Foel Goch and Moel Eilio offer a fabulous alternative to the summer crowds on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). But the plants and flowers below your feet are as worthy of your attention as the epic scenery.
There’s no hiding from the fact that in summer, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) can get busy. Really really busy. Ascending nearby Foel Goch and Moel Eilio is a quieter but still challenging alternative, with the bonus of vast views over the Eryri (Snowdonia) range. But it’s worth slowing down a little on the route, looking down, and pausing… if not to smell the flowers then at least to admire them. It was botanists, after all, who were among the very first to scale these mountains.
As far back as the 1500s, plant enthusiasts including William Salesbury clambered among the peaks — then a rare occurrence — to make a record of the mountain plant life.
In Dewi Jones’ book The Botanists and Guides of Snowdonia, he recounts a mountain excursion on 3 August 1639 by London apothecary Thomas Johnson, county MP Thomas Glynne of Glynllifon, and local botanist Edward Morgan, where among other things they discovered northern rock cress, mountain sorrel and the most beautiful of all North Wales plants, starry saxifrage, a survivor from the last Ice Age.
After becoming cragfast — stranded — on one mountain, they had no choice but to ascend, with the help of a leather strap, inadvertently recording Britain’s first climb. Today, the pressures on these mountain plants are immense, and shifting quicker now than at any time since the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. They simply can’t adapt as fast as they need to. The Snowdon Lily, for example, only grows at a certain height, facing a certain way, on particular rock types, and can therefore be found in only just six places in Eryri (Snowdonia).
So as you climb Foel Goch and Moel Eilio, where the human tread, at least, is lighter, take time to admire the plants and flowers, especially on rocks just out of reach of nibbling sheep. Flora is just as much part of this landscape as grand mountain panoramas.
Download our self guided walk
Foel Goch and Moel Eilio
A fantastic alternative route to Snowdon, away from the crowds, with stunning views.
9.3 miles, takes 5h 45m – 8h 30m
Challenging route (PDF, 1.2MB)
Where to stay
There are two hostels close to this route. YHA Snowdon Ranger acts as the start and end point, and is available on YHA Exclusive Hire. To the north, meanwhile, YHA Snowdon Llanberis has private rooms and camping pods available this season.
