Walking the Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park. 83-mile (134 km) in 5 Days!
- Tough Girl
- May 30
- 6 min read
š I recently completed the breathtaking Snowdonia Slate Trail ā an 83-mile (134 km), 5-day journey through the wild and rugged heart of North Wales. š¬š§ā°ļø
š„¾ Along the way, I explored dramatic landscapes, historic slate villages, and hidden gems scattered across this unforgettable trail. Join me as I share the highlights, challenges, and memorable moments from walking through one of the most awe-inspiring corners of the UK. šæāØ
Day 1/5 š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ
ā¹ļøStats: Walked with @gemmalaurensmith & Tilby š¶
Weather: sunny āļø
From: Bangor
Start time: 9.30am
To: past Llanberis
End time: 9.10pm
Accommodation: wild camped šļø
Terrain: roads, gravel, bog, grassy paths, fields
š„¾Km: 28.7
š„¾Miles: 18
š¦¶Steps: 36,874
Total distance: 18/83 22% done ā
š°Costs: Ā£47 food resupply. Hoping this will last all of the trip š¤
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 5/10 - Iām not anaemia- but Iām very fatigued at the moment. Iāve got slighted high red blood cell count. So will have my bloods tested again in a few weeks.
Ease of terrain: 4/10
āļøHighlights: pack and @trainers felt super comfortable which was really great. Really impressed - we were on our feet for so long. We werenāt moving quickly because of the dog. It was nice to know I could walk for that long.
šļøChallenges: one boggy section otherwise the terrain is really manageable.
šThoughts: great start really excited to be back out walking again I feel as though itās been far too long š„³
The hiker hunger has also kicked right back in. I feel all I did today was eat. š
Day 2/5 š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ
ā¹ļøStats: Weather: dry, cloudy ā ļø
From: just past Llanberis
Start time: 7am
To: past beddgelet
End time: 7.30pm
Accommodation: wild camped šļø
Terrain: gravel, slate, grass, roads.
š„¾Km: 30.3
š„¾Miles: 19
š¦¶Steps: 38,965
Total distance: 37/83. 46% done ā
š°Costs: Ā£ 0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 4/10
āļøHighlights: watching the farmers try to herd the sheet on a very steep field. š
Walking through some gorgeous villages š”. Seeing some beautiful lakes and some stunning views š. Seeing the southside of snowdon that was really cool as well.
šļøChallenges: started to rain š§ļø towards the evening and the midges came out - not a fan!
šThoughts: today felt long. Itās been awhile since Iāve done multiple days of hiking. It felt good to lie down in the tent. My hip flexes were definitely tight. I also need to get my ear in to wild camping it can take a while to feel comfortable.
Day 3/5 š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ
ā¹ļøStats: Weather: rainy š§ļøš
From: just after beddgelet
Start time: 8am
To: somewhere wild! Remote š
End time: 6.30pm
Accommodation: wild camped šļø
Terrain: footy, rocky, roads, fields, woodland
š„¾Km: 22.7
š„¾Miles: 14
š¦¶Steps: 29,182
Total distance: 51/83. 61% done ā
š°Costs: Ā£0
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 5/10 - the weather š¦ļø and rolling my ankle twice - ahhhh
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 4/10
āļøHighlights: the beginning of the day was spent walking by the left-hand side of a river which was really rocky and technical - hard - but absolutely stunning. Such a highlight āŗļø.
šļøChallenges: twisted my left ankle. I spent six months on ankle strength training. But I think my ankles are just gone. Time to just strap them up permanently when I walk now, I canāt risk anymore twists and sprains. Itās doing too much damage.š¢
The none stop rain - really does put a damper on things. Plus walking through some ruins, which would have been stunning - if I was able to see them š- they were covered in mist & clouds which was a shame
šThoughts: motivation really does ebb and flow. Sometimes itās just easy to walk other times every step is a battle.
Day 4/5 š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ
ā¹ļøStats: Weather: rainy š§ļøand windy š¬ļø
From: somewhere on the trail š
Start time: 7.50am
To: well before Capel Curig - (really remote)
End time: 6.30pm
Accommodation: wild camped šļø
Terrain: gravel roads, forest tracks, roads,
š„¾Km: 31.3
š„¾Miles: 19.5
š¦¶Steps: 40,220
Total distance: 70.5/83. 85% done ā
š°Costs: Ā£7 - water, Ribena, wine gums, chocolate eclairsā¦. (Not healthy- but what the body wanted!)
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 6/10
Fatigue: 4/10
Ease of terrain: 4/10
āļøHighlights: to be honest finishing for the day and getting into my tent! š„³
šļøChallenges: navigation in the wind in the rain was sometimes a bit challenging! Not being able to take money photos due to the conditions. But I have been filming so there will be a YouTube Vlog coming out soon.
šThoughts: so much has happened today... From the awful weather š¦ļø to getting off track - to ending up in a bog (almost lost my shoe š„¾) to finding the trail again. Plus getting to see some stunning waterfalls.
Day 5/5 š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ
ā¹ļøStats: Weather: rainy š§ļø
From: well before Capel Curig
Start time: 8.20am
To: Bethesda
End time: 1.30pm
Accommodation: home š” bed šļø
Terrain: road, rocky, stones, slate.
Travel: š„¾ š š š
š„¾Km: 19
š„¾Miles: 12
š¦¶Steps: 24,184
Total distance: 83/83. 100% done ā
š°Costs: Ā£2.90 flapjack š
Ā£1.90 bus to Bangor
Train from Bangor to Chester to Hoylake Ā£34.40
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 7/10
Fatigue: 3/10
Ease of terrain: 2/10
āļøHighlights: only waiting 7 mins for the bus to Bangor. I made all my train changes there was no waiting around. š„³
šļøChallenges: it was a little bit sad that it was just rained all the time. Not the best way to end the trip.
Obviously, I have no control over the weather. It just means I take less photos and it is a little less enjoyable.
šThoughts: itās a really nice trail. Good distance, nice resupply points. A great starting trail for people who want to get into the outdoors and do more multi day hikes. This is a great stepping stone for going onto bigger hikes. This was the perfect training hike for me.
ā¹ļøTotal Stats š„¾Snowdonia Slate Trail. Wales š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æ Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park
ā¹ļø 5 Days šļø
Weather: rainy š¦ļø& windy š¬ļø
Trail - established 2017
š“ó §ó ¢ó ·ó ¬ó ³ó æThe story of Welsh Slate is significant. And its part of UNESCO - World Heritage Site
šFrom: Bangor
Start time: 9.30am
šTo: Bethesda
End time: 1.30pm
Accommodation: wild camped šļø
ā°ļøElevation: 14,603 ft (4,451 m)
ā°ļøHighest Point: 1,690 ft (520 m)
Terrain: slate, road, gravel, grassy, rocky, forested, bog, fields.
šTrainers: Inov8 RocFly G 390 Hiking Shoes (Use ToughGirl15 to get 15% off gear)
š„¾Total Km: 132 - Average km per day 26.4
š„¾Total Miles: 82.5 - Average Miles per day 16.5
š¦¶Total Steps: 169,425 - Average steps per day 33,885
ā°Earliest start: 7am - Day 2
ā°Latest start: 9.30am - Day 1
ā°Earliest end time: 1.30pm - Day 5
ā°Latest end time: 9.10pm - Day 1
š¦¶Longest time on feet: 12hrs 30 mins - Day 2
š¦¶Shortest time of feet: 5hrs 10 mins - Day 5
š°Total Costs: Ā£93.20
Food/Resupply: Ā£56.90
Travel: Ā£36.30
šļøAccommodation: Ā£0 - love the fact that I could camp every night!
š·Daily costs including travel: Ā£18.64
š·Daily costs not including travel: Ā£11.38
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 32/50 = 64% it was a really nice walk. If it had been good weather it would have been spectacular!
Fatigue: 20/50 = 40% I know I am more tired than normal. š©øI had my bloods checked before I went, not anaemic, but I do have a high red blood cell count. So will be going back for another test in a few weeks time. Energy levels are not where they should be - but this could be due to peri-menopause and just getting older!
ā°ļøEase of terrain: 18/50 = 36% found it pretty easy going, nothing really that challenging to be honest.
āļøHighlights: seeing quarryās, the slate piles, seeing the south side of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) the old ruins, walking by the rivers.
šļøChallenges: none really - weather wasnāt the bestā¦. Butās itās Wales so there is a high chance of rain š§ļø
šThoughts: really pleased how the walk went, not really sure I would make any changes, all my gear was great, mentally felt strong, I was fit enough to do big days, back to back.
Nutrition always needs work - but I know what I like food wise and what my body wants to eat will walking trails.
āAny questions about the Snowdonia Slate Trail?
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