Halfway railway station

The Paddy Buckley Round, also known as the Welsh Classical Round, is a long distance fell running challenge in Snowdonia, Wales. The route is a circuit of just over 100 km long taking in some 47 summits. The Round has the reputation of being somewhat tougher to complete than its English Lake District equivalent, the Bob Graham Round. Although no official time limit is set, an arbitrary 24 hours is applied, although the first completer exceeded the original aim of 24 hours. Runners may start at any point on the circular route (finishing at the same place) and may run the course in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. The route takes in the well-known high mountain ranges of Snowdon, the Glyderau and the Carneddau as well as the slightly less visited ranges of Moel Siabod, the Moelwynion, Moel Hebog and the Nantlle Ridge. The route was devised by the eponymous Paddy Buckley and first completed in 1982 by Wendy Dodds. The selection of summits that must be visited is somewhat arbitrary and no rules appear to have been applied in selecting them. Generally, it takes in the major peaks of the ranges that are being crossed, then any minor tops that are passed along the way are also included. Some of these tops really are just bumps on the ridge and not really summits in their own right at all. The fastest known completion of the round was, for many years, by Mark Hartell in 18 hours 10 minutes. On 4 May 2008, this time was matched by Chris Near of Eryri Harriers. This old record was broken in July 2009 by Tim Higginbottom who completed the Round in a time of 17 hours and 42 minutes. This was further reduced in 2019 by Damian Hall with 17 hours 31 minutes, and again on 30 August 2020 by Matthew Roberts with a time of 16 hours 38 minutes. Kim Collison set a new best time of 16 hours 20 minutes in April 2021. A year later, in April 2022, a new record was set by Finlay Wild who completed the round solo and unsupported in a time of 15 hours 14 minutes.The women's record is held by Jasmin Paris with a time of 18 hours and 33 minutes, set in 2016.The book "The Welsh Three Thousand Foot Challenges: A Guide for Walkers and Hill Runners" describes a version of the route which avoids the slate quarries, which the fastest line utilises, and also suggests attempting it as a four-day backpacking (lightweight camping) excursion rather than a one-day run.

The Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR; Welsh: Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa) is a narrow gauge rack and pinion mountain railway in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a tourist railway that travels for 4.7 miles (7.6 km) from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales.The SMR is the only public rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom, and after more than 100 years of operation it remains a popular tourist attraction, carrying more than 140,000 passengers annually. The line is owned and operated by Heritage Great Britain, operators of several other tourist attractions in the United Kingdom. The railway is operated in some of the harshest weather conditions in Britain, with services curtailed from reaching the summit in bad weather and remaining closed during the winter from November to mid-March. Single carriage trains are pushed up the mountain by either steam locomotives or diesel locomotives. It has also previously used diesel railcars as multiple units. The traditional logo for the railway includes a pinion ring engaged on a rack bar, representing the rack railway technology used by the line.

Rocky Valley Halt is an intermediate station on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It consists of a narrow platform sheltered by the rocky outcrop of Llechog to the east. Immediately beyond the platform the line joins the exposed ridge on which it runs for about half a mile. The line starts in the valley bottom at Llanberis at an altitude of 353 ft (108 m), Rocky Valley Halt stands at 2,330 ft (710 m).The summit station stands at 3,493 feet (1,065 m), 68 feet (21 metres) below the summit of the mountain. The halt is a later addition to the line, opening after the Second World War. Trains do not normally stop at the halt, but may terminate there if Clogwyn and the summit are considered too windy. The station has one platform.

The Snowdon Massif or Yr Wyddfa massif is one of the three mountain groups in Snowdonia (Eryri), north Wales, to include mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high. It occupies the area between Beddgelert, Pen-y-Pass and Llanberis. It is surrounded by the Glyderau to the north-east, Moel Siabod to the east, the Moelwynion to the south, Moel Hebog, the Nantlle Ridge and Mynydd Mawr to the west, and by flatter land leading down to Caernarfon and the Menai Strait to the north-west. The Snowdon Horseshoe is the name given to the semi-circular ring of ridges and peaks on Snowdon's (Yr Wyddfa) eastern side, i.e. facing down Dyffryn Mymbyr towards Capel Curig. The peaks in the Horseshoe are those of Y Lliwedd, Snowdon, Garnedd Ugain and Crib Goch.

Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈklɔɡwɨ̞n ˈdɨːr ˈarðɨ̞], translates as the "black cliff of the black height"), or "Cloggy", is a north-facing rhyolite set of cliffs located on the northern flank of Snowdon mountain. Cloggy is considered to be one of the best traditional climbing areas in Britain, and has been called "The shrine of British climbing", and a "crucible for the development of most of the finest climbers in Britain and the scene of many of their finest achievements".

Indian Face is a 45-metre (148 ft) rhyolite rock climbing route on the "Great Wall" of the East Buttress of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, in Wales. When English climber Johnny Dawes completed the first free ascent of the route on 4 October 1986, it was graded E9 6c (5.13a X), the first-ever E9-graded route, and was considered one of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world.Indian Face is still considered one of the world's most intimidating traditional climbs, and even decades after its first ascent, it is rarely repeated. The ascent was an historic moment in the transition from traditional climbing as the dominant form of extreme rock climbing (in Britain, and elsewhere), to the safer form of sport climbing, which became the main focus for the leading climbers.

Moel Cynghorion (the Hill of the Councillors) is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales. It lies two miles north-west of Snowdon, and forms part of the Moel Eilio Horseshoe walk. The summit is situated on a wide plateau, marked by a pile of stones. The southern slopes are gentle, while the northern aspect is precipitous. The summit has close views of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). Views from the summit can extend as far as Holyhead in Anglesey to nearby towns and villages in Gwynedd such as Caernarfon, Llanrug and Llanberis. On a clear day the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland can be seen across the Irish Sea, at a distance of approximately 80 miles.

Llyn Peris is a lake in Snowdonia, Wales, approximately 1.8 km long and situated close to the villages of Llanberis and Nant Peris, and the smaller twin of Llyn Padarn. The lake was formed glacially and is an example of a moraine-dammed lake. Llyn Peris is named after Saint Peris, an early Christian saint of whom little is known. The lake is flanked on one side by the mountain Elidir Fawr and the former slate quarry of Dinorwig. Above the opposite bank are the hills of Derlwyn and Clogwyn Mawr and a rock formation known as the Lady of Snowdon, due to its resemblance to a human face. The ruins of Dolbadarn Castle are also located on a mound above the lake. The lake now forms the lower reservoir of Dinorwig power station, and the administrative buildings for the station are situated on the lake shore. Water is released into the lake from Marchlyn Mawr (the upper reservoir) to produce electricity during periods of peak demand. This water is, in turn, pumped back to the upper reservoir using electricity purchased at off-peak periods. The water level of the lake therefore varies considerably, depending on UK electricity demand. Excess water from the lake drains into Llyn Padarn. During construction of the power station, when the capacity of the lake was increased considerably at this time, with the removal of a large quantity of slate waste, rare Welsh Arctic char fish were removed to four other lakes in the neighbouring Carneddau mountains, namely Ffynnon Llugwy, Llyn Cowlyd, Llyn Melynllyn and Llyn Dulyn, where they are still to be found. Although Llyn Peris itself was not restocked, some char have found their way back to the lake. Parts of the lake shore are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for Glacial Geology.

Clogwyn is an intermediate station on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It is located on an exposed ridge overlooking the Llanberis Pass and Clogwyn Du'r Arddu cliffs, a popular climbing spot. The line starts in the valley bottom at Llanberis at an altitude of 353 ft (108 m), Clogwyn station stands at 2,556 ft (779 m).The summit station stands at 3,493 feet (1,065 m), 68 feet (21 metres) below the summit of the mountain. The station opened with the railway on 6 April 1896, but both closed the same day following an accident. They reopened on 9 April 1897 without mishap and have operated since except during wartime. The station has one platform.

The Afon Colwyn (English: River Colwyn) is a small river in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, a tributary of the Afon Glaslyn. It has its source on the south-western flank of Snowdon. It first flows west to cross the A4085 Caernarfon to Beddgelert road at Pont Cae'r Gors just south of Rhyd Ddu, then flows south parallel to the A4085 to Beddgelert. On the way it is joined by two tributaries, Afon Cwm-du and Afon Meillionen. At Beddgelert it joins the Glaslyn, to then flow south to Tremadog Bay near Porthmadog.The Colwyn is a short and fast-flowing river. It generally carries less water than the Glaslyn, but water levels can rise very rapidly when there is heavy rain. The river is popular with whitewater kayakers and anglers.

Hebron railway station is an intermediate passing place and former halt on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, located near a long-standing chapel on the lower slopes of Snowdon south of Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales. It was named after a Calvinistic Methodist chapel that stood nearby, first built in 1797, which now lies in ruins. It was originally hoped that agricultural traffic could be carried to and from this station. The line starts in the valley bottom at Llanberis at an altitude of 353 ft (108 m), Hebron station stands at 1,069 ft (326 m).The summit station stands at 3,493 feet (1,065 m), 68 feet (21 metres) below the summit of the mountain. The station opened with the railway on 6 April 1896, but both closed the same day following an accident. They reopened on 9 April 1897, without mishap and have operated since except during wartime. The station has one platform.

Dolbadarn Castle (English: dol-BAD-an; Welsh: Castell Dolbadarn Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ dɔl'badaːn]) is a fortification built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great during the early 13th century, at the base of the Llanberis Pass, in northern Wales. The castle was important both militarily and as a symbol of Llywelyn's power and authority. The castle features a large stone keep, which historian Richard Avent considers "the finest surviving example of a Welsh round tower". In 1284 Dolbadarn was taken by Edward I, who removed some of its timbers to build his new castle at Caernarfon. The castle was used as a manor house for some years, before falling into ruin. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a popular destination for painters interested in Sublime and Picturesque landscapes. It is now owned by Cadw and managed as a tourist attraction, and is protected as a grade I listed building.