2022)

Good experience. Challenging at times but enjoyable. Good guides. Be aware that weather conditions and other people in your group can impact the success and completion of your challenge.

Leena(May 2022)

Cycling was the best part. The national park is really beautiful. Kayaking was good.

Local guides were great. Special thanks for Jamie and Chris!

Unfortunately we didn't managed to hike up the mountain cause of 1 unfit person in a group! (It's good to keep in mind that this can happen if you book a group trip, so manage your expectations)

Adam(April 2022)

Great trip! Friendly guides. Highly recommend!

Rachel(April 2022)

The Snowdonia trip was amazing highly recommended.

Michael(April 2022)

Really enjoyed the whole experience, great group and local guides, highlights were at the summit with the views, kit supplied was fine, no issues with h+s, wouldn’t change anything

Georgie(October 2021)

I loved this adventure. It wasn’t so hard that I felt overwhelmed, but it wasn’t a walk in the park either. The time allowed for each leg was sufficient and finishing the whole challenge left me with a great sense of achievement, but the highlight for me was definitely reaching the summit. Thank you to all the organisers and guides, and also to the staff at the Royal Victoria Hotel, who were very friendly and helpful.

We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.

What's the number?
It works out on average at 29kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.

The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.

But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:

  • Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
  • A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
  • 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.

What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.

Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.

This trip is suitable whether you’ve done challenges before or it’s your first one. No particular level of skill is needed, but you do need a good level of walking and cycling fitness.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Summers in Llanberis are perfect for athletics because they’re not excessively hot or sunny. Daytime temperatures average a pleasant 19 °C, and nighttime temperatures cool off to 12 °C.

Because of its elevation, weather on Snowdon is considerably cooler and more fickle. Temperatures range from 10 – 12 °C during the day, but the skies are clear roughly half the days each month.

Sure. You can leave anything you don't need on the Challenge at the hotel.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

  • 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
  • 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
  • 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.

TRIP DEPARTURE DATES

April 2024

Saturday • 6th April 2024

to Sunday • 7th April 2024
Guaranteed to run
Fully Booked

Friday • 12th April 2024

to Saturday • 13th April 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 27th April 2024

to Sunday • 28th April 2024
Guaranteed to run
Fully Booked

Friday • 3rd May 2024

to Saturday • 4th May 2024
Guaranteed to run
Last Minute - 1 spot left at 10% off

Saturday • 18th May 2024

to Sunday • 19th May 2024
Guaranteed to run
Fully Booked

Saturday • 25th May 2024

to Sunday • 26th May 2024
Guaranteed to run
Fully Booked

Saturday • 8th June 2024

to Sunday • 9th June 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 15th June 2024

to Sunday • 16th June 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 13th July 2024

to Sunday • 14th July 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 27th July 2024

to Sunday • 28th July 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 10th August 2024

to Sunday • 11th August 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 24th August 2024

to Sunday • 25th August 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 31st August 2024

to Sunday • 1st September 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 14th September 2024

to Sunday • 15th September 2024
Guaranteed to run

Saturday • 5th October 2024

to Sunday • 6th October 2024
Guaranteed to run
Private trip

Go private and split the bill with ease.

Forget complex logistics, we've taken care of all the details to ensure a hassle-free get together. All of the adventure, none of the faff.

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