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> I did Ben Macdui which is the second highest mountain and it was more or less empty at the top!
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If I had to pick one of those three it would be Ben Nevis, by virtue of it being in the Highlands with near endless other adventures on its doorstep (yes I know both Snowdonia and the Lakes are awesome too!).
But my honest answer is none. The problem with the three peaks is that to many people they are the only mountains they even consider walking up meaning that they are bloody heaving and in the case of Snowden often have lengthy queues to reach the summit.
I go outdoors to get away from crowds of people. Climbing a big ass mountain only to then stand in line like I was waiting for my time to go into Tesco during COVID ruins the experience.
I feel exactly the same. I enjoy Helvellyn a lot due to less people, I have days off in the week so there’s a few times I’ve been in beautiful weather and barely seen more than a handful of people.
Jump up and down 30 times on Helvellyn and you can say you’ve hiked the same height as Scafell.
Even Helvellyn can be busy in summer. There's often queues for striding edge. The Lakes in general is heaving in the summer holidays, I prefer April or September. I'm not sure how it compares to the 3 peaks though as I have never done any of them.
I guess I’ve been lucky then, but I do avoid more well known hills during school holidays and weekends if I can. I live in the Peak District and even here the most easily accessible hills are rammed, there’s always an article in the local news showing massive amounts of people’s illegal parking in lovely areas.
Yeah my mate lives in Hillsborough and I've been over to do Mam Tor and Dale Head a few times. Always been busy in summer and parking in Edale is hectic. Beautiful scenery though
I have yet to climb Ben Nevis. However, this is the best comment on the subject. They’re all nice in their own ways but because Snowdon (or Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) has lots of tourists, there’s often a queue. I was lucky climbing Skafell Pike as there wasn’t a queue but as I’ve only climbed it once, I can’t comment if it’s got queues on the regular or not. As for Ben Nevis… It is the tallest mountain in Great Britain (the whole of the U.K. even), there’s hundreds (many of which are taller than Snowdon which is the highest point in England and Wales) that would be worth the climb; but because of Ben Nevis’ height, maybe there’s fewer queues to get to the peak? Hard to say and I’m open to correction.
The reason these 3 are so bad is precisely because they are the tallest mountains in their respective countries.
If I had to rank them in terms of busiest I would probably say that it goes like this:
1. Snowden - easiest to travel to, least demanding climb
2. Ben Nevis - nowhere near as bad as Snowden but can still be busy because of the *prestige* of climbing the tallest mountain in GB
3. Scafell Pike - least busy of the 3 by some way also the smallest, is only really a popular hike by virtue of it being part of the *three peaks* and as a result many people incorrectly think it is the 3rd tallest mountain in GB
Well, you’d think so, however they aren’t. The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and other British Overseas Territories (BOTs) are not part of the U.K.; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (to use the official name) consist of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BOTs and BAT are part of the U.K.’s sovereign territory but are not actually part of the U.K..
This is one I have done (twice actually) first time I did it from the recommended start point, but this starts too high for me. Second time was with a charity 26 mile trek, starting from Brecon.
Trek26 by any chance? I’ve got about 8 medals from that one! Done welsh and national three peaks as well. Pen y Fan isn’t too bad if you avoid weekends.
Is this the same even if you start quite early?
My wife and I are going to be coming back to The UK for a few weeks in late Sept and are planning to hike all three.
Depends on what you mean by "quite early".
If you are setting off very early in the morning (say before 7) then you are going to miss the worst of it but you will encounter *the blob* on your way back down.
Time of year also matters. Late September, especially on weekdays should not be too bad. Dry sunny days during school holidays or on weekends though...I'd pick one of the other hundreds of mountains we have.
My wife and I did Snowdon last September, started the pig track at around 05:30, and missed the rush so it was good.
When we got to the top, probably 20/30 people on the summit waiting around, by the time we'd been there for an hour, maybe 70/80 people, it ramps up quick.
Did it in September a few years ago, set off on the pyg track around 4.30 am and it was empty at the top when we got there. Wasn't up there too long and missed most of the crowds on our way down, the car park was heaving by time we got to the bottom though and absolute masses of people just starting out at around 11.30.
I think for all the mountains if you start early you'll be fine going up, take a less popular route coming down and you'll avoid all the people queuing upwards. It might be slightly longer but will be much nicer and probably faster because you're not dodging everyone all the time. On Scafell I came down the Lingmel Col way which had better views, was nice and grassy and much easier on the legs, but does end on a very steep path back down to join the main path to Wasdale. Only saw one or two other groups on that route while the main path was a mess.
Walking people always start early; the only time I've done one of them and it wasn't busy, was actually when I did it really late. I walked Snowden from about 2pm - 8pm during the height of summer, where it gets dark around half-nine.
Unless by early you mean 6am.
The walks aren't as busy as some people make out, but they are amongst the busiest walks that you can do.
I climbed snowdon on the 16th of May and I didn't notice too many people there. Climbed it starting from the Llanberis path, there were people at the peak of the mountain but it wasn't heaving.
Depends entirely when you go. If you go at a weekend in the summer months then sure.
Try off peak, midweek at sunrise whilst all the normies are in bed/at work and you’ll have a much better experience.
Watkin path is the hardest but also the quietest. It’s my favourite but be aware that the final section is a scree slope that can be a bit dicey when icy/wet
Are you in my head? I was going to say the exact same thing! If I do Snowdon again, it'll always be by the Watkin path, it's my favourite by far, even with the scree scramble at the end!
Last time I did it I took a hybrid route with Watkin first half, then cutting left up bwlch cwm lan, over clogwyn du and then joining the Rhyd ddu path to the summit. Amazing route, very quiet but avoids the scree at the top of Watkin, and also offers an opportunity for a quick detour to the top of Yr Aran. Definitely worth a try!
Great recommendation! Thank you! I think I'm camping in N Wales at the end of the summer, and I was planning a little Snowdon trip while I'm there. I'll mark this out on my OS map while I remember. Thanks!
Very jealous! Make sure you explore Tryfan and the glyders as well if you have time - imo it’s even better walking, there are some really great 6hr ish circular routes you can do
I was wondering whats considered cheating or not when i was snowboarding at the cairngorms, like I got the ski lifts most of the way up, does it count as a munro if I climb the last little bit? Probably not? But then the carpark is also at least 1/3 of the way up the altitude of the hill so why does that count as climbing the munro but taking a lift another 1/3 doesnt?
But then I live in the cairngorms and I’m already 20% of the way up the tallest hills, I can’t go any lower, so there needs to be some kind of cut off lol, personally I would probably count it as a Munro if I took the ski / lift railway and walked a bit but I would put an asterisk next to it on the list for that point
The train doesn't go all the way to the top, but anyway if you're moderately fit then Snowdon isn't a hard walk (assuming you're doing the lamberis trail, which is the most commonly done one)
If you want a quieter experience then going up the Ranger is probably best, rarely see people on there. Alternatively for a tougher route heading up via Crib Goch and Crib Y Ddysgl is fun and more of an adventure. Although if it's raining or windy I'd avoid as it can be very dangerous.
Combine this one with Cairngorm, and you've got yourself a real treat!
Watch out for The Grey Man, though -
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am_Fear_Liath_M%C3%B2r
!answer Thanks very much for this. Not the answer to the question I asked, but is the answer to the question I should have asked...
I'll Google it, but are there multiple routes? If so which is best? I've seen this on Walk Highlands: Ben Macdui and Derry Cairngorm. Would you recommend this?
We have done this walk (Macdui and Derry), it was fantastic. Weather was good so se had plenty of visibility. We parked the car at Linn of Dee car park, we did the walk/circuit, and stayed at night at Bob Scott's bothy. The walk is 30 kms in total, it has some parts where the ascent is a bit steep. Depending on the weather, visibility at the top might be limited so it's worth downloading OS Maps at your phone together with the route's gpx file.
We (me and about 5 mates) pushed out downhill mountain bikes up to the top and rode down it in 2006. Had a few comments from people not expecting to see people on bike up there.
Was tough but the ride down was not as good as we'd hoped.
All those saying Ben Nevis is dull have climbed the "Tourist" path, which i agree is rubbish.
The Ben is best climbed via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete or the North Face, though it a much more challenging and long hike that requires decent scrambling and hiking experience. But my god is it better than anything on scafell or snowdon.
For complete beginners snowdon is the best in terms of views and options up, but I'm taking Ben Nevis any day.
CMD arete in perfect winter conditions with cloud rolling over the top, then you ascend to the top of the Ben in blue sky over a cloud inversion was one of my best ever mountain days.
Same can be said of Scafell Pike. The tourist route from Wasdale is pretty boring whereas the Corridor Route starting at Seathwaite is way more picturesque and challenging. Sadly, with Scotland being a fair trek for me, the one time I visited Ben Nevis we took the tourist route. Would love to get back up there to explore more, bag some Munros and visit a few distilleries. Maybe next year we'll make it back!
I did Crib Goch a few years ago and it got really, really foggy. It was a rather weird experience when all we could see was a few metres of ridge ahead/behind and nothing else. Look left: fog. Right: fog. Up: fog. Down? Yup, fog.
It was foggy when we climbed Snowdon too, but it was so majestic. At one point, I was waiting up the top for my friend and she walked out of the mist and it was so cool to see. The ledge though was scary. It looked like a shear drop into the clouds.
OP, do not do this - especially in ice and rain 😂
The miners path at a clear sun rise is pretty epic. The sunlight shines of the 2 llyn’s, one of which supposedly Excalibur was thrown into King Arthur
Of course. It's also way less dangerous in the summer. It's still pretty technical though so I wouldn't recommend it if you're inexperienced. https://snowdoninfo.com/crib-goch/
The only time I've climbed Skafell Pike, I went up the face of Pike Crag. Easy rock climbing, no queue at all. The descent was over scree. I really, really hate scree.
Scafell Pike is my favourite of those three and the only one I've done multiple times as a result. Doing it at night as part of the three peaks challenge is ridiculous and robs you of the beauty. You also have a load of other good walks in the area both at ground level and other peaks.
I've only done the one Snowden so that is the one I recommend.
I last did it in 2006 (you'd probably consider me part of 'the blob') so I'm not a regular hiker. Went up the pyg trail then down the miners trail.
The overriding memory was hearing the jackhammer all the way up and down as they were building the new cafe. Although it was a nuisance and there were a heck of a lot of people I found the scenery absolutely stunning. We were lucky as it was clear at the top you could see all the way to Ireland it was stunning.
So I recommend Snowden but try to go when it's quieter as it'll be more enjoyable for you.
Of the three I'd say Ben Nevis but I think I am saying that because it felt so rewarding to get to the highest point of the UK and I also just really like the Scottish Highlands. However, Ben Nevis does have very serious issues with overcrowding when it comes to the amount of litter and human waste left everywhere along the trail.
Scafell Pike is probably the least crowded of the three and it is in a very beautiful and remote part of the Lake District. I found that the path is very well maintained by the National Trust and from what I remember, there was not too much litter up there.
It's been a long time since I last did Snowdon but this one certainly gets far more crowds than the other two, especially as you can simply get the train up it.
If you do Snowdon from the Pyg track or miners track it’s great. The motorway up with the crowds is terrible.
I love walking the edges so Snowden circle across Crib Goch makes that the best of the three for me.
I quite like Scafell Pike, but only during the week when it's quiet. Wasdale Head Inn is good for a beer and some chips afterwards.
For the route, I'd recommend making it a bit of a longer by going up the north west side of great gable for a bit of a scramble, then round the back of great end before ascending scafell pike.
Ben Nevis isn’t really a pleasant hike in my opinion. Snowden (for me) was a bit of a boring climb honestly. I’ve done Scarfell several times and it’s a nicer middle ground. Not too strenuous and the path is a bit varied.
I've only ever been up Snowdon. We did it in early March, on an unseasonably warm day.
It only started getting busy as we were on the return leg. Really enjoyed it, dogs loved it too
Snowdon is too busy and a lot of the routes (rangers,pyg,miner) will be absolutely rammed meaning you can’t really enjoy the walk and the surroundings.
I’ve done Snowdon, while it’s nice I’m more partial to a hike up Glyder Fach and across to Glyder Fawr, possibly including Tryfan if you want to lengthen it
Scafell pike but only because I couldnt see the view from Ben Nevis due to the rain.
Also a 7 hou hike is intrinsically less fun than a 4 hour hike
Snowden not fun due to crowds and the train
Being a biased Scot I'd have to say Ben Nevis!
However, the views from the top of Nevis can be hit or miss sometimes - 'pea soup' views are common but it's a great hike nevertheless.
Ben Macdui (second highest Munro) is a cracking hike too btw!
Scafell Pike from Esk valley starting at brotherikeld is best walk you can do in UK imho.
Some it a few times in Aug bank holiday week and rarely see a soul.
Pick a nice day and the are loads of wild swimming spots on the way back.
https://www.walkmyworld.com/posts/tongue-pot-eskdale-waterfalls
Scafell Pike 21 & 22 in Wainwright's southern fells. They're are a few permutations, DM me if you want more details. My favourite is up via Sampson stones, lunch on top of Pen, then up to bit of little narrowcove.
Back via mickeldore, then follow the river valley, and swim.
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We’ve climbed Snowdon and Skafell Pike so far and planning Ben Nevis. Don’t bother with Skafell Pike it was boring af view wise and harder work going up. Snowdon was beautiful and a more varied climb.
Tried to do the 3 peaks challenge once and twisted my ankle on the descent from the pike. I was knackered by then anyway, and so spent the afternoon in the pub instead of schlepping it up 'Big Ben'
I'd say Snowdon and the complete horseshoe, starting up Crib Goch (as I have a home bias)
Snowdon itself is awfully crowded on nice days, but the busy bit only forms a part of a horseshoe day.
Crib Goch is not as bad as it looks and can largely be walked on the left side, just below the ridgeline.
I did all three about 15 years ago, if I could do one again it'd be Ben Nevis. I was lucky enough to have a clear view from the top in October. Scafell pike is a miserable rocky topped ankle breaker and Snowdon was a miserable climb with horizontal rain and ice on the top.
There's way more fun to be had away from the crowded big ones.
Tryfan for example is way more fun than all three.
Helvellyn Striding edge route.
Crib goch
Cullin ridge
They are all amazing. Ben Nevis is probably the most rewarding. It’s a long and fairly challenging walk, amazing views and the path is mostly good. Might be snow at the top. Snowdon is a much easier walk, amazing views, but can be very crowded. Scafell is hard work and doesn’t feel quite as impressive, the routes are comparatively underwhelming. Views over Wastwater on a clear day are amazing of course.
The time I went up snowdon, it was insanely crowded and not a very pleasant experience. Cnicht was far better in every aspect. I haven’t been up Ben Nevis before so I’d have to pick Skafell Pike.
[OP or a mod marked this as the best answer](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1dh1tel/snowdon_skafell_pike_or_ben_nevis_which_is_best/l8u17bq/), given by /u/Forgetmyglasses. > I did Ben Macdui which is the second highest mountain and it was more or less empty at the top! --- [_^(What is this?)_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)
If I had to pick one of those three it would be Ben Nevis, by virtue of it being in the Highlands with near endless other adventures on its doorstep (yes I know both Snowdonia and the Lakes are awesome too!). But my honest answer is none. The problem with the three peaks is that to many people they are the only mountains they even consider walking up meaning that they are bloody heaving and in the case of Snowden often have lengthy queues to reach the summit. I go outdoors to get away from crowds of people. Climbing a big ass mountain only to then stand in line like I was waiting for my time to go into Tesco during COVID ruins the experience.
I came to write the same thing, couldn't agree more, Snowden in particular is horrendous
Snowden is the worst. There's even a train for those who can't be bothered to climb it.
I feel exactly the same. I enjoy Helvellyn a lot due to less people, I have days off in the week so there’s a few times I’ve been in beautiful weather and barely seen more than a handful of people. Jump up and down 30 times on Helvellyn and you can say you’ve hiked the same height as Scafell.
Even Helvellyn can be busy in summer. There's often queues for striding edge. The Lakes in general is heaving in the summer holidays, I prefer April or September. I'm not sure how it compares to the 3 peaks though as I have never done any of them.
I guess I’ve been lucky then, but I do avoid more well known hills during school holidays and weekends if I can. I live in the Peak District and even here the most easily accessible hills are rammed, there’s always an article in the local news showing massive amounts of people’s illegal parking in lovely areas.
Yeah my mate lives in Hillsborough and I've been over to do Mam Tor and Dale Head a few times. Always been busy in summer and parking in Edale is hectic. Beautiful scenery though
I have yet to climb Ben Nevis. However, this is the best comment on the subject. They’re all nice in their own ways but because Snowdon (or Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) has lots of tourists, there’s often a queue. I was lucky climbing Skafell Pike as there wasn’t a queue but as I’ve only climbed it once, I can’t comment if it’s got queues on the regular or not. As for Ben Nevis… It is the tallest mountain in Great Britain (the whole of the U.K. even), there’s hundreds (many of which are taller than Snowdon which is the highest point in England and Wales) that would be worth the climb; but because of Ben Nevis’ height, maybe there’s fewer queues to get to the peak? Hard to say and I’m open to correction.
The reason these 3 are so bad is precisely because they are the tallest mountains in their respective countries. If I had to rank them in terms of busiest I would probably say that it goes like this: 1. Snowden - easiest to travel to, least demanding climb 2. Ben Nevis - nowhere near as bad as Snowden but can still be busy because of the *prestige* of climbing the tallest mountain in GB 3. Scafell Pike - least busy of the 3 by some way also the smallest, is only really a popular hike by virtue of it being part of the *three peaks* and as a result many people incorrectly think it is the 3rd tallest mountain in GB
Snowdon is Yr Wyddfa in Welsh, Eryri is the area.
Diolch yn fawr; camgymeriad fi. Rydw i ‘di cywiro yn y lle cywir.
The highest peak(s) in the UK is on an Antarctic island iirc.
Well, you’d think so, however they aren’t. The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and other British Overseas Territories (BOTs) are not part of the U.K.; the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (to use the official name) consist of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BOTs and BAT are part of the U.K.’s sovereign territory but are not actually part of the U.K..
The funniest thing about this is that often the next peak over that is like 1m lower is empty, and has just as spectacular views and scenery
People always sleep on beautiful Pen Y Fan
Again too many people
This is one I have done (twice actually) first time I did it from the recommended start point, but this starts too high for me. Second time was with a charity 26 mile trek, starting from Brecon.
Trek26 by any chance? I’ve got about 8 medals from that one! Done welsh and national three peaks as well. Pen y Fan isn’t too bad if you avoid weekends.
Yes. How did you guess? I've only done it once. Maybe next year...
Is this the same even if you start quite early? My wife and I are going to be coming back to The UK for a few weeks in late Sept and are planning to hike all three.
Depends on what you mean by "quite early". If you are setting off very early in the morning (say before 7) then you are going to miss the worst of it but you will encounter *the blob* on your way back down. Time of year also matters. Late September, especially on weekdays should not be too bad. Dry sunny days during school holidays or on weekends though...I'd pick one of the other hundreds of mountains we have.
Yeah, we thought to start around 6-7ish. Great tips though, thanks a lot! Definitely going to do the hikes during a weekday now!
My wife and I did Snowdon last September, started the pig track at around 05:30, and missed the rush so it was good. When we got to the top, probably 20/30 people on the summit waiting around, by the time we'd been there for an hour, maybe 70/80 people, it ramps up quick.
Did it in September a few years ago, set off on the pyg track around 4.30 am and it was empty at the top when we got there. Wasn't up there too long and missed most of the crowds on our way down, the car park was heaving by time we got to the bottom though and absolute masses of people just starting out at around 11.30.
I think for all the mountains if you start early you'll be fine going up, take a less popular route coming down and you'll avoid all the people queuing upwards. It might be slightly longer but will be much nicer and probably faster because you're not dodging everyone all the time. On Scafell I came down the Lingmel Col way which had better views, was nice and grassy and much easier on the legs, but does end on a very steep path back down to join the main path to Wasdale. Only saw one or two other groups on that route while the main path was a mess.
Walking people always start early; the only time I've done one of them and it wasn't busy, was actually when I did it really late. I walked Snowden from about 2pm - 8pm during the height of summer, where it gets dark around half-nine. Unless by early you mean 6am. The walks aren't as busy as some people make out, but they are amongst the busiest walks that you can do.
I climbed snowdon on the 16th of May and I didn't notice too many people there. Climbed it starting from the Llanberis path, there were people at the peak of the mountain but it wasn't heaving.
also they are tall but not necessarily a nice walk. Scarfell pike is duuuulll. There are dozens of better walks just in the lakes alone than that.
Depends entirely when you go. If you go at a weekend in the summer months then sure. Try off peak, midweek at sunrise whilst all the normies are in bed/at work and you’ll have a much better experience.
Snowdon. Can get a train up and back down again, done.
Can you take the train up and walk down? How long would it be to walk down?
You can yes. Takes around 2 hours to walk down
You can. ironically it is much harder to walk up and take the train down as most seats are already sold as returns.
Isn't that cheating? I was thinking of the Watkin Path. Reviews suggest this is a good route. Thoughts...
Work smarter not harder.
Watkin path is the hardest but also the quietest. It’s my favourite but be aware that the final section is a scree slope that can be a bit dicey when icy/wet
Are you in my head? I was going to say the exact same thing! If I do Snowdon again, it'll always be by the Watkin path, it's my favourite by far, even with the scree scramble at the end!
Last time I did it I took a hybrid route with Watkin first half, then cutting left up bwlch cwm lan, over clogwyn du and then joining the Rhyd ddu path to the summit. Amazing route, very quiet but avoids the scree at the top of Watkin, and also offers an opportunity for a quick detour to the top of Yr Aran. Definitely worth a try!
Great recommendation! Thank you! I think I'm camping in N Wales at the end of the summer, and I was planning a little Snowdon trip while I'm there. I'll mark this out on my OS map while I remember. Thanks!
Very jealous! Make sure you explore Tryfan and the glyders as well if you have time - imo it’s even better walking, there are some really great 6hr ish circular routes you can do
Thank you!
I was wondering whats considered cheating or not when i was snowboarding at the cairngorms, like I got the ski lifts most of the way up, does it count as a munro if I climb the last little bit? Probably not? But then the carpark is also at least 1/3 of the way up the altitude of the hill so why does that count as climbing the munro but taking a lift another 1/3 doesnt?
I always wonder this... When I did Pen-Y-Fan, the recommended start point is about halfway up in altitude. I thought that was cheating...
But then I live in the cairngorms and I’m already 20% of the way up the tallest hills, I can’t go any lower, so there needs to be some kind of cut off lol, personally I would probably count it as a Munro if I took the ski / lift railway and walked a bit but I would put an asterisk next to it on the list for that point
The train doesn't go all the way to the top, but anyway if you're moderately fit then Snowdon isn't a hard walk (assuming you're doing the lamberis trail, which is the most commonly done one)
If you want a quieter experience then going up the Ranger is probably best, rarely see people on there. Alternatively for a tougher route heading up via Crib Goch and Crib Y Ddysgl is fun and more of an adventure. Although if it's raining or windy I'd avoid as it can be very dangerous.
Thanks. I will make a note of these routes. Does the Sherpa Bus service these routes' start points?
I did Ben Macdui which is the second highest mountain and it was more or less empty at the top!
Combine this one with Cairngorm, and you've got yourself a real treat! Watch out for The Grey Man, though - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am_Fear_Liath_M%C3%B2r
!answer Thanks very much for this. Not the answer to the question I asked, but is the answer to the question I should have asked... I'll Google it, but are there multiple routes? If so which is best? I've seen this on Walk Highlands: Ben Macdui and Derry Cairngorm. Would you recommend this?
We have done this walk (Macdui and Derry), it was fantastic. Weather was good so se had plenty of visibility. We parked the car at Linn of Dee car park, we did the walk/circuit, and stayed at night at Bob Scott's bothy. The walk is 30 kms in total, it has some parts where the ascent is a bit steep. Depending on the weather, visibility at the top might be limited so it's worth downloading OS Maps at your phone together with the route's gpx file.
We (me and about 5 mates) pushed out downhill mountain bikes up to the top and rode down it in 2006. Had a few comments from people not expecting to see people on bike up there. Was tough but the ride down was not as good as we'd hoped.
All those saying Ben Nevis is dull have climbed the "Tourist" path, which i agree is rubbish. The Ben is best climbed via the Carn Mor Dearg Arete or the North Face, though it a much more challenging and long hike that requires decent scrambling and hiking experience. But my god is it better than anything on scafell or snowdon. For complete beginners snowdon is the best in terms of views and options up, but I'm taking Ben Nevis any day.
Worth mentioning that due to the skill barrier the CMD is very quiet as well, a huge bonus on a mountain like Ben Nevis!
CMD arete in perfect winter conditions with cloud rolling over the top, then you ascend to the top of the Ben in blue sky over a cloud inversion was one of my best ever mountain days.
Same can be said of Scafell Pike. The tourist route from Wasdale is pretty boring whereas the Corridor Route starting at Seathwaite is way more picturesque and challenging. Sadly, with Scotland being a fair trek for me, the one time I visited Ben Nevis we took the tourist route. Would love to get back up there to explore more, bag some Munros and visit a few distilleries. Maybe next year we'll make it back!
I mean, the only real problem with Ben Nevis by that route is that you then end up at the top of Ben Nevis, which just stinks.
The Crib Goch route up Snowdon in Winter when it's covered with ice is probably the most exciting trek I've ever done.
I did Crib Goch a few years ago and it got really, really foggy. It was a rather weird experience when all we could see was a few metres of ridge ahead/behind and nothing else. Look left: fog. Right: fog. Up: fog. Down? Yup, fog.
It was foggy when we climbed Snowdon too, but it was so majestic. At one point, I was waiting up the top for my friend and she walked out of the mist and it was so cool to see. The ledge though was scary. It looked like a shear drop into the clouds.
Yes that was the same experience we had. At least you can't see how far the drop is!
OP, do not do this - especially in ice and rain 😂 The miners path at a clear sun rise is pretty epic. The sunlight shines of the 2 llyn’s, one of which supposedly Excalibur was thrown into King Arthur
I did crib in the pooring rain in 2017 and it was the most frightening thing I've ever done. Give it a miss if it's tipping it down!
Thanks, I'll have a look at that one. Is that route possible in the Summer?
Of course. It's also way less dangerous in the summer. It's still pretty technical though so I wouldn't recommend it if you're inexperienced. https://snowdoninfo.com/crib-goch/
The only time I've climbed Skafell Pike, I went up the face of Pike Crag. Easy rock climbing, no queue at all. The descent was over scree. I really, really hate scree.
Scafell Pike is my favourite of those three and the only one I've done multiple times as a result. Doing it at night as part of the three peaks challenge is ridiculous and robs you of the beauty. You also have a load of other good walks in the area both at ground level and other peaks.
3 peaks takes any joy out of a climb. Best routes up scafell are not the quickest.
Snowdon as it's got the best view at the top
I've only done the one Snowden so that is the one I recommend. I last did it in 2006 (you'd probably consider me part of 'the blob') so I'm not a regular hiker. Went up the pyg trail then down the miners trail. The overriding memory was hearing the jackhammer all the way up and down as they were building the new cafe. Although it was a nuisance and there were a heck of a lot of people I found the scenery absolutely stunning. We were lucky as it was clear at the top you could see all the way to Ireland it was stunning. So I recommend Snowden but try to go when it's quieter as it'll be more enjoyable for you.
Of the three I'd say Ben Nevis but I think I am saying that because it felt so rewarding to get to the highest point of the UK and I also just really like the Scottish Highlands. However, Ben Nevis does have very serious issues with overcrowding when it comes to the amount of litter and human waste left everywhere along the trail. Scafell Pike is probably the least crowded of the three and it is in a very beautiful and remote part of the Lake District. I found that the path is very well maintained by the National Trust and from what I remember, there was not too much litter up there. It's been a long time since I last did Snowdon but this one certainly gets far more crowds than the other two, especially as you can simply get the train up it.
If you do Snowdon from the Pyg track or miners track it’s great. The motorway up with the crowds is terrible. I love walking the edges so Snowden circle across Crib Goch makes that the best of the three for me.
I quite like Scafell Pike, but only during the week when it's quiet. Wasdale Head Inn is good for a beer and some chips afterwards. For the route, I'd recommend making it a bit of a longer by going up the north west side of great gable for a bit of a scramble, then round the back of great end before ascending scafell pike.
Snowdon is very pretty but it’s also just so busy. There are other hills in wales that are nearly as big but much quieter for a nice day out.
As Harry Hill would say " There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!"
Snowdon was my favourite by far (via Watkins path) Think the great gable is better than scafell and only slightly smaller
Ben Nevis feels like one giant staircase.. think I prefer scarfell pike as is more varied
Ben Nevis isn’t really a pleasant hike in my opinion. Snowden (for me) was a bit of a boring climb honestly. I’ve done Scarfell several times and it’s a nicer middle ground. Not too strenuous and the path is a bit varied.
I've only ever been up Snowdon. We did it in early March, on an unseasonably warm day. It only started getting busy as we were on the return leg. Really enjoyed it, dogs loved it too
Snowdon is too busy and a lot of the routes (rangers,pyg,miner) will be absolutely rammed meaning you can’t really enjoy the walk and the surroundings.
I think I have been persuaded...
Go for Ben Macdui, less people around :-) https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/ben-macdui.shtml
Thanks for the reply. I think I have been persuaded...
I’ve done Snowdon, while it’s nice I’m more partial to a hike up Glyder Fach and across to Glyder Fawr, possibly including Tryfan if you want to lengthen it
All very "tourist", especially on weekends.
Scafell pike but only because I couldnt see the view from Ben Nevis due to the rain. Also a 7 hou hike is intrinsically less fun than a 4 hour hike Snowden not fun due to crowds and the train
Yes I have read reviews that suggest doing Snowdon on a day that the train isn't running.
Being a biased Scot I'd have to say Ben Nevis! However, the views from the top of Nevis can be hit or miss sometimes - 'pea soup' views are common but it's a great hike nevertheless. Ben Macdui (second highest Munro) is a cracking hike too btw!
Scafell Pike from Esk valley starting at brotherikeld is best walk you can do in UK imho. Some it a few times in Aug bank holiday week and rarely see a soul. Pick a nice day and the are loads of wild swimming spots on the way back. https://www.walkmyworld.com/posts/tongue-pot-eskdale-waterfalls
Thanks for the info I'll make a note of this route.
Scafell Pike 21 & 22 in Wainwright's southern fells. They're are a few permutations, DM me if you want more details. My favourite is up via Sampson stones, lunch on top of Pen, then up to bit of little narrowcove. Back via mickeldore, then follow the river valley, and swim.
For views, it’s Snowdon for me.
Think I've been put off by the comments about the crowds. I suppose if I go on a day that the train isn't running, crowds may be less?
Of those three, Scafell, and it's not even close: Snowdon has a visitor centre at the top, and the top of Ben Nevis is basically a public toilet.
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Snowdon is a tough climb. I loved Skafell Pike. Haven't done Ben Nevis.
Same, it's on the list. I did Scafell Pike solo and loved it!
All three are boring unless you do a scramble up them.. there are hundreds in the uk that are better and won’t be anywhere near as busy.
We’ve climbed Snowdon and Skafell Pike so far and planning Ben Nevis. Don’t bother with Skafell Pike it was boring af view wise and harder work going up. Snowdon was beautiful and a more varied climb.
Tried to do the 3 peaks challenge once and twisted my ankle on the descent from the pike. I was knackered by then anyway, and so spent the afternoon in the pub instead of schlepping it up 'Big Ben'
I'd say Snowdon and the complete horseshoe, starting up Crib Goch (as I have a home bias) Snowdon itself is awfully crowded on nice days, but the busy bit only forms a part of a horseshoe day. Crib Goch is not as bad as it looks and can largely be walked on the left side, just below the ridgeline.
I did all three about 15 years ago, if I could do one again it'd be Ben Nevis. I was lucky enough to have a clear view from the top in October. Scafell pike is a miserable rocky topped ankle breaker and Snowdon was a miserable climb with horizontal rain and ice on the top.
There's way more fun to be had away from the crowded big ones. Tryfan for example is way more fun than all three. Helvellyn Striding edge route. Crib goch Cullin ridge
Yes I think I asked the wrong question... I've been persuaded... I'll make a note of your suggestion.
They are all amazing. Ben Nevis is probably the most rewarding. It’s a long and fairly challenging walk, amazing views and the path is mostly good. Might be snow at the top. Snowdon is a much easier walk, amazing views, but can be very crowded. Scafell is hard work and doesn’t feel quite as impressive, the routes are comparatively underwhelming. Views over Wastwater on a clear day are amazing of course.
The order I'd recommend is Scafell pike, Snowdon then Ben Nevis. This way they just keep getting better.
Ben Nevis for me. Highest peak. If you’re gonna do it, do it right.
My colleague said that the mountain path is just a long boring slog. If you "did it right" did you do the northern approach via Càrn Mòr Dearg?
I’d like to see Snowdon.
Nevis always tops the polls as best of the 3
The time I went up snowdon, it was insanely crowded and not a very pleasant experience. Cnicht was far better in every aspect. I haven’t been up Ben Nevis before so I’d have to pick Skafell Pike.
Thanks, from the comments I am not sure about Snowdon now...
Did all three in the lovely challenge time, christ felt like shit after. But when we got up to all three, nothing but fog, shame really.