Holyhead Mountain routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Holyhead Mountain, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Holyhead Mountain routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Holyhead Mountain route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Holyhead Mountain route

South Stack

Paths across heathland climb to the rocky summit inside the old hillfort. It starts from South Stack car park. 2.2 km one way with 224 m of ascent. About 0h 50m to the summit and 1h 15m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Easy.

Breakwater Country Park

Paths climb from the country park over heath and rock to the summit. It starts from Breakwater Country Park, Holyhead. 1.4 km one way with 188 m of ascent. About 0h 35m to the summit and 0h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Easy.

Holyhead Mountain route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Holyhead Mountain route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Holyhead Mountain, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.

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Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Holyhead Mountain today and the Holyhead Mountain 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Holyhead Mountain routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Holyhead Mountain, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Holyhead Mountain

What is the easiest route up Holyhead Mountain?

South Stack has the easiest grade of the 2 routes listed here (Easy).

How much time does each Holyhead Mountain route take?

South Stack: about 0h 50m up and 1h 15m there and back. Breakwater Country Park: about 0h 35m up and 0h 50m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Holyhead Mountain route?

Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.