Snowdon's new hangout

New Center Opens At Mount Snowdon’s Summit

Mountain Climbers and Hikers can look forward to a treat at the peak of Mount Snowdon, as a new visitor center and café opens this month. The £8 million ‘Hafod Eryri’ building was designed by acclaimed architect Ray Hole, with a modern granite structure designed to blend in with the mountain scenery.

The center will provide Snowdon’s 500,000 yearly visitors with weather information, advice on routes, educational exhibitions, refreshments and shelter. Hafod Eryi is also designed to withstand the extreme weather conditions at the 3,500 feet peak, where temperatures plummet to -20C and winds can reach speeds of 150 mph. Such wild conditions meant the grand opening itself was delayed by over a year.

The new center makes a fresh change from the original 1930s concrete bunker, deemed unsightly by Prince Charles amongst others, and National Park Authorities hope the center will attract an extra 100,000 more visitors a year. Chief Park Authority Caerwyn Roberts believes that “Hafod Eryri is a building that the whole of Wales will be proud of, and is a fitting climax as a destination to one of Wales’ most important icons”.