 What Yr Wyddfa Looks Like Now

14 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan VIEW FROM YR WYDDFA SUMMIT VOTED THE BEST VIEW IN BRITAIN IN 2017

SAMSUNG NATIONAL POLL 2017

15 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan What Yr Wyddfa looks like now

This section provides infographics on what Yr Wyddfa looks like now. It identifies: öö how Yr Wyddfa is used öö the challenges faced when caring for the mountain öö the ecology of Yr Wyddfa öö local people and the local economy öö the achievements of the partners so far An Ascent of Yr Wyddfa, 1883 - Refreshments on the way

16 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan How Yr Wyddfa is used Land use

TopTop visitor visitor attractions attractions inin WalesWales

MillenniumMillennium Centre, Centre, Cardiff Cardiff 1.11.1 millionmillion farm holdings on Yr Wyddfa TheThe LC, LC, Swansea Swansea 26 803,000803,000

YrYr Wyddfa Wyddfa 582,000582,000

Organised events StSt Fagans Fagans 531,000531,000 3 eaks hallenge YrYr W W Ben Nevis Scafell Pike Yr Wyddfa Snowdonia International Marathon Snowdon race TheThe Snowdonia Snowdonia National National ParkPark attractsattracts thethe greatest greatest proportion proportion ofof visitors visitors participating participating inin activeactive pursuits pursuits of of all all thethe NationalNational Parks in the UK and Yr Wyddfa in particular supports a wide TWI 650 Parks in the UK and Yr Wyddfa in particular supports a wide voted best participants annually varietyvariety of of outdoor outdoor activities activities British Marathon 30,000 participants annually

17 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Annual cycle

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Visitor numbers

Best time of year for Activities

Winter walking Paragliding Walking Winter walking

Ice climbing

Wildlife and flowering times

Purple Saxifrage

Snowdon Lily

The hill farming year Spring calving time Scanning [females} Lambing Hefting Shearing The Gathering Ewes are scanned Season Training! Time. Sheep are brought Tupping to check how Ewes and The ewes It’s too down from the hills (mating many lambs they lambs are have learnt warm for a and are 'dipped’ i.e. season) are carrying – returned their patch coat in the bathed in a treatment more than 1 to the hills of the summer! to get rid of any ticks lamb = more feed mountain and other pests for the ewe by memory and they Cattle pass this grazing on on to the Cattle taken to the hill lambs lower ground

Autumn calving time

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 18 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan From where do most visitors come? Main pre-visit information sources

North 27 West 16 North 19 Wales 16 West 5 4 Midlands

Partnership member websites and social media impact and reach South 14 Wales London & 7 The Southeast

19 over 4,000,000 hits

over 70,000 followers

19 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan What’s the impact? First time hill walkers

Between 2013 and 2015 the percentage of first time hill walkers walking up Yr Wyddfa doubled. The popularity of walking up the mountain continues to increase amongst the experienced hill walking and mountain climbing 2015 communities as well as those who have never walked up hills before. The resulting impacts of this use of the mountain, both 2013 positive and negative, also increase.

Positive impacts Negative impacts

Increasing economic benefits, an Increasing visitor numbers placing estimated £69m of direct spend into increasing demand on mountain local communities from visitors to Yr rescue teams and putting strain on the 10 20 Wyddfa annually. volunteers and resources of these vital organisations.

People are having a positive People being unaware of, and not experience on Yr Wyddfa. Over one adhering to, the countryside code. For Over the past 2 years the % of third of people visiting Yr Wyddfa are example, dogs not being kept under returning visitors, increasing economic control and worrying sheep. benefits to the area. P

The wider North Wales region benefits Pressure on infrastructure, facilities and hill-walkers visiting Yr Wyddfa has from the positive visitor experience the environment. For example, extra of people enjoying Yr Wyddfa. North footfall places extra strain on habitats, Wales has been rated as the 4th best footpaths, car parks and toilets. place to visit in the world by the Lonely Planet Guide 2017.

The mountains of Snowdonia are a Pressure on volunteers and wardens huge recreational asset to the people time and resources to stay abreast of of North Wales, 16% of visitors to Yr litter problems due to increasing visitors Wyddfa live in North Wales. from all regions.

20 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Visitor experience Pressure on car parks Visitor behaviour

Estimated % of days car parks are over their capacity during the peak season* 87%

48% 33% 28% 23% Snowdon Mountain Railway 16% have seen a significant rise 83 in violent and aggressive r Yr W Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept behaviour towards staff gave a top rating of 4 at the summit building *we have limited hard data on over capacity of car parks, but further - ‘a fantastic experience’ research and analysis will be carried out as part of this Plan. in the past 2 years.

Visitors to Yr Wyddfa Yr Wyddfa walkers 2016

Llanberis Path 173,819 Yr Wyddfa Pyg Track 582,000 126,969 visitors to Yr Wyddfa’s summit 2016 Snowdon Ranger path Miners' Track Scafell Pike 18,370 110,892 Ben Nevis 465,000

117,000 190,000 150,000 Rhyd Ddu Track 15,621 2016 2016 2016 Watkin Path 19,280

21 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Getting to Yr Wyddfa Getting Around in the Area

The Snowdon Sherpa, funded by Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council and Snowdonia National Park Authority, shuttles around the base of Yr Wyddfa connecting all six main footpaths and the surrounding villages. On the northern side of the mountain the timetable is comprehensive with buses running as regularly as every 30 minutes in the summer, with the service particularly well used by walkers using the park and ride in Nant Peris (for Pen-y-pass). The service Holyhead Llandudno in Nantgwynant and the Rhyd Ddu side of the mountain is far more limited, with only a few buses per day. The Snowdonia National Park Authority, Gwynedd Council and Conwy County Borough Council all contribute financially towards running the bus service, and this includes revenue from the car parks surrounding A55 Bangor A55 Yr Wyddfa.

Caernarfon Llanberis Betws-y-Coed

Beddgelert Blaenau Ffestiniog

Pwllheli Porthmadog Y ala

Barmouth • Ferry port: Holyhead - Dublin Dolgellau • Nearest Railway Stations: Bangor, Betws y Coed, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Llandudno Junction, Porthmadog • Nearest international airports: Liverpool John Lennon Airport Manchester Airport and East Midlands Airport

22 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Challenges to the care of the mountain

Impacts on the mountain Visitors to Pen-y-pass Visitor facilities

sheep per year are illed in dog attacks 500 in North Wales 2 of visitors rated the facilities visitors Damage to property 236,000 & car parks as ‘not great’ Pen-y-pass is one of the busiest sites in the National Park P

National Park & National Trust combined Littering annual spend on maintaining paths 1 300,000 9000 litres part funded by Pen-y-pass of water is used daily at the summit. car park revenue skip is filled every day during That's the equivalent of the summer at Pen-y-pass 14 minis full of water

Water is harvested from the roof Main types of litter collected on the mountain by wardens and volunteers 8 footpath workers and carried up on the train.

23 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Dog attacks on sheep

Fiona Davies and her husband run a hill farm, ‘Hafod Lydan’, at the foot of crushed to bits and the blood was pouring from her eyes and nose. We had to Yr Wyddfa. They have bred many different varieties of sheep for the past destroy her. 30 years, subsidising their farming through their campsite and self-catering cottages on the farm. Their sheep have been the victims of attacks by dogs, It's hard to put a financial figure on dog worrying. Yes, we know the vet costs, but and sheep worrying by dogs is a huge concern for farmers around Yr Wyddfa. time costs us too. Nursing an animal for an hour a day for seven days takes up half Fiona talked to the National Sheep Association about her experiences: a day’s work in total somewhere else. Sheep that abort may be carrying one or two lambs. Commercial hill lamb prices vary, but they can be worth around £60-£80 “Miles of footpaths going up Yr Wyddfa cross the lower slopes [of our land] and when ready for the butcher, so each ewe that aborts may be £160 lost. This cost is the high ground is open access. Many a time we have witnessed from a distance, much greater with lowland ewes, and even more with pedigree sheep. and unable to do anything about it, dogs chasing sheep. Over the past few years, and more so the past few months, tending a wounded or dying dog-gnawed sheep We are dog lovers ourselves and we couldn't shepherd without our own dogs. If you seems to be a regular thing for us. can't stop a dog chasing sheep, please take it to someone who can train it for you. And if you take your dog for a walk in the countryside please keep it under control”. In one incident, the dog owner had to kick and pull the dog off the sheep, and then left her for dead. The sheep was still alive when I found her but her head was

A dog caught attacking a sheep, Yr Wyddfa area 24 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Comparison of number of accidents Mountain rescue incidents

Number of accidents for every 1 million Incidents for every 10,000 visitors

hours spent on the activity Yr Wyddfa Scafell ike en Nevis

6 100 1300 389 5 756 walking horse playing Mountain rescue incidents vs visitor numbers on Britain's most Yr Wyddfa Riding Football popular mountains in 2013

Mountain rescue incidents on Yr Wyddfa Key safety messages from the Mountain Safe partnership

Know where Slips, you are going trips Lost or falls Map 32 43 Plan carefully

1in4 Wear appropriate Obtain the latest poorly or inadequately equipped clothing Know your limits weather conditions

25 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan The ecology of Yr Wyddfa

Environmental protection Sheep

40km2 Decline in sheep numbers Special Area of in Cwm Dyli Conservation (SAC) & Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) The nvironmental hange Network (N) has sites 60% across the U 1997 2 of Yr Wyddfa 2006 2016 167km is a protected They carry out monitoring, data and research to understand environmental change National Nature conservation site Reserve The Snowdon N site in wm Dyli monitors a huge range of datasets including vegetation, invertebrates, goat and sheep numbers, weather and even snow cover.

Important species and habitats on Yr Wyddfa Invasive species on Yr Wyddfa

Increase in goat numbers in Cwm Dyli Yr Wyddfa 2015 NNR supports 2005 over Mink Atlantic Woodlands - Also classed as Ashworth’s Rustic moth. The only place in Britain along temperate rainforests. On a global One of the few places in the UK with Cwm Idwal where the scale this is a more restricted habitat where you can see this species Rainbow Leaf Beetle is found than tropical rainforests

Rhododendron 15 ponticum protected 1500 Over football pitches of area species and £600,000 has been cleared of Heathland - nationally and Snowdon Lily – grows The arctic-alpines are one of to control habitats internationally important wet nowhere else in Britain the most important features of the Rhododendron in Rhododendron ponticum and dry heathland habitats except for Snowdonia Snowdonia National Nature Reserve Nant Gwynant since 2008 in Nant Gwynant Bracken

26 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Yr Wyddfa’s ‘Specials’

Snowdon Lily Plate © Bangor University Collection

Yr Wyddfa’s rocks represent a varied and violent past. These rocks provide By the time of J.E.Griffiths flora of 1894, much was known about the a unique refuge and form an outpost for special plants of arctic and alpine distribution of Snowdonia’s rare mountain plants. regions. On the crags, geologists and botanists alike have searched and In the 20th century, Evan Roberts put his knowledge to work. He was a scratched their heads, trying to piece together the mountain’s story. quarryman from Capel Curig with a passion for mountain plants. As a Nature By the 17th century, Yr Wyddfa was already attracting botanists from far afield. Conservancy Warden he was influential as nature conservation became established as an important aspect of land use. Edward Llwyd is remembered for the discovery of the Snowdon Lily. His knowledge of the Welsh Flora was unsurpassed, but he was also an expert And today? on the Breton, Cornish and Welsh languages and author of the first scientific Today’s experts include Barbara Jones, whose ecological work on the Snowdon description of a dinosaur! Lily shapes the management of the National Nature Reserve, and Wendy From the 18th century, collectors and guides used and abused the natural McCarthy who maintains the Rare Plant Register for the Botanical Society of resources of the mountain. They risked their lives in pursuit of rare plants and the British Isles. Work by Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd and Llên Natur continues what they might bring – an income, prestige or knowledge. With many sites to improve our understanding of plants in the scientific, cultural, and historical accessible only by rope, botanists were amongst the first rock climbers on Yr landscape. Wyddfa.

27 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan People and the economy Percentage employed in the accommodation, food and services industries rmin 59 a g 6 speak Welsh F in Snowdonia Wl

ymraeg ymraeg 11.6

£417 million S

One of the Agricultural sector oldest living languages GVA in Wales in urope

Tourism lanberis eddgelert £2,844 etws-y-coed million Tourism sector Ar Yr W GVA in Wales 1525

28 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Employment and income in Snowdonia

d t by In ustry en in S m no oy Manufacturing w of second homes l d p 57 o m n in the Yr Wyddfa Area ia Education lanberis 5 eddgelert & Nant Gwynant 24 12 etws Garmon & Rhyd Ddu 20 Waunfawr 6

Agriculture forestry and fishing Wholesale and retail 72 trade Construction 127 99

Accommodation and food service activities Health and social 116 work activities 12.8% The fruits of Yr Wyddfa What is produced on the mountain? Welsh lamb, beef, store animals, breeding animals, water, scenery, tranuillity

29 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan hold Inc use ome Ho in n 2 ia 0 d 1 e 5 M

Hill sheep Snowdonia U farming income £22,660 £25,700 Average annual profit of £18,876 (after subsidy) Average annual S (asic ayment Subsidy) £23,483

Number of people employed in Full Time Self conservation and countryside mployees mployed management work in the Yr Wyddfa Area

60 60 Full time 12

50 50 Over half of their time 19

40 40 Some of their time 20

30 30

20 20 Snowdonia Wales U

10 U 10 Wales Snowdonia 0 0

30 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Upland hill farming on Yr Wyddfa – a way of life

Less than three percent of people in modern industrial economies are farmers. Animals have been on these mountains for centuries and have been a big part of However, the United Nations estimates that more than two billion people are creating how they look today. It’s a difficult environment to live in in this modern farmers, most of them small farmers. That’s about one in three people on the day and age as we still have to make some kind of living otherwise what would be planet. Upland hill farms often use farming systems that date back to as far as the point! The way we farm on the hill is pretty limited in terms of what you can do 4,500 years. Helen and Bedwyr farm the slopes of Yr Wyddfa from the Nant as you cannot change things much. You still have to farm in the traditional way. It’s Gwynant valley where they live with their four children, Aron, 17, Eban, 16, not possible to plough and grow crops so you are limited to sheep and cattle, so we Erin, 12 and Siôn, 10: find efficiencies in other parts of the system. “Farming on the mountain is challenging but we enjoy being hill farmers because Why do we do this? Because this is what we know best and this way of life we have a love of the mountains and farming. Bedwyr and myself have been raised has been handed down by our ancestors. We believe that we are farming the on hill farms and our families are hill farmers. It’s in our blood. Perhaps not many mountains as they have been farmed for centuries and hoping we can make it would like to do what we do or live in a place that is beautiful but isolated and can viable so we can still live here to hand down these traditions to our children.” be lonely.

31 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Comparison of National Park visitor numbers, visitor days spent in the park and visitor spend in 2015

one visitor stays for and spends

Snowdonia National Park 2.63 days £122

Lake District National Park 1.46 days £70

Yorkshire Dales National Park 1.30 days £66

Brecon Beacons National Park 1.21 days £56

Visitor numbers in 2015 conomic Accommodation £60m Snowdonia impact National Park Food and drink £88m 3.89m £475m Recreation £34m Yr Wyddfa Shopping £126m

£69m Transport £44m 563,000 estimated

32 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Current achievements by partners Creating maps for the 21st century

arden team r W ach tee ee iev lun r ac nt e vo h lu m y ie Google Trekker o e t v V n ie e All main routes can be viewed ts m n c o in o e on Google Maps d n 2 S w 0 t o a s 1 i Llanberis n 6 n i S n o Track

d 2 0

28 Volunteers w

1

o 3 litter picks and 7

750 Volunteer hours n Pyg Track

S 5 footpath workdays Bags of 10 staff days litter 375 collected 450 volunteer hours Snowdon Miner’s Ranger Path Track

r 4 mon Ove ths Rhyd Ddu Path Wr Watkin T Path 480 r r 23

All main routes were photographed to rr create online maps, which are accessible through Google Street View

33 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Young Rangers Scheme

During the autumn of 2016, the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the From rock climbing to conservation skills in the stunning surroundings of Outdoor Partnership joined forces to pilot an exciting new scheme. We were Northern Snowdonia, the skills developed by these ten individuals were looking for ten enthusiastic and self-motivated young men and women aged fantastic. Our expert wardens and outdoor instructors were on hand to guide 14–16 to pilot our Young Ranger Scheme. As part of the team, these young them through the programme. people had the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills to set them up to "I had so much fun and did things I’ve never done before. I was given the become the rangers of the future! opportunity to learn so many new skills.” Mabon Thompson Spaces were limited to ten young people, and there was a lot of competition for the places. The successful applicants stood out because of their enthusiasm and desire to be part of the scheme and their love of the outdoors.

34 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Conservation Education and engagement

National Trust Farm, Hafod y Llan, which is located on ing map g Yr Wyddfa is leading the way on an innovative trial for alk ui w de habitat management by combining traditional shepherding rs la e u skills with conservation objectives n n in c g h e e d £20k B spent improving education & interpretation at Pen-y-pass in order to ensure walkers are Over 1500 better prepared sold since 2016

Renewable energy

e ung p ople w yo ith g w in i g ld a l g if n e E Young Ranger Schemes Training Courses There are over There are 16 hydros and Conservation Days 8 solar installations in the Yr Wyddfa area

protected20 conservation features in the National Nature Reserve

35 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan Improving access on Yr Wyddfa don Circ w il around the u o tra ba la n er se r s o S -u f ti Y l r u W M y d m d k

f 2 50 a 4 upgraded Chip and pin pay and so far display machines installed at Pen-y-pass Many sections of the developing trail will be accessible for use by people with limited mobility, horse riders, cyclists and walkers Yr Wyddfa Mountain Bike Group have reviewed improved Yr Wyddfa mountain bike agreement

additional parking spaces created at the foot of the Snowdon Ranger path to alleviate traffic problems by re-designing the existing car park

36 Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan