Wales’ tallest mountains are spectacular and unique places. Clustered in the country’s mountainous northwest corner, these glorious peaks are saturated in legend and hold secrets that only a prolonged apprenticeship reveals. The rewards for getting to know these storied mountains are many and varied – and in doing so you’ll be following in the footsteps of some of mountaineering’s greatest characters.
The national park in which the highest mountains in Wales are found has two names. In Welsh, it’s Eryri (pronounced eh-ruh-ree), the exact meaning of which is unclear. Some believe it to point to a “land of the eagles”; others believe it derives from the Latin oriri, meaning “to rise”. Either way, the result is evocative, befitting a landscape that has enthralled generations. The national park’s more widely used name, Snowdonia, pays tribute to Wales’ highest mountain and, for many, the main draw to the region: the mighty Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).
