Author Topic: Pen Y Pass Advice  (Read 10897 times)

Bucket

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Pen Y Pass Advice
« on: 18:23:01, 28/07/17 »

Hi all


After receiving some great responses to a recent post I thought I'd try my luck again. My partner and I are walking Snowdon in a few weeks as part of a Charity event organised by her employers. We are hoping to park at Pen Y Pass early on the morning but we are unsure of the Charges and Payment methods accepted. Can anyone offer some assistance?


Regards Steve

Bucket

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #1 on: 19:28:34, 28/07/17 »

Also, If anyone would be interested in sponsoring the event it can be found here


https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rvwpugh [nofollow]

ninthace

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #2 on: 19:31:52, 28/07/17 »

According to Parkopedia  £5 for 4 hrs, £10 all day, £250 for a year.
See also
http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/visiting/local-information/car-parking


A general tip for walkers - Parkopedia is a good source of information when you are looking for a jumping off point for a walk. GoogleEarth can also show small parking areas where people pull off the road. Useful for Dartmoor. Exmoor, Lakes etc but less so for Snowdonia which is inhabited by sabre toothed traffic wardens who will have you if you stop where you aren't supposed to.
Solvitur Ambulando

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #3 on: 19:42:10, 28/07/17 »
Here is a great bit of advice.


Avoid Pen Y Pass, as their parking charges are a downright disgrace, a crisp £10 note, that's if you can get a parking place that is, and it fills up almost at the crack of dawn.


The payment warden, in his tiny hut on the left of the carpark, is so vigilant in possible payment dodgers, that he is up and down like an angry guard dog.


Ascend Snowdon from Llanberis, its still the same mountain your aiming to climb, and in doing so will add another tenner to your worthy charity cause,  and here is a special place to park for free, and its as safe as houses.

Not that i want you to avoid paying the sometimes excessive parking charges starting to emerge in and around Snowdon.


Just up the road, past the large Royal Victoria Hotel, you will come to a small row of cottages, and a now disused chapel, on the left hand side of the road, if your approaching from the Mountain Railway station side, and right hand side, if your coming from the Pen Y Pass daylight robbery side.

On the very corner, about 80yds past the last little cottage currently for sale, just opposite the slate sign saying Llanberis ( left side from Pen Y Pass- Right side llanberis), which will be on the right hand side of the road, there is a small opening down a rather unkempt tarmac hill, which leads to a parking area under some trees.

Currently there is a serious fly tipping issue there, but there's enough room to park around six or seven vehicles, and its totally free, and as safe as houses.

As its a public right of way, leading to a series of walks in and around llanberis, Gwynedd council have little option, but to leave this access open,  and its almost an impossibility to levy any parking charges there ( that's the situation at the moment)

Not many people are aware of its existence, that included me, until early this year, and ive been parking within a 100yds of it, for well over twenty years,without knowing it was there, but i now use it regularly.

Why should i pay excessive parking charges to a council, who already levy enough council tax off me, for living in Dyffryn.

During last months very hot weather, the huge carpark opposite the Llanberis Mountain Railway station, was full to the gills, annoyed visitors wanting to park, were turned away.

Less than half a mile down the road, in my little free car parking area, there was one solitary vehicle.

Now you know of its existence, make use of it, as in the past few years, tariffs for Britains most popular mountain, are heading towards the summit.

£10 for Pen Y Pass, £5 for the Llanberis supermarket sized area, and a fairly affordable £4 in and around the mountain.


Where does all this significant revenue go ?, into Gwynedd councils pockets,  and more likely than not, not  in the maintenance of the paths up you know where.
« Last Edit: 20:12:08, 28/07/17 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

Glyno

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #4 on: 21:45:30, 28/07/17 »
I got some very useful advise from the girl serving in the cafe at Pen y pas regarding parking, and charges in the car park  ;)

Bucket

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #5 on: 12:02:41, 29/07/17 »

I got some very useful advise from the girl serving in the cafe at Pen y pas regarding parking, and charges in the car park  ;)


Care to share this useful advice?

fernman

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #6 on: 13:14:19, 29/07/17 »
Here is a great bit of advice.

Found this on the map, thanks to your detailed directions.

It's a wonder the council haven't put a barrier across the entrance. Let's hope they don't see this thread!

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #7 on: 20:01:01, 29/07/17 »
Feel free to tell your mates about this handy little parking area.
Somehow i recon the National Park and Gwynedd Council, have forgotten all about this parking area, as the fly tipping there is very distressing to behold.
I parked there one week, during the terribly hot and humid weather, and there was long standing litter strewn around the place.
Two weeks later, i used the same parking area, and there were two, full to capacity small carrier bags thrown on the ground.

This parking disgrace, is a designated area for a right of way to a delightful walk behind llanberis.

Somehow i think Gwynedd Council and the National Park, cannot place a barrier across the location, if they could, it would have been done years ago.

The Snowdonia National Park is generally a very clean advertisement for the beauty of Wales, but it was very distressing to see such a large amount of litter.

If i had spent the afternoon cleaning the rubbish myself, which i did think about, i know full well, it would be back to its sorry state within a few weeks.

If i draw Gwynedd Council and the Park to its present state, i may risk drawing it to their attention, and who knows what will happen.

It still remains a hidden corner to park ones car, when exorbitant parking charges are just round the corner.

alewife

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #8 on: 20:26:27, 29/07/17 »
Theres a guy who collects the money, there may be a machine too, I can't remember. You will need to get there early if its a weekend to beat the crowds and guarantee a space as some bits seem to be for minibuses only (peeps start parking from 4am in summer!). The guy seems like a decent sort of bloke so no actual issues other than finding a space.
Alewife


...beware of the bull!

Glyno

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #9 on: 20:40:50, 29/07/17 »
to be honest, I'd feel a bit uneasy about leaving my car in the area described by DA - A secluded area up a narrow track hidden by trees and frequented by criminals?

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #10 on: 21:02:32, 29/07/17 »
No need for any worries there Glyno.
I am especially careful where i park my cars, like yourself, i value my car, and would not park anywhere where i did not feel comfortable with.

There is constant traffic passing the area, and its not so secluded to allow a would be thief to try and break into your vehicle.
On more than one occasion, walkers have passed me going through the gate to the wooded walk, its a fairly busy right of way, so any opportunist thief would have to be desperate to break into a car.


Like yourself, i never leave anything of value in my car, even on display, or in the boot.


A car thief wants an easy picking, they see the item of value on full display, and if the theft will take them longer than a minute, they will move on to the next car.

Anyway, over the several months ive been using this parking area, ive been parked next to some seriously nice cars.
I remember talking to a couple from Manchester who had turned up in their 15plate Audi RS3, in gorgeous Red.

They had no qualms parking there, and its not as secluded as you think, its just an area most visitors do not know about.

My beloved Fiat 500 Abarth, has been parked there several times, once for over six hours, and it was constantly in my thoughts all day long.

Its not that i object paying parking charges, but i can see in the not too distant future, llanberis adopting the £10 parking charge.

Snowdon is such a magnet, that almost within reason, walkers would pay any sum.

Several years ago, i would have said, no way, £10 to park your car in Pen Y Pass, it will deter visitors.

I bet they could raise it to £20, and there would still be a full car park every day.

Special free parking places, are very few and far between, let's take advantage of them, as once their gone, its yet more expense, on a already expensive day out, for most of us.
« Last Edit: 21:08:32, 29/07/17 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

photonut

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #11 on: 10:17:07, 30/07/17 »
Hi DA,

A very informative and very helpful post - thank you.

[/size]Special free parking places, are very few and far between, let's take advantage of them, as once their gone, its yet more expense, on a already expensive day out, for most of us.

I agree whole-heartedly with you on this.  Car parking costs do seem to be on the up and are getting ridiculous, which as you point out add quite a bit of extra expense to a day out.

I'm always on the look out for safe free parking places, but they do seem to be getting harder and harder to find, so it's good when someone can point you in the right places.  Thanks once again for posting your parking info.

Cheers
Lee
« Last Edit: 10:23:33, 30/07/17 by photonut »

Ridge

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #12 on: 10:39:37, 30/07/17 »
As this has slipped in to a discussion about parking I am going to say something a bit controversial.


I have no problems paying for parking.


Last week I paid £8 to park in Coniston for the day. I could possibly have found cheaper or even free parking but it is only £8 which, compared to the cost of the petrol to get there or even my boots, is not a lot. We brought everything with us so didn't spend another 1p in the town Anything else I do will cost entrance fee or I will at least buy coffee and cake.


On our recent 5 days in the Lakes we spent about £25 per person per day on accommodation and food, that is all that went in to the local economy, worth every penny.


jimbob

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #13 on: 11:12:35, 30/07/17 »
I agree with Ridge wholeheartedly.  The extra numbers of people going to these places create huge problems for local authorities.  A decent , safe car park for the day is a weight off anybodies mind and helps a wee bit towards the local economy.  At £8:00 for up to 24 hours is not exorbitant by anyone standards when compared to the price of a bag of chips and a nice icecream.

( I used the chips example because I was charged £3:00 for 20 chips at the Heckington Village Fair yesterday.)
Too little, too late, too bad......

fernman

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Re: Pen Y Pass Advice
« Reply #14 on: 11:29:34, 30/07/17 »
to be honest, I'd feel a bit uneasy about leaving my car in the area described by DA - A secluded area up a narrow track hidden by trees and frequented by criminals?

Do you mind? You're describing where I live!

Seriously, I've had my car 12 years from new and apart fom paying the council £110 a year (currently; it goes up every year) for parking outside my house I'm proud to say I have never paid to park anywhere. There's always somewhere free if you look for it, even if it's a bit further to walk back. Take Llangollen as  one example - I can't remember what the charge is for the big car park but if you continue up the road you'll find a free space in one of the back streets. So £8 for Pen-y-pass is out for me, I simply rule that out as somewhere to start a walk from and I choose somewhere else, e.g. Beddgelert where I can leave my car on the road.

 

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