Advice
Ask yourself 3 questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
- Do I have the right GEAR?
To help answer these questions, head over to the AdventureSmart website.
AdventureSmart website has all the support you need for learning more about how to have a safe and enjoyable time in the mountains
The Yr Wyddfa Live website has up-to-date current information about Snowdon, including live weather readings, information about the summit cafe, today's sunset, and twice-weekly winter path reports.
Create your plans alongside the weather. Weather forecasts, specific to Eryri (Snowdonia) can be found at MetOffice and MWIS
The Eryri National Park's VisitSnowdonia website has descriptions of the all walking routes up Yr Wyddfa to help choose that right path to walk.
LLMRT is always ready to help people who need assitance in the mountains of Snowdonia
Familiarise yourself with the following points to ensure you can request support from mountain rescue, for you or people you meet who need help.
- Give First Aid
- Ask for help
- Find your location
First Aid
Basic first aid skills will help preserve life, prevent further injuries and promote recovery.
Consider some first aid training, especially if you are leading a group.
Ask For Help
Ask for help from passers-by. In the mountains everyone helps each other.
If you need assistance from Mountain Rescue, don't delay. Calling earlier rather than later will help everyone.
- Call 999
- Ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue
- Give your details and a few mobile numbers to reach your party
- Describe your problem, and any injuries
- Give your location
Your Location
Being able to provide your location over the phone is essential.
Using a map and compass is a good skill, but in case you want to be sure, use the OSLocate App.
Download it to a few smartphones in your group before you leave and familiarise yourself with how it works.
Find your Grid Reference
Using OSLocate and/or your map, You'll need to determine a so-called "6 figure" grid reference for your location - in Snowdonia these start with "SH" followed by six numbers.
For example: The summit of snowdon is at SH 609 543
The OSLocate app shows the letters and numbers of your location grid reference on the main screen and looks like this:
You can also find Grid Reference markers on some stiles around Snowdon: This one pictured below is nearly half way along the Snowdon Ranger path.
To learn more about grid references, The Ordnance Survey website has a guide and a video tutorial from Steve Backshall